I began Growing Out with the goal of providing information and resources for improving health, wellness, and productivity at little or no cost. I stumbled into the space following repeated struggles with mental and physical well-being in an attempt to improve aspects of my own life.
I'd often felt stuck in my career, my relationships, and my life. I know first-hand the confusion, frustration, anxiety, and desperation that surface when things aren’t turning out as expected. The constant mental and physical friction endured as one must make another life-altering decision, each moment overwhelming and endless.
Over time, I've realized that it doesn’t have to feel that way. Getting stuck is an unavoidable facet of life, but the way that we, our minds, and our bodies respond to it is within our control. Tactics as subtle as focused breathing, controlled attention, or a shift in mindset have dramatic effects on the way that we experience discomfort and process and remember information.
I used to think that these kinds of practices were completely unfounded. I did not believe there was any proof of their efficacy as modern interventions. I could not have been more wrong.
When COVID-19 shook the world, my anxiety was fueled to its peak, and my mental and physical health plummeted. I began a transformational journey studying methods to control it. I returned to the principles of psychology from a self-experimental angle and began intensive therapy. It helped marginally, but I sought more sustainable interventions that I could bring to my everyday life.
In 2020, I discovered the Huberman Lab and FoundMyFitness podcasts, which are educational podcasts deeply rooted in the latest neuroscience and biology. After countless hours studying anxiety through the lens of psychology and neuroscience, listening to these podcasts from the very beginning, and implementing what I learned as best I could, I felt my vitality return and my health improve. I felt better than ever.
I sought a way to share what I learned and make it actionable. I knew so many people struggling with their mental and physical health like I'd been, for which I'd learned numerous effective interventions. I incorporated so many daily habits into my life that I'd adapted from the work of reputable scientists, and I believed these habits could change the lives of so many others. I began to build a knowledge base and platform where I could share this information with others.
In 2023, my health and wellness was the best it had ever been. I was deepening my exploration of my psyche and continuing my journey of self-acceptance. Until this point, I had rejected my Taiwanese cultural heritage, as it had seemed maladaptive as a major source of bullying during my childhood. I grew out my hair as a sign of embracing my roots of my lost heritage. It represented my renaissance in identity, growing out my perspective and embodying my full self. I wanted the platform to reflect my personal journey through growth and change. Thus, I called it Growing Out.
Growing Out is a culmination of my research across disciplines and my work in organizations, people development, and wellness, distilled into digestible and actionable insights, recommendations, and support. I am often surprised by how siloed and conflicting information is, making it challenging to trust and adopt new practices and habits. By using a holistic approach and integrating across contexts, we share simple strategies designed to improve one’s life in a pertinent and comprehensive way.
Through our education, we collect and share knowledge from different fields for free, enabling people to learn facts and behaviors that improve their holistic well-being.
Through our collection, we develop simple interventions that are easy to adopt and recommend products that are high in value and low in cost, helping people build daily routines and habits that accumulate to big differences in their lives.
Through our coaching, we support those who need additional help adapting practices to their lives, guiding them using evidence-based methods and principles for effective goal pursuit and personal transformation.
Getting stuck will always be a part of life. However, there is beauty in the process of getting unstuck—in the learning and growth it demands, the determination and willpower it builds, and the perspective and wisdom it leaves behind.