Janice is a CX Specialist currently living in Taipei, Taiwan & California, and has been using Oura for a year.

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Janice + Oura

“I’ve always had a very skewed sense of beauty. And with that came eating disorders. Growing up in Taiwan, where the beauty standard (still is) irresponsible and impossible to achieve, I’ve always felt like I didn’t belong. After moving to the States, I realize I don’t fully belong here either. It was an international crisis for me: to be a third culture kid obsessed with one’s health. I would log everything onto my phone and even bring my phone everywhere, even to go throw away trash or walk to the bathroom or something.”

“I had been looking for something like Oura for the past 5 to 7 years. It was a small, trendy object that could still fit in my style and body. I actually wanted something that was attached to myself (literally.) Fast forward, COVID hit and I wasn’t feeling my best both physically and mentally. Things really started to go downhill because the gyms were closed, it was really limited as far as going out options, and I lived around people who were a little bit more careful with their social circle, so I barely saw anybody. I needed help, and a big shift came after I bought Oura. I’m still wearing it. I wear it 24/7. I really cannot leave the house without it. It’s so small, and it works wonderfully. Oura has saved me a lot of mental strain and unnecessary stress, and I applaud the team for making such a great community around the brand.”

“I didn’t notice at first, but later on when quarantine hit, once I came back from Asia, I stopped caring as much about where I was, how much I walked, or what I ate because I noticed that I was looking at my app every day and was able to see that I was actually doing more than I needed to. I guess in a way, Oura really helped me realize that I was doing enough, and I needed to not do so much to really take care of my body. Long story short, I think Oura helped me realize I should have done something a lot sooner, but really it helped me learn to love myself all over again.”

Tips From Janice

It doesn’t all change overnight: “Slowly, but surely I started making mental and physical shifts. I told myself 10K steps is enough. So, even if I don’t go to the gym every day (which I used to), I still would reach that milestone naturally. Find what is enough for you.” 

Listen to your body: “Following my Readiness Score really helped. I wear the ring 24/7 and it has actually shown me my heart rate and my sleep quality hasn’t been that great. So that also kind of prompted me to be like, ‘Hey, just get the little crown and you’ll do okay.’  It still can be fairly hard for me, especially when I find a food that doesn’t have a nutritional label on it. And the more you try to Google them, the more of a rabbit hole you get down. After getting Oura it gave me more of a sense of ‘ I don’t need to prove to myself that I’m eating well.’ I can kind of feel in my body, and I can see it in my Readiness Score. Listen to your body and you’ll get there.”

Trust the process: “It depends on the situation for everybody, but in retrospect, I think all of us can agree that there are some things that we could have done better, but we shouldn’t also be focusing on other people or unrealistic goals. Just to know that you’ve tried your best at the very moment, and trust that the process will take you where you want to go.”