Born in French Guiana and raised in Paris, Henri Hubert is a vibrant figure in Vietnam’s creative scene. From fashion, to hospitality, to real estate, to wellness, his position as Creative Director at Le Nom has enabled him to share his vision, ideas, and personal philosophy on life with a plethora of creative innovators in Saigon. In anticipation of Global Wellness Day Vietnam, Henri Hubert shares his insight.
In your opinion, wellness is ...?
A way of describing a certain quality of life. We all know what to do to have a healthy life - exercise, sleep well, eat healthy, drink more water - now actually adopting a healthy lifestyle is not always easy. We are so absorbed in work or other activities that we sometimes forget to listen to our bodies. For me - and this is very personal - we don’t take enough into account regarding the mental and psychological parts, or what I call positive thinking. Mental health as well as positive thinking are the essential basis of “wellness living”. Good mental health allows us to realize ourselves, to overcome tensions in life, do productive work and contribute to the community. It is the thing that gives us confidence. Feelings of autonomy, mastery of the environment, personal growth, positive relationships with others, goals in life and self-acceptance all contribute to psychological wellness.
How do you see aspects of the wellness lifestyle interacting and interconnecting? What is the relationship between physical and social wellness, for example?
Everything is connected. Social wellness encompasses things which have a positive impact on quality of life: decent employment, economic resources to meet our needs, a good house, access to education and health, time for recreation, etc. Although the notion of wellness is subjective, social wellness is associated with objective economic factors. In Vietnam, where mentality is closely linked to the family, social wellness is very important as it allows us to meet family needs. To have physical wellness, physical activity is the main factor. It trains a person to have self-control, to value his/her capacities, to increase concentration, and to decrease stress and anxiety.
How do you help change other people’s perceptions of wellness?
I think education at home and at school is paramount. It must be integrated into all forms of education; from an early age, at home, at school, in sports, even at work with group outings through activities such as walking together, doing yoga, etc. Promoting wellness, achieving excellence, ensuring optimism and building trust are not difficult goals to achieve with the help of media and big companies via campaigns in different industries.
How can you create and maintain balance in your life?
By Identifying what really matters to me, and always keeping it in mind, it allows me to move in my direction. It’s a bit like a boat: you have to set your course and stay on it. If the weather is not good, we will find a different way. And to know which direction to go, you have to experiment and listen to yourself. I also try to develop my skills as much as possible. I work a lot on what I can do best. Developing my qualities means adapting myself to work with people, becoming more flexible, taking a step back, accepting my own mistakes and also others. It’s about getting into easier, more nurturing relationships. Balance cannot rest on a single key because in reality it is a constant quest. We must constantly wonder about the interactions that our relationships with others can have on us.
What is the difference between wellness and good health?
“Health” is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellness while “wellness” is an active process by which people become aware of and make choices for a more successful existence. So wellness is a choice for the lifestyle. I would say that wellness is the little cousin of health. The goal of wellness is to improve the general health of the person. Therefore, health and wellness go hand in hand.
Do you think it is too difficult to practice wellness living these days since more and more people are occupied with their daily hectic schedules?
Yes, it is more difficult with the vagaries of life where everything is based on the result. But the question is, has the person previously been really concerned about his/her wellness? Did they create the conditions in their lives to take care of that?
What are your thoughts on wellness living in Vietnam?
I will first talk about wellness in Asia from a Western perspective. In terms of medicine, food, and spirituality, all eyes are on the Asian continent. Indeed in recent years, this is where the new trends that are good for our health have come from. About Vietnam, frankly I am very surprised by the lifestyle of the Vietnamese in general regarding wellness. The problems of mental health and psychological wellness are more and more widespread in Vietnam, and particularly among young people, but my observation is that considering the resources available, the Vietnamese are doing very well. This is due to several things related to the past and the culture.
Advice for those who start to practice wellness living?
We are all different from each other but if you are just starting out and don’t know where to start, I believe it is best to start by defining your life goals. Set them and try to characterize them by choosing one first in an area such as love, health, friendship, family, money, career, studies, hobbies, personal development, the environment... and never give up! Which on the other hand is very difficult. I have the theory - but the practice - I admit that it is not my strong point, because I have difficulty programming myself, I am instinctive.
Regarding Global Wellness Day, what are your resolutions in 2021? What changes would you expect for the world in 2021?
This year I decided to be very active with an activity plan for every month. I have several solutions with some partners, like your magazine for example, as we need to give out the maximum amount of news to reach our goal, which is to gain the awareness of everyone. For this year I hope for a healthy world. Unfortunately it took the Covid problem to alert us a little more to the importance of our wellness. So yes, stay healthy healthy and healthy!
From what do you derive meaning and a sense of purpose in your life?
First is my personal development - this brings me a deep sense of purpose in my life. On the darker side of my personality I have a lot of dreams that are impossible to actualize... but I allow myself to continue to dream. And for my spiritual development, I always try to achieve a perfect realization of my own nature, I think we are all the same. Our sense of our own life is being interpreted through the lens we developed from our past experiences. Understand your own nature and stay focused on your goals and the rest will fix itself on its own.
