Joyful Wellness: A Movement for a Healthier, Happier Philippines

Whether you are starting fresh, getting back on track, or just taking things one day at a time," said Marianne Rivera-Faraon, operations and finance consultant of NEXT. "Since it's undated, you can go at your own pace. No pressure; no guilt."

- By Katherine L. Magsanoc

On June 26, NEXT introduced A Better You to a crowd made up of health professionals, media practitioners, mental health enthusiasts, and those who had just begun realizing the importance of taking the first step toward health.

"We know that committing to well-being is a personal decision," said Booboo Atayde-Alvendia, business development consultant of PMG. "So we created the Joyful Wellness journal to be the starting point. It's a simple way to map out your goals and track your journey to a healthier life. And all this is just between you and your journal."

A SAFE SPACE

Hardbound with 212 pages, the Joyful Wellness journal is not just a book you can write on. It's a safe space with medically verified information presented in an easy-to-understand format. The resources in the journal cover both the usual health topics — i.e., mental health, chronic diseases, etc. — and the taboo ones — i.e., sexual health for both women and men, STDs, etc.

"We're still afraid to talk about sex. We're still afraid to talk to someone about our fears that maybe we have a [sexually transmitted] disease already," said Kai Magsanoc, editor of the Joyful Wellness journal. "We want to eliminate those fears."

Having been a regular journal-writer since she was in Grade 3, Magsanoc knew what needed to go into the Joyful Wellness journal: empathy and hope.