In Australia in 2021, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, we have been enduring prolonging lockdowns, state border closures, and, of course, the country’s border closure, which makes us feel far from our homeland – Japan.
It is a difficult situation for everybody, but… How do you make sure your mental health during this challenge time?
We hosted a mental health webinar with Ms Asami Koike on Tuesday 19th October 2021.
Asami san is the founder of Shapes and Sounds which is an online platform that talks about Asian Australian mental health and wellbeing.
She guided us in this topic and answered important questions such as;
โ What are the common mental issues which Japanese people in overseas may face?
โ How do we access a psychologist in Australia?
During the seminar she mentioned;
“Being a Japanese Women in Australia (or any person with Japanese background in a Western society), the Japanese mentality of Gambaru ้ ๅผตใ and persistence ๆๆ ข can sometimes affect our mental health.”
When working in a non-Japanese environment, it is important to understand that it may be difficult to recognise this mentality for people from other cultures. Being polite, quiet, and prioritising others’ needs are great Japanese attitudes, but probably there are some occasions you may need to communicate about yourself clearly, especially in a non-Japanese environment. We need to find a balance between honouring our culture and adjusting to the local culture. Take a moment to identify what works for you and what no longer works for you.
A recording of this seminar is now available. If you are interested in more, please send a request to [email protected] We are happy to share this important and mind-altering seminar with you!
Thank you very much Asami san for providing your insights! We are sure this seminar encouraged a lot of Japanese businesswomen here in Australia. At least, it did to me!