Care for Yourself While Caring for Others: Zhongmei Pharmaceutical Advocates Building Self-Care Habits in Daily Life

Modern individuals, caught between family and work demands, often prioritize caring for others while placing their own needs last, overlooking the warning signs their bodies and minds send. On the occasion of World Self-Care Day on July 24, Zhongmei Pharmaceutical Group, a long-time health partner for people in Taiwan, has released a new brand film. Featuring protagonists such as a new mother, a sandwich-generation father, a caregiver for a family member with dementia, and an emergency room nurse, the film portrays the daily lives of individuals who continuously give in both family and workplace settings. It calls on the public to pay attention to their own physical and mental well-being while caring for family, patients, and colleagues.

Lin Yilin, Brand Director at Zhongmei Pharmaceutical, stated that with population aging, changing family structures, and increasing multiple caregiving responsibilities, many people long serve in supportive roles without necessarily realizing they also need rest and assistance. Particularly those skilled at caring for others and accustomed to taking responsibility often place their own needs last. This 90th-anniversary brand film does not focus on diseases or medications but instead centers on the lived experiences of caregivers, aiming to raise awareness of the often-unseen 'invisible givers' and encourage individuals to pause and recognize their physical and emotional needs.

Zhongmei Pharmaceutical emphasizes that self-care does not mean self-diagnosis or replacing medical treatment. Rather, it involves reducing health risks through regular routines, balanced diets, moderate exercise, stress management, proper medication use, and regular health check-ups. These efforts span seven key areas: health literacy, mental health, physical health, healthy eating, risk reduction, good hygiene, and the correct use of products and services. When symptoms such as physical discomfort, insomnia, anxiety, low mood, or fatigue persist, individuals should proactively seek help from physicians, pharmacists, or mental health professionals.

For those providing long-term family care or working in high-pressure roles, self-care also includes establishing a sustainable lifestyle rhythm. This may involve scheduling regular rest periods, sharing caregiving duties with family members, accepting external support, and allowing oneself to express fatigue rather than treating 'handling everything alone' as the norm. Lin Yilin emphasized that health should not only be valued after illness occurs. Practicing prevention, recognizing risks, and seeking appropriate help in daily life are equally important aspects of health management.

In conjunction with the film's release, Zhongmei Pharmaceutical is also launching a 'Self-Care Gift Box' campaign. The gift box includes health supplements 'Tangshou Chun,' 'Kangjian Xi,' and 'Meikou Jian.' From now until December 31, the public can watch the full film on Zhongmei Pharmaceutical's YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/x2OLQj7uYMI) and leave a comment sharing the most impactful line from the film or a message of encouragement they'd like to give themselves to enter a raffle. The campaign will feature three rounds of prize drawings. Zhongmei Pharmaceutical hopes that through the film and raffle, long-term caregivers who continuously give for their families, work, and others will be reminded that caring for oneself is the foundation for maintaining health and continuing to care for loved ones.

Founded in 1936, Zhongmei Pharmaceutical Group will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2026. On this occasion, the group is also launching a new corporate identity, 'SyntroMed.' Moving forward, the group aims to connect pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacists, and community public resources, gradually evolving from drug manufacturing toward integrated health services.