Because I'm Happy!

As in Pharrell’s infectious Happy song, clap along if you – like JAYMEE ONG – know what happiness is to you! The modelactress-host, whose favourite dance partners are her kids, shares her list of eight things that make her happy.

- Stella Thng

Jaymee Ong knows the importance of being happy. The leggy model host-actress was hit by severe post-partum depression just days after delivering her son Harrison in September last year. But she refused to wallow in tears and fears. “I wanted to treat it as soon as possible. I’m not one to pretend I’m not going through it and just hope that it will go away,” says the second-time mum, who had mild baby blues after giving birth to daughter Juliet, now six.

After seeing a psychiatrist and taking antidepressants for the past year, Jaymee has rebalanced her life and is loving being a busy mum of two. “Parenthood is the most amazing thing in the world, but it’s really difficult,” says the Australian Chinese beauty, who is based in Singapore, where she hosts AXN’s entertainment show, eBuzz.

Medical help aside, Jaymee, who turns 37 in September, believes staying positive was also key to helping her regain her footing. The battle-toughened mum shares her tips on staying happy with us.

1 Having A Healthy, Happy Family

Before Jaymee’s post-partum depression, her family was hit by a previous health crisis. In 2012, she and husband, Australian electrical engineer Matthew Heath, 37, were attending a friend’s wedding in Perth when he suffered a sudden stroke. Then a new dad, he was just 33, healthy and exercised regularly.

Matthew has since made a full recovery but the episode scarred Jaymee for life. “When you’re younger and haven’t had kids, you think you’re indestructible,” she says ruefully. “But as I get older, I really, really don’t take our health for granted anymore.”