The Lightbulb Project: The Kaizen of It All

Good Day,

I am Jan Vincent Sarabia Ong, a mental health advocate from the Philippines. My work specifically caters to children as a communications consultant for pediatrician Dr. Francis Dimalanta and the Philippine Pediatric Society. One of their advocacies is screening for depression and anxiety among youth. Hearing about stories about 8 year olds attempting to jump off the ledge because they were bullied or didn’t get their IPad comes with the territory. As the listening ear, the job attracts the topic. Yet, the issue hits home when these stories bleed into casual conversation. It is the friend talking about his niece cutting herself over a cup of coffee on a Saturday. It can even be the friend himself experiencing these feelings. It is these moments when I pause and feel like this beast is :

1. An alarming set of nebulous stories
2. Out of control as the conversation remains a set of isolated and directionless chatter.
3. Needs to be contained within a scientifically sound and engaging framework.

As such, this Medium diary is my bit part in providing an intellectual and entertaining response to #selfcare. The Lightbulb project started 7 months ago as I immersed myself more into what gives us joy (i.e happiness despite the circumstances). I honestly got burned out midway and universe has been kind enough to slap me to think about these things. Last May, I got a free trip to the USA with lodging through sheer serendipity because of this research. It is time to give back.

So… what does the research say? In a nutshell, mental health is rooted in our natural response to either Fight, Flee or Freeze in times of danger.

This response is governed by the animal parts of our brain and may not give the best reactions in certain situations. Our response needs to elevate and be one governed by the human part of our brain managing its animal components. This is what mindfulness is. It may sound simple but we, mental health warriors, need to find ways to advocate within our own communities and through our own quirky language, interests and expertise. How we express these ideas matters and will catch people depending on their background.

And this is what this Medium diary is also about… It is advocating through my own truth and find others who are tickled by the same interests. This is in the hopes that others do the same. In this case, the truth is I love Japanese philosophy and culture and will be covering mental health through this lens. It is because kanji in its symbolic form is a indelible way of communication and education. Through a single or few characters, ideas are presented stylishly like the “S” on Superman’s chest. You see it and you immediately know what it is in a SNAP!.

Lastly, the selfish reason for this diary is to not alarm my own Fight, Flight or Freeze (FFF) response to write a book on Japanese culture and self-care.

Through the technique of Kaizen ,my mind won’t procrastinate by fleeing from the insurmountable gravity of thinking about the output of A BOOK. Instead, as Kaizen espouses, positive change can be done through little and silly goals that make your brain say “Yes, I can do that!”. In this case, I’ll write a chapter in this book a week at a time through this Medium. Seven days should be enough to make me do work, watch TV, play videogames, and give my pet hedgehog a bath until I focus on this space. In the meantime, it would mean the world for me that you soothe my FFF by encouraging me to write more by commenting and joining each small step in this writing journey. Let’s all change for the good.

Jan