A psychological wellness campaign was launched to promote five important elements of positive psychology, namely Appreciation, Positivity, Permission to be Human, Love and Care, and Engagement (A.P.P.L.E.).

 

The campaign is being publicised widely with different means, including posters, calendars, souvenirs, music and video. The specially designed souvenirs include multi-purpose wiping clothes and a wooden A.P.P.L.E. paperweight which are available in the Force souvenir shop.

 

 

Mindfulness was introduced as stress management and wellness enhancement in accordance with the growing evidences of the personal and organisational benefits of mindfulness practice. A half-day mindfulness workshop conducted by Dr Helen Ma was held in May, attracting 12 officers at Assistant Commissioner or above ranks. Another Mindfulness activity was four Mindful Yoga Workshops in July, with over 60 Force members benefiting from the professional of a yoga master, Mr Ken Wong.

 

 

The highlight of the year was the two-day PSG Symposium - "Positive Individuals, Positive Organisation" - on November 21 and 22.

 

The conference on "Promoting Psychological Well-being in Disciplined Settings" on November 21 was the first of its kind in Hong Kong, uniting different disciplined services. The goals of the conference were to provide a platform for the services for networking, supporting their frontline officers, and building an organisation with a happy and resilient workforce.

 

Three keynote speeches were delivered in the morning of the conference. A leading international authority in positive psychology, Prof Sonja Lyubomirsky, shared with the audience the science of happiness and the ways to build a happy workforce. The other two keynote speakers were Dr Majeed Khader, Senior Consultant Psychologist of Singapore Police Force, and Mr Eddie Li, former head of PSG and currently Honorary Advisor of PSG. Dr Khader and Mr Li spoke on the experience and wisdom of integrating psychology into a police force.

 

There were two Round Table Forums in the afternoon. The first one was on "Becoming a Psychologically Healthy Workforce – From a Management Perspective", in which the senior management personnel of six disciplined services were present. The second one was on "Providing Psychological Support in Disciplined Settings: Challenges and Way Forward", in which the clinical psychologists and other personnel from the Force, Correctional Services Department, Immigration Department and Fire Services Department took part in sharing sessions.

 

More than 160 Force members and 120 officers from the other disciplined services attended the conference. The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Clement Cheung, attended the morning session. The Under-secretary for Security, Mr Lee Ka-chiu, acted as the Discussant for Forum I, and provided valuable information on the importance of psychological support for the staff of disciplined settings.

 

Prof Lyubomirsky also spoke at the Management Development Programme Seminar and gave a public lecture on November 22, offering practical guides on how to become happier with the most recent research findings.

 

 

The year 2013 also marks the 10th Anniversary of the Balances and Wisdom Campaign. An exhibition on the "Ten Years of Balances and Wisdom Seminars" was set up at different venues of the Force from September 16 to November 22. An album on B&W Seminars containing the excerpts from 33 guest speakers has been published to commemorate the campaign anniversary.

 

 

Another publication of the year was the "Happiness Procedure Manual", which contains the 12 happiness exercises based on Prof Lyubomirsky's book, "The How of Happiness", and 12 interviews with police officers on how they integrated happiness exercises into   work and personal life.

 

 

With its mission of applying psychology and promoting psychological well being in the Force, PSG will continue to grow and join hands with Force members in building a happy and resilient workforce.