Zoe Teh is an organisational psychologist, collaboration designer and all-round multi-hyphenate who’s carving out her own path in the world of work, wellbeing, and advocacy. By day, she co-leads national ERG initiatives and works with mission-driven organisations. Outside of that, she’s building Breaking Bamboo Crew, a new community focused on breaking the bamboo ceiling one real, raw conversation at a time.
From managing polycystic ovary syndrome to becoming a Reiki practitioner, Zoe approaches everything—from burnout to systemic change—with curiosity, compassion, and a healthy dose of self-awareness. In this interview, she shares what’s grounding her right now, how she thinks about balance without guilt, and why reinventing yourself is always on the table.
How do your mornings usually start? Any rituals or habits that help you get into the right headspace for the day?
My morning routine is always a work in progress! I aim to get up around 5.30am (but let’s be honest, I’m usually out of bed around 6ish) , do a short 5-10 minute meditation then hit the gym. It’s handy that my gym is next to the office, so after training, I can walk over, shower, get dressed, and have breakfast.
If it’s a day where I am not training then I like having a slower morning, journal if I feel like it, and just ease myself into the day. For me, the ritual starts the night before because sometimes I experience insomnia, so making sure I set myself up for a good night’s sleep is really important.
You juggle a lot between your day job, your advocacy work, and Breaking Bamboo Crew. How do you keep your energy steady across all these roles?
That’s a really good question, but with no golden answer either. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when I was in my early twenties, which put me on a very long and evolving journey when it came to health and nutrition. I have spent a long time trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t, and realised that it all came down to three basic fundamentals: sleep, nutrition and exercise.
Fueling my body with what it needs and at the right time, resting and incorporating movement not only keeps my energy steady but also helps me manage insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances related to PCOS. I am also single and don’t have kids, so that’s a privilege that I am milking as long as I can!
What does balance look like for you right now? And how has that idea evolved as your career has grown?
Somewhat controversial but I’ve come to accept that there’s no such thing as ‘balance’, and once you accept that, it is quite liberating. I’ve noticed that sometimes when you can’t seem to figure out how to balance life, work, all the things, you can easily start feeling guilty or disappointed at yourself, and that’s not helpful at all.
So, balance for me right now is accepting that each week will always look different. I might miss a workout here or there, or get less sleep for a few days because of work, or decide to spend a full day being a couch potato. And as my career has grown, I’ve also come to realise that balance is all about what you value, because what you value is what you prioritise, and what you prioritise then helps you figure out what ‘balance’ could look like.
How do you stay grounded when you’re working on issues that are both personal and systemic?
This might sound a little random but I recently completed my Level 2 in Reiki, so I often draw upon techniques used in Reiki and meditation to stay grounded when dealing with personal or systemic issues that are beyond my control. For some, Reiki may sound ‘woo woo’ but it’s actually a traditional Japanese healing practice that focuses on channeling energy for healing and wellbeing.
There are great meditations that teach you to stay grounded, to respond instead of reacting, and to always come from a place of compassion. My general advice for those not familiar with Reiki is to remember that there is only so much we can control, so focus on what you can do, even if it’s a small contribution towards addressing the challenge you’re facing.
Then keep working on it consistently, because small progress is still progress. And at the end of the day, if you really reflect and think about it, most issues are not that deep, so don’t let yourself get too caught up in it. I know there will be people who disagree but for me, it becomes energy draining if I ruminate on issues too much.
Are there any small habits, tools, or boundaries that help you protect your mental health during a busy week?
Small habits like I mentioned before, such as nailing the three fundamentals of sleep, nutrition and exercise are super important for mental health. In terms of boundaries, I try to create physical boundaries between work and home (and this is backed by science) so that once I get home, my body instantly relaxes and I can leave ‘work’ at the office.
I acknowledge that I am privileged to have a workplace with an office space, and not everyone has that. However, just finding different ways to create physical boundaries can really help (e.g. going to a cafe to do focused work, or a library). Communicating with my team when things do get busy, and letting them know that I don’t have capacity is also really important.
This might include saying no to meetings or new opportunities, or communicating that I have to log off at a certain time. My personal mantra is “you got to check yourself before you wreck yourself” – great song and great advice in my opinion!
What’s something that’s bringing you joy or calm lately—either inside or outside of work?
I’ve recently done a lot of self-development projects outside of work. This included completing the Community Collective Cohort #6 program, the CHAOS 10-day challenge, and most recently becoming a Level 2 Reiki practitioner. Now, I’m just super excited to go back and integrate everything I’ve learnt from all these programs, and then start building Breaking Bamboo Crew into something that younger Zoe will be proud of one day.
Finally, what advice would you give to someone navigating multiple identities or roles while trying to stay aligned with their values?
Growing up as a Malaysian Chinese migrant, I’ve definitely had my fair share of struggles when it came to figuring out my cultural identity. I often didn’t feel Asian enough or Australian enough, and over time this meant that I would make decisions or choices that conflicted with my values.
Now, I’ve learnt two things: (1) change will always be a constant, so if you don’t like who you are now, you can always reinvent yourself and create a new role; (2) be compassionate to yourself, and give yourself the time and permission to figure it out, because the solution will eventually reveal itself to you. Trust the process and it will take you where you need to be.
