Is there a daily habit, ritual or practice that brings you joy or peace?

Dr. Jade Wu: I love to make a cup of loose leaf tea in the morning. I have an old fashioned copper kettle, so it blows steam and whistles. I just stand there and kind of zone out while it heats up. And then I make my tea. And that's kind of my morning routine. 

If you could hire someone to take one task off your plate, what would it be? 

Ooh, okay. Up until recently, I would have said meal planning and cooking, but I've actually kind of been getting into that and enjoying it recently. So, cleaning the house - that would be great! 

Is there something that people often get wrong about you?

You know? What's funny is, I think, as an Asian woman and as someone who is usually pretty soft spoken, who doesn’t like to pick fights and who’s not super confrontational, people tend to assume that I'm a big softy and quite meek. But when it's something I really believe in or it concerns someone I care about, I can be pretty assertive. I will not back down from a fight. 

It even surprises my good friends when occasionally I stand up for somebody, or, you know, I voice a strong opinion on something, and they're like, “Where did that come from? That's not Jade!” 

Is there a piece of advice that you find invaluable now that you likely would have scoffed at 10 or 20 years ago?

You know, I’d say how important my physical health is. My mom has told me this from the beginning. She made a financial investment analogy, which is kind of funny, but she said, “At the end of the day, your body, your health, is like your principal. Everything else is interest. So you have to take care of the principal; don't draw on that, and you'll always have a life of plenty.” And I didn't really pay much attention to it 10-20 years ago, because it was so easy to feel invincible when you're in your teens and twenties. And now I'm starting to feel like, Yeah, I actually do need to take care of this, because this is my principal.” And you know, I don't want that investment to slip away.

Is there a book that you've read recently and loved?

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders. It is a series of essays about Russian short stories. It’s about life and identity, understanding and people, and love. It's about all the important things, but it's through the lens of reading and interpreting these 19th century Russian short stories.

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Given what you said earlier about trying to move away from sleep science and exploring poetry and philosophy. Do you write poetry?

Not recently. Actually, I'll take that back. I wrote three children's books that are rhyming. They're not published or anything. But I did publish poetry in my 20s.  

Are there poets whose work is really speaking to you right now? 

Mark Doty’s Tiara. That's the poem that comes to mind. I know that's one poem, very specific, but it’s very powerful.

Is there a movie that you think every person should watch in their lifetime? 

The one that's coming to mind right now is really bleak and depressing, but it's actually a TV show, Adolescence. It's especially powerful as a parent.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset, I'm not getting up for sunrise.

Mountains or ocean?

Mountains.

A go to comfort food? 

Potato chips. 

Is there a particular flavour?

Oh, salt and vinegar all the way. 

Is there a song that captures your current mood or stage of life?

Ooh, this is going to sound so funny, but Miley Cyrus's Used to be Young.
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