The “Busy” Trap: Dr. Jenny Wang on Navigating Anxiety, Anger, and Uncertainty

The “Busy” Trap: Dr. Jenny Wang on Navigating Anxiety, Anger, and Uncertainty

What happens when society is OK with Asian women feeling anxious - but not angry? Perhaps we find comfort with hyperproductivity - until it leads to anxiety, burnout, and rage. “Busyness is an addiction to urgency,” says Dr. Jenny T. Wang, PH.D, a Taiwanese American psychologist, founder of @asiansformentalhealth and author of Permission to Come Home. Dr. Wang and Vanessa talk about creating healthy spaces for anger, untying our worth from our productivity, and why Dude Tribes might be a step in cultivating positive masculinity and community healing for Asian men. As children of immigrants and parents, we discuss why AAPI youth suicide prevention is a multi-generational effort - not just about Gen Z.

Plus: our favorite Taiwanese snacks, traveling with young kids, and daily habits for a brighter morning routine.

About Dr. Jenny Wang, PH.D:

Dr. Jenny T. Wang is a Taiwanese American clinical psychologist and national speaker on the intersections of Asian American identity, mental health, and intergenerational and racial trauma. Her professional mission is to destigmatize mental health within the Asian community and empower Asian Americans to prioritize their own mental well-being. She spearheaded the Asians for Mental Health therapist directory (www.asiansformentalhealth.com) to connect individuals with culturally reverent mental health care for Asian American diasporas. She created the Instagram community Asians for Mental Health (@asiansformentalhealth), where she explores the unique ways in which Asian American identity impacts our mental health. Her first book, Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health as Asian Americans was published by Grand Central Balance in May 2022. She is a mental health advisory member of Wondermind and The Mental Health Coalition.

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Alyce Chan on Mental Health for Moms: Comedy, Postpartum Depression, and the Glass Ceiling

Alyce Chan on Mental Health for Moms: Comedy, Postpartum Depression, and the Glass Ceiling

Mom by day, comedian by night, Alyce Chan (MomComNYC, Scary Mommy) is ready to smash two glass ceilings - the one at home, and the other in the male-dominated world of comedy.

Alyce is a modern-day Marvelous Ms. Maisel who entertains and uplifts thousands of moms with her stand-up comedy while offering parenting insights with deadpan humor, spot-on impersonations of her husband and Chinese-Canadian mom, and hilarious vulnerability that slays on stage and on Instagram. Alyce and Vanessa talk about the many faces of Postpartum Depression based on their lived experiences with PPD, intergenerational Asian mom rage, and how we can look at the everyday #parentingfail as “failing upwards”. Alyce shares how she nurtures her creative process and energy while developing grit as a performer, writer and comedian. We debate what self-care really means for tired moms who are told to "enjoy every moment!" Lastly, inspired by Reshma Saujani (Founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms), we ask how we can turn our rage into power - for moms, women of color and Asian Americans.

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