Work-life balance

38 February 2015

A PLUS

February 2015 39

When stress and pressure build up in the office, calming physical and mental exercises can clear minds. Tigger Chaturabul talks to Institute members about how relaxation remedies not only improve their tempers but also broaden their mental perspectives

A PLUS

Relief in relaxation

W henever Peter Chang ex-ercises, he feels as if he is part of the universe. He regulates the 12 me-

ridians – channels that, according to enthusi-asts of the ancient Chinese practice of qigong, transport “life energy” throughout the body. The form of moving meditation, says Chang, not only strengthens his body but also teaches him to coexist with his surroundings.

A member of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs and a former chief executive officer of a Fortune 200 company, Chang specializes in teaching Taoism Nine Treasures qigong to those seeking health benefits and relaxation or as a prerequisite to baguazhang, a form of internal martial arts.

He has been practising martial arts since the age of 12, previously focusing on exter-nal forms such as shaolin and karate to build muscle from the outside and strenghthen the bones. When he was given the opportunity to learn baguazhang from an accomplished mas-ter, Chang began his qigong training to learn

how to extend his energy and qi from the inner cores into the arms and legs.

“I felt ever so healthy since then,” says Chang. “To be honest, I never took any sick leave and haven’t touched antibiotics in ages.” He spends at least half an hour each morning practising qigong, sometimes choosing specific movements if he feels any discomfort within certain areas of the body.

CPAs who work long hours under pressure, especially those early in their careers, may often overlook what their bodies and minds need. Relaxation methods are crucial for work-life balance, as well as working performance, and help to open up new solutions to existing well-being problems by encouraging different mindsets for accounting professionals.

During his career as CEO, Chang often travelled to meetings, usually with just 20 minutes to unpack and take a breath. He says that qigong helped reduce such work pressure and allowed him to recover and reenergize more quickly. “The biggest benefit was that I could take a step back and view the world as a

Illustrations by Nick Street

Relaxation methods are crucial for work-life balance, as well as working performance, and help to open up new solutions to existing well-being problems.

kinder place,” he says. “You learn to coexist even with people you don’t like and you can control yourself more effectively.”

Since retiring, Chang has been focusing on teaching and healing full-time, occasion-ally hosting talks at the Institute on the bene-fits of the powerful Chinese energy exercise. “Any movement is better than none,” he ex-plains. “Qigong is one of the best because it’s for the whole body, including the inner or-gans, mind and spirit.”

Inner sanctuary Judy Tsang took a nine-month course in hyp-notherapy to explore her inner self. “Self-hyp-nosis is really not something magical but ac-tually very scientific,” says Tsang, Transaction Advisory Services Partner at EY and an Insti-tute member. “It’s just a matter of talking to yourself instead of focusing on external things to clean up the noise inside.”

Tsang’s belief in building upon strong technical foundations with new hobbies or self-development prompted her to take her interest in psychology a step further, and to become a fully certified hypnotherapist.

The CPA answers more than 50 phone calls in a single working day, leaving her with no time to take a break. That’s why, when she doesn’t have a lunch meeting, she devotes 15 minutes to self-hypnosis or med-itation in the office. “I just listen to some soft

music and get back to my inner self so I can recharge,” she says.

In the fast-paced commercial world, ac-countants are constantly keeping up with accounting standards and financial news. However, Tsang believes CPAs should try exposing themselves to different things in order to adequately satisfy the needs of mod-ern clients. “Nowadays, we need to think more laterally,” she explains. “You have to analyse things from multiple angles because you can’t just provide the typical answer to clients anymore. You have to provide differ-ent answers and this is where the value lies.”

Self-development and hypnosis can also train people to be more open-minded. “I al-ways encourage my team members to try something new instead of something that

relates to their job because if you enjoy your life, then you will naturally enjoy your work,” says Tsang. For a CPA to be a successful pro-fessional in a demanding environment, they can train themselves to think differently and lead a balanced life.

Rest and recoveryWhen Nerissa Fu realized she was bring-ing home bad emotions from the office, she decided she needed a change. Then came a slipped disc injury that completely threw off her daily routine.

The then senior manager at Pricewa-terhouseCoopers, who is also an Institute member, had trouble sitting for more than 15 minutes at a time and was severely lim-ited in mobility. Physiotherapy offered little improvement, which led Fu to explore other forms of alternative therapy.

Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that, according to its adherents, channels energy through the hands to heal, reduces stress and promotes relaxation. After taking classes with a reiki master and practising on her own, Fu felt considerable improvement in her back and emotional wellbeing. “It’s an additional form of therapy that I can use as a supplement even if I’m taking medication,” she says.

Now Fu looks to help others with similar health issues or who are interested in holis-

Work-life balance

40 February 2015

For a CPA to be a successful professional in a demanding environment, they can train themselves to think differently and lead a balanced life.

February 2015 41

A PLUS

tic living through her own wellness clinic. The Director of the Radiant Love Center in Cause-way Bay encourages people in Hong Kong to be happier and healthier by maintaining a healthy body. “I wanted to create a platform for different therapies and classes to help other people,” she says. “Even though I’m no longer at an audit firm, I still do the adminis-tration and accounting work for my clinic but I have more energy to work now.”

Fu enjoys being an accountant and sees the profession as a lifetime job but remains cautious about the potential health risks of the occupation, such as long periods of sit-ting and packed working hours. “When my disc slipped due to all the wear and tear on my spine over the years, I was only about 30 years old and it was really a wake-up call to consider the next 50 years of my life,” she says. “That’s why it’s important for me to do activities such as reiki to make sure I get ade-quate rest and have a clear mind.” Breathe in, breathe outYoga taught Lenny Wong to observe his breathing pace in order to control his emo-tions. The Senior Manager, Corporate Gover-nance, at Li & Fung regulates his breathing in times of distraction to handle work issues with a clear mind.

After experimenting with various pos-tures and instructions from a book lent by a friend, Wong, an Institute member, noticed an improvement in sleep quality and began

to enjoy doing yoga. “I was working at my first job and suffered from all the stress of working day and night,” he says. “Now I practise yoga every morning to start the day with fresh energy and every night for bet-ter sleep.”

For Wong, yoga is more than just physical exercise; it’s a lifestyle. “It trains me to keep observing myself, for example, to be aware of my own breaths, and to live in the present.” Short and fast breaths suggest rest-lessness and excessive thoughts that cloud the mind, compared to longer and deeper breaths that come with peace of mind. “A holistic lifestyle leads to a sound mind in a sound body,” says Wong. “We make wiser, smarter and more well-balanced decisions.”

Wong took his passion for wellness to Rishikesh, India, also known as the world capital of yoga, for a two-week retreat that focused on meditation and purification of the mind. “It was a great experience and I learned how to maintain peace of mind through positive thinking, regardless of the situation,” he says.

While work is often a priority for dedicated accounting professionals over health and wellness, it’s important for CPAs to establish a good balance, notes Wong. “Make wellness a habit so we can perform well in our personal and work lives.”

“ A holistic lifestyle leads to a sound mind in a sound body. We make wiser, smarter and more well-balanced decisions.”