*Zoom login details will be emailed upon registration (ASHK Members Only)

Symptoms of fatigue, stress and sleepiness are becoming more obvious in a times when we fight the coronavirus. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, together with economic downturn, more people have experienced mood disturbances, leading to sleep deprivation and insomnia in mid to long term. Insomnia and emotional disturbance could be a vicious cycle – with loss of sleeping time, people feel less motivated and stressed in work, study or even daily routines, which might result in fewer sleeping hours. The COVID-19 pandemic has added burdens of people from all walks of life. Through understanding the importance of mental health, insomnia and sleeplessness, we can focus on improving our sleeping quality and self-care for better performance in work and study, and life in general. Therefore ASHK is glad to invite, Dr Shirley Li, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, in sharing her research on bright light therapy (BLT) and how to improve our quality of life by understanding our sleeping patterns. The discussion will be moderated by Sasha Gonzales, a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post, writing mainly about mental health, nutrition, aging and fitness.

There are many factors leading to sleeplessness or insomnia. Looking into one’s sleeping patterns is the first step in alleviating the negative effects of insomnia on mental health, or vice versa. Taking care of our mental wellness is of utmost importance in the era of change and instability. Join us to get the gist of good sleep and mental health. After all, a night of sleep gives you a day of sunshine.

Dr. Shirley X. Li is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), and a principal investigator in the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, HKU. She graduated from University of Toronto where she received her Honours BSc in psychology. She obtained her MA in Trauma Psychology and PhD in Medical Sciences (Psychiatry) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and received her doctorate in clinical psychology (DClinPsy) from University College London. She is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist in the UK and the Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Dr. Li’s clinical and research interests centre on sleep and sleep disorders (https://sleep.hku.hk/), particularly sleep disturbance and mental health, and psychological and behavioural treatments of sleep problems in the context of psychiatric and medical illnesses in children and adults.

Sasha Gonzales is a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post, writing mainly about mental health, nutrition, aging and fitness. Born in Singapore and raised in Australia, Sasha spent the first 10 years of her career writing and styling for top fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazines, including Elle Singapore and Female Singapore. Since 2011 she has worked for herself as a freelance journalist and editor, contributing to major publications across Asia, such as The Peak: Gourmet & Travel, Her World Singapore, Wine & Dine and d+a (Design & Architecture). Work takes up much of Sasha's time these days, but when she has a moment to spare she loves trying new recipes, reading about race and culture and shopping for home decor.

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Got Questions? Ask them here in advance (beginning April 23) or during the program:

https://app.sli.do/event/qjv8xptf (code: #69671)