Jean Ang TCM

24/06/2026

Survival does not always have to look like conquering a mountain. Sometimes it is simply staying put until the storm passes. It is holding onto the hope that no matter how dark the night, dawn will eventually break.

I have never been particularly drawn to rigid classifications when it comes to the human mind. When people speak about mental health, I often find myself thinking less about diagnoses and more about the human experience of carrying worries, disappointments, fears, and emotions that were never meant to be carried for months on end.

In my work, many of the people I meet come to us because of a specific condition or physical complaint. Yet quite often, I notice something else as well. Their shoulders are tight. Their muscles are tense. Their bodies seem to be carrying a burden that they may not even realise is there.

When I gently suggest that stress might be playing a role, the response is often immediate.

"I am not stressed lah."

And I usually smile. Not because I doubt them, but because I recognise it.

Stress does not always announce itself dramatically. Sometimes it arrives quietly and settles in the body before the mind catches up. We become accustomed to carrying it and begin to think that feeling exhausted, worried, tense, or overwhelmed is simply normal.

It is not. It is a sign that something in you needs attention.

One phrase I often find myself repeating is: "It shall pass."

What you are feeling is not small. But life is constantly changing, even when it does not feel that way. What life tends to show us, if we have been around long enough, is that very little stays the same.

In the meantime, take care of the body. Eat well. Sleep properly, neither too little nor too much. Move regularly. Look after your physical health, so that when the time comes to begin again, you have the strength to do so.

The season does not always change in ways you can name. Sometimes you notice it in the body before the mind catches up. A slight loosening in the shoulders. A breath that comes a little easier. That is enough for now.

If you are in Singapore and unsure where to start, feel free to reach out. I am happy to point you in the right direction.

There is help available:
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) Call 1767 or WhatsApp 9151 1767 Available 24/7
National Mindline Call 1771 or WhatsApp +65 6669 1771 Available 24/7
National Care Hotline Call 1800 202 6868 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily

23/06/2026

It is a phrase I hear everywhere these days.

You deserve a break.
You deserve a holiday.
You deserve a branded bag.
You deserve a new watch.

You deserve whatever it is someone happens to be selling.

The word appears so often that we don't even stop to think about it. It sounds harmless enough, even encouraging. After all, many of us work very hard.

Surely it is reasonable to reward ourselves from time to time. Yet I sometimes wonder about the language we use.

Do we really *deserve* these things?

Take a holiday. Is it something we earn, or simply something we enjoy? Is a branded bag or watch a reward, or just something we happen to want and can afford?

Sometimes I wonder if we have started treating every pleasure as something that must be earned, rather than simply enjoyed.

The more I think about it, the more I realise that deserving and receiving are not always the same thing.

This holiday of mine is a good example. After working almost non-stop and giving my all for the past six months, it would be easy to tell myself that I deserve this break.

And perhaps there is some truth in that. But there is another truth as well.

I am able to take this trip because I have the health, the means, and the circumstances that make it possible. Many people work just as hard, or harder, and cannot do the same.

If I did not have those things, would I still deserve a holiday? Possibly. But I would not be able to take one. That realisation set me thinking.

There are people who work far harder than I do and carry far heavier burdens, yet cannot afford a holiday. One could easily argue that they deserve a break even more than I do. Yet circumstances prevent them from taking one.

Perhaps that is why gratitude feels so important. It reminds us that not every good thing is a reward, and not every absence is a failure.

This holiday is something I am grateful for. Not because I earned every part of it, but because I recognise that I have been given the chance to enjoy it.

As for raising the next generation, I am not sure I want the son growing up believing that good things are automatically owed to him.

Society may have other ideas though. How could I possibly fight the 大环境?

C'est la vie. At least I have written down what I think.

22/06/2026

Ever notice how a day in the sun gives you the best sleep ever?

​Yesterday, I spent about four hours outdoors, travelling alone to and from church via buses in khh, and then heading over to Love River to watch the dragon boats. The heat was absolutely intense, and even though I was wearing sunscreen and wrapped up like a rice dumpling, I slept surprisingly much better last night.

​Here is the quick science of why sunshine knocks us out in the best way:

​🌞Bright daylight tells your brain it is officially daytime. This creates a sharp contrast at night, triggering a massive wave of melatonin (the sleep hormone) the moment the lights go out.

​🌞Sunlight boosts serotonin, which is the feel-good chemical. At night, your body converts that exact serotonin into melatonin. More sun by the river means more sleep fuel at bedtime.

🌞​Sunscreen stops UV rays from burning your skin, but the visible light entering your eyes is what regulates your sleep. You get all the sleep benefits with zero sun damage.

​🌞Just walking around, using public transport, and dealing with outdoor heat forces your body to expend extra energy, which builds up sleep pressure.

​So how? Grab your sunscreen, head outside, and catch some daylight. Your sleep schedule will be grateful for it.

22/06/2026

"Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Gentleness? Self-control?". I suspect these qualities are tested not when life is easy, but when we are trying to be understanding without losing respect for ourselves in the process.

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​I was recently told that others find it easy to confide in me, and I hope that is the case. If it is true, it may be one of the gifts I have been blessed with.

​Perhaps it is because I try not to judge. Most of us are making decisions based on circumstances that others cannot fully see. Unless I have walked in your shoes, carried your burdens, loved the people you love, or faced the choices before you, how can I be certain I would have done any better?

​As I always say, human beings are complicated. We all come with strengths and flaws, virtues and blind-spots. And I am certainly no goddess, despite what some might say. I am human after all.

​One of my flaws is that I can be quite assertive when others show little respect for my time. This is especially true with patients who repeatedly change appointments, arrive late without warning, or simply do not turn up at all.

​A related trait is that I am surprisingly efficient at deleting individuals from my life. After repeatedly being hurt by certain people in my youth, I learnt to protect my own heart.

​Some people collect grudges. I collect closure.

​Once I decide someone has repeatedly disrespected my time, broken my trust, or mistaken kindness for weakness, I do not stage a grand farewell. I simply stop investing energy and move on.

​Whether that is a strength or a flaw probably depends on whom you ask. ​At least, that is the goal. In reality, I must admit I cannot always achieve it so cleanly. Sometimes the residual hurt or the temptation to dwell gets the better of me.

​Yet, age has taught me that these complexities are not necessarily contradictory. I can understand why someone behaves the way they do without accepting the behaviour itself. I can extend earthly grace without offering unlimited chances. I can listen without judgement and still have boundaries.

​Perhaps that is what compassion really is. Not excusing everything. Not condemning everything either. Simply recognising another person's humanity while remembering to protect your own.

Photo: A diy gift from Rachel Tay. A reminder of why I am doing what I do.

20/06/2026

Saturdays are for exercising, no matter where you are.

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19/06/2026

I do my best to recycle properly, whether I’m in Singapore or Kaohsiung.

​In Singapore, I always flatten cardboard boxes, large or small, and rinse plastic bottles before putting them in the blue recycling bins in my estate. I teach the son to do the same.

​In Taiwan, my in-laws do all that, but with even greater care. They are so meticulous it almost makes me feel guilty for producing any waste at all. I joke that it makes me think twice before opening a packet of potato chips. Or buy a bubble tea back.

​What disappoints me is how casually many people in Singapore seem to treat the process. It’s not uncommon to find food waste, takeaway cups or half-finished meals tossed into recycling bins, ruining everything inside.

​I don't know how much recycling is taught in schools these days, but judging by what ends up in the collection points, we could clearly do more.

​Taiwan’s approach to waste management still fascinates me. In the early 1990s, it was dubbed "Garbage Island". Today, it’s one of the world's recycling success stories.

​You see it in everyday life. Instead of leaving rubbish outside their homes, people wait for the garbage trucks. As Für Elise drifts down the street, neighbours emerge carrying carefully sorted bags of waste, recyclables and food scraps. The husband jokes that it is a prime opportunity for people-watching, catching neighbours in all their eccentric homewear, singlets, shorts and slippers. In fact, he says that taking out the bins is the only time you will see locals wearing slippers, as they would never dream of wearing them to a university lecture hall.

​Young people grow up watching this routine and taking part in it.

​The system isn't based on goodwill alone. Manufacturers contribute to a national recycling fund, residents have to pay for official rubbish bags, and there are fines for those who ignore the rules. The collectors would shout at anyone who bagged their rubbish carelessly.

​But what strikes me most is that recycling doesn't feel like a periodic campaign, it just feels normal. It’s woven into daily life, reinforced at home, in schools and by the wider community. The results speak for themselves, recycling rates are high, and individual waste has plummeted over the last few decades.

​I find that recycling isn’t just about providing the right bins. It’s about building habits, culture, and a sense of responsibility from a young age.

​The way we treat our rubbish says a great deal about how we treat the world we’re leaving behind for our children.

Experts said future measures should not only aim to raise awareness about recycling, but to convert it into action.

18/06/2026

I think the two very secretive Singaporean lizards in our house are half vegetarian.

As for the remaining half, I assume they simply visit the neighbours for a more balanced diet.

17/06/2026

Yay, I finally managed to crochet a tiny blue turnip. The son made a Lego frying pan. Apparently we now have the beginning of a very weird kitchen. 😑

17/06/2026

I couldn't agree more with this article.

The exact same logic applies to 'high functioning ADHD' as it is time we phased out these harmful, reductive terms.

Intelligence is not a good estimate of functional levels in children diagnosed with autism.

17/06/2026

When the son was in Primary One, his class was 1I6.

"What's I?" I asked him.

"Integrity," he replied.

He did not know what the word meant or why he was in that class, so I explained it in the simplest terms I could: doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

That definition came back to me recently as I thought about the Singapore TCM Physicians Registration Examination, which takes place this August.

It might seem like a leap from a primary school classroom to a medical licensing examination, but both raise the same question: can any system truly measure something as internal as character?

The examination includes several components, among them a practical assessment of a candidate's ability to conduct a consultation independently.

Candidates are evaluated on their clinical knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and how they communicate with and respond to patients.

Character, however, is much harder to assess in a timed simulation. How do you grade genuine kindness? Or integrity?

I suspect you cannot.

At some point, every profession relies on trust. And integrity. Examinations can assess knowledge and skills, but integrity begins where assessment ends.

To all those sitting for the examination this year, all the best. We expect great things from you.