If there is anything the pandemic has brought to light, among other things, it is the importance of one’s mental health. With the stress that society has gone through over the past couple of years, taking care of one’s mental, emotional, and physical health has become more of a priority and at the forefront of a lot of young people’s minds. As a skincare company, we want to deepen the connection between wellness and skincare, which is why we’ve decided to work with KFAMLA.

KFAMLA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower underserved Korean American and Asian Pacific Islander families through culturally responsive programs. With Urban Calm being inspired by our founders’ Korean roots, we wanted to partner with an organization that continues to help those in our community struggling with mental health as many of us can relate to this mission. 

We asked KFAMLA’s Executive Director, Katherine Yeom, about her thoughts on self-care and whether this can help manage one’s mental and emotional stress:

Yeom: “Yes, one of the biggest steps in therapy is to create a healthy outlet [for] stress and anxiety caused by day-to-day life. Creating a routine is very important, something that is constant in your life, so creating a skincare routine can be a self-care step to calm oneself, reflect on the day (decompress) and have a sense of control in today’s fast-paced lifestyle.”

Mi Young Kim, one of the therapists from KFAMLA, also agrees with Yeom, saying, “Self-care is a mindset or attitude toward life that seeks holistic wellbeing. In this regard, I am excited to see the topic of self-care gaining attention and being addressed more and more.” Another therapist, Christine Han, adds that “self-care trends such as meditating, breathing exercises, and facials/massages help you release tension and relax using your senses. A relaxed mind makes better choices vs. a stressed mind.” When we are relaxed, we are able to make better decisions for ourselves and are able to react and respond better to any challenges we face. Also, “in order to care for those around you, you first need to take care of yourself!” As Jane Park, a fellow therapist, kindly reminds us. It’s best to give yourself time to practice self-care on a daily basis, to keep yourself balanced. When we are emotionally and mentally balanced, moods are improved and we can perform tasks better and have more focus.

With KFAMLA’s words, we hope we can encourage more people to take some time in the day to do self-care; either through doing skincare, meditating, or something more active like working out. It’s a great way to mentally decompress and destress so that we can be ready to face new challenges and keep going. 

For more information on KFAMLA, please visit their website at www.kfamla.org