Top 5 things to look forward to at CalmCon this year
It’s less than a week till the 2nd CalmCon mental health & well-being festival, and the Calm Collective team is beyond excited! It’s been months of planning, sourcing, and brainstorming - and we can’t wait for all of you to experience it.
As we count down, we figured we’d give you five things to look forward to at CalmCon and why you should snag that ticket (if you haven’t already!):
1. Redefine your concept of what mental wellness is:
Although we live in the year 2022, mental health remains a very taboo topic. Here at Calm Collective, our mission has always been to normalise mental health conversations, especially in Asia. We believe that mental health is just like any other component of your health - physical, spiritual, and emotional. In fact, they’re very much intertwined with each other.
You wouldn’t think twice about seeking out help for a physical condition or going to the gym to improve your physical fitness… so why not apply that to your mental health as well? Beyond managing or avoiding mental illness, we believe that you deserve to strive for mental wellness. In other words, proactively building your resilience and support systems so you can thrive in life.
As mentioned in our tagline, your definition of thrive and calm is likely different from somebody else’s. Mental wellness is something accessible to everyone and we want you to find out what works best for you.
2. Exciting lineup of speakers and topics galore!
With a range of topics covering everything from Workplace Wellbeing to How to Find Calm to Defining What it Means to Thrive, you’re bound to find something that appeals to you. Here are some sessions we’re looking forward to:
Setting better boundaries at work
#ifeelyoubro: Men talk about feelings
Change your self-talk, change your life.
Check out the full CalmCon programme here.
We have speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds and demographics - from experts in their field to everyday individuals with lived experiences. Here are some speakers we’re excited about:
Adrian Ang (SGAG Xiao Ming), Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer of Hepmil Media Group
Nathan Andres, Global Wellbeing Leader of The Body Shop
Dr Pearlene Ng, Principal Clinical Psychologist of Viriya Community Services
Find the full line-up of CalmCon speakers here.
3. CalmCon goes hybrid, with 3 IRL events
As we ease out of the pandemic, CalmCon 2022 will be hybrid in nature, so that we can connect with our community “in real life” too. This year, we have three IRL events - and we’re beyond thankful to be working with amazing partners and locations for these.
Pre-CalmCon, we’ll be hosting our very own Well-being Leaders Roundtable at 1880 Singapore for senior executives & HR leaders to come together and find ways to further normalise mental health conversations at work. While this is an invite-only event, we will be sharing some key takeaways, for all organisations and leaders to share in the learnings.
In terms of public events, we’re excited to be hosting our first event, on the 8 October, at the new WeWork space at 21 Collyer Quay. You can expect a talk on finding strength in vulnerability (our recent campaign) as well as our signature Calm Circles session hosted by trained facilitators. Our second session, happening on 9 October, will take place at Temasek Shophouse. For this, you can expect a mindful movement workshop, a fireside chat with Calm Collective’s founders on how mindful movement helped them through their mental health recovery, and a Calm Circles session on the mind-body connection.
That said, we’ve kept it inclusive and will be continuing with our virtual festival.
4. Post-conference replay for 60 days
We understand how busy life can get. Heck, that’s a major reason why we’re covering topics like work-life balance, drawing boundaries, and burnout at CalmCon.
Having attended our fair share of conferences, we know how tough it can be to attend talks and panels on end. Rather than forcing you to put your attention span to the test, we’d rather you listen in your own time and at your own pace. Some of the topics we are covering will be heavy. Take time to let them digest.
Maybe you missed something during one of the live sessions, maybe you don’t have the time or bandwidth, maybe you weren’t in the note-taking mood, maybe your phone died midway through the talk. Whatever the case, with 60 days to catch the post-conference replays, you don’t have to worry about it.
5. If you don’t take care of your mental health, who will?
Last but definitely not least, sign up for you!
We know it’s easier said than done, but prioritising yourself is incredibly important. Remember that airline analogy? Attend to yourself first before attending to your child.
So often, we prioritise the needs of everyone around us only to push our needs to the back burner. Needless to say (and before we know it), we end up burnt out… and unable to take care of the very ones we had initially prioritised.
So, even if it’s just carving an hour out of the weekend or making a note to make it to one of our in-person events, take that step for you. You’re so very worth it.
Conclusion:
It can be overwhelming when you look at all the advice out there to improve your mental wellness - listen to a podcast first thing in the morning, connect with your family and friends, clock those steps in, eat nutritious meals, draw boundaries… the list is never ending and it can be tempting to give up before you even get started.
Rather than looking at taking care of your mental health as a long to-do list, look at it as a process. Every little step counts. By signing up for CalmCon, you’re just one step closer to a healthier self - inside and out.
Sign up for CalmCon at www.calmcon.asia