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“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope.”

As we get towards the end of another challenging year, we encourage you to think back to the things and people that have helped you get through. With many Australians struggling with increased living costs and indications that COVID will be out and about in force over...

What are habits? In simple terms, they are behaviours that we repeat over and over again. They form the basis of any lifestyle change that we may want to make, such as improving our diet, upping our activity levels, decreasing our alcohol consumption, or even...

Psychosocial hazards are defined by the International Labour Association (ILO, 1986) as the “interactions between and among work environment, job content, organizational conditions and workers’ capacities, needs, culture, personal extra-job considerations that...

Charisma is something that many people believe you're born with. However, this isn't the case – you can become more charismatic, and we'll explore how you can develop charisma. Charisma is a collection of traits and behaviours that make you appeal to other people. The...

There are probably people you know at work who radiate self-confidence and seem to sail through every challenge with an innate sense of purpose and direction. But the truth is, very few of us feel naturally self-assured all the time. Tough transitions, such as...

Here are a few quotes to help you let go of mistakes and forgive yourself: The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving...

It is quite common after some time in a relationship, when the excitement settles down, to feel: Unappreciated and taken for grantedYour partner doesn’t care much or is complacent in your relationshipFrustrated that your partner doesn’t understand your needs As a...

Get outside on your work breaksBeing exposed to natural light, greenery and fresh air can help boost our mood when we’re feeling low. It’s also a great way to move our bodies, even if it is a gentle walk to the closest park or a stroll around the block. The chance to...

Are you one of the many Australians at home with COVID-19? Whether the symptoms are keeping you in bed or you are self-isolating to protect others, you probably already know that managing your physical and mental health at this time can be challenging. That’s why...

Re-train your Brain is a free online brain training program for individuals aged between 18 – 30 yoa who want to reduce their anxiety and control their alcohol use. The University of Sydney is currently running the study to examine whether an online brain training...

What ‘reason’ do you use when you fly off the handle? Did someone else say something, do something or forget to do something? Maybe you had too much to drink, or you got into an argument and the other people wouldn’t listen? Did a family member or a neighbour make too...

The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to “pay it forward.” This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the...

Stress happens when we need to adapt to new or challenging situations, and to manage everyday problems. You may experience stress as you try to meet the demands of your work, while also attending to other aspects of your life including relationships and leisure....

This free 7-day self-paced yoga challenge can help you take dedicated, consistent time out for yourself so that you feel ready to take on the rest of the year calmer and more focused. You don’t really need to complete it is 7 days, but time framing it this way may...

Loneliness differs from aloneness and isolation and while spending some time alone can be a deliberate decision, loneliness is seldom a choice. When separated from usual friends, support networks or family we can feel both isolated and lonely. One may also feel lonely...

What makes someone vulnerable to suicide? By having a conversation about suicide, listening without judging, offering support and encouraging people to get further help, you can make a difference to someone considering suicide. Suicidality is extremely complex....

We all have the best intentions when it comes to our careers. We want to do a great job and enjoy doing it. But sometimes, however dedicated we are, it might seem as though we haven’t achieved that much at the end of the day. Maybe a task took longer than you’d...

There are probably people you know at work who radiate self-confidence and seem to sail through every challenge with an innate sense of purpose and direction. But the truth is, very few of us feel naturally self-assured all the time. Tough transitions, such as...

Applying the seven essential attitudes of mindfulness can help you cultivate awareness of the present moment and may help calm your anxious mind. Mindfulness involves being in the present moment and being aware of where you are and what you’re doing. The seven factors...

In recent years a variety of major international research has produced compelling evidence that sitting for more than 4 hours each day leads to:Enzymes responsible for burning harmful blood fats shutting downReduced calorie burning (Metabolic rate)Disrupted blood...

Are you concerned about the state of your mental health? If so, the following free screening tools have been proven by research to help identify symptoms of a mental health disorders. These screening tools provide an anonymous, free & private way to learn about...

Ergonomics is the design and arrangement of equipment to maximise safety while in use is an important part of employee health and safety. Poor ergonomic practices such as incorrect workstation set ups, prolonged sitting or unfavourable positions can lead to...

Been going too hard for too long? If you are feeling as flat and depleted as the non-Energizer bunny, now is the time to get extremely serious about self-care. When feeling physically and mentally fatigued, some of the most effective ways to help restore your health...

Should you make a habit of each of these 7 things you will soon be bouncing back so strongly it will feel like you have pogo-sticks for legs.Practise mindfulnessPractising mindfulness needn’t involve designer yoga gear or any amount of hip flexibility – and it can...

There are many ways to manage anxiety symptoms in the moment, whether you’re feeling anxious about doing something or you live with an anxiety disorder. If you need to calm down immediately, you can do so by following a few simple exercises. Some of these strategies...

Self-compassion is how kind you are to yourself. When you're compassionate with others, you are probably caring, free of judgment, kind and gentle. Instead of (or in addition to) turning that toward others, self-compassion is about giving yourself that same...

Work-related stress can get the best of us all. Emails, Slack messages, phones ringing off the hook, your co-worker dropping by for an impromptu meeting — it’s enough to make anyone frazzled. Feeling some tension is normal, especially if you’re facing a looming...

Grief is a feeling of anguish felt as a result of the loss of someone or something of significance in your life. Thus is especially true in the case of miscarriage and can be experienced by both partners in a relationship. In acknowledgement of this...

Affirmations are powerful. When we affirm something to ourselves, we are telling ourselves that it is, without question or objection, true. Learning to use positive affirmations routinely can help shift your self-talk to something more positive, and ultimately lead...

Mental exhaustion can happen when you often engage in tasks that require a lot of cognitive and emotional effort — especially when you don’t build time for rest and self-care into your day. Triggers and causes of mental exhaustion vary from person to person, but some...

If you need to reduce stress and manage anxiety, research indicates specific relaxation techniques can help. Whether you live with anxiety or you need some relaxation from time to time, periodically taking some time to breathe and pause can offer you many health...

While it may not be easy to pull yourself out of an endless thought loop it’s possible to manage rumination. Consider the following tips as a first step:Grounding exercisesGrounding implies bringing your mind to the present moment and focusing on your body sensations....

While it may not be easy to pull yourself out of an endless thought loop it’s possible to manage rumination. Consider the following tips as a first step:Grounding exercisesGrounding implies bringing your mind to the present moment and focusing on your body sensations....

That feeling of emptiness. It’s right there in your chest, yet you’re unsure how it came about. Is it sadness? Melancholy? Boredom? It may be a little of everything. Feeling this way is not uncommon. You might call it “feeling empty,” while someone else might call it...

Living without passion, positive expectations or enthusiasm can become painful. But feeling hopeless doesn’t have to be permanent. Feeling hopeless may be a natural, universal response to personal and world events that impact our lives. Some experts propose there’s...

Many people report sometimes feeling disconnected from the world around them, feeling “flat,” or feeling like life is on autopilot. Perhaps events and people seem muted, or less colourful somehow. It can also be described as chronically running on empty, feeling...

We all go through ups and downs during life. We have those moments of elation and those moments when we feel sad or down. Feeling down from time to time is not unusual, but when those moments seem to hang on and just won’t let go, it might mean you have...

To pause during a distressing situation allows you to identify healthier ways of managing your emotions and to avoid reacting impulsively. When confronted with distressing situations, it can be challenging to remember healthy coping strategies that you have learned....

Traumatic events involve situations that are either life-threatening or have the potential for serious injury, such as physical or sexual assault, natural disaster, war, or a serious accident. Most people will experience at least one of these types of events during...

If you’ve recently had some challenges in your marriage, you may find yourself asking, “Where is this relationship headed?” Divorce can be a scary word for couples, and it may be nerve-racking to be unsure if you’re on that track.There are four commonalities among...

Positive affirmations are thoughts or phrases used to increase optimistic feelings and counteract the effects of negative thinking. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself may help retrain your brain to think in a more balanced way.The brain has a naturally...

Completely banishing stress from your life may never be an attainable goal. Nor, some would argue, should it be. If you consistently try your hardest and seek new endeavours, you will naturally feel challenged and sometimes even stressed. This is all part of personal...

Keeping a journal is a powerful tool, this is because journaling can offer a safe space to process and explore thoughts and emotions that affect your mood and reflect on impactful life events and experiences. For example, journaling may help by:Boosting...

We are currently living in a stressed-out society, and while we may be emerging from the pandemic, the stress and anxiety it caused have no more disappeared than the virus itself has. As we attempt to get back to ‘normal’, we now find ourselves facing new stressors...

Below are 15 ways to calm yourself down when feeling angry:BreatheBreathing is the number one and most effective technique for reducing anger quickly. When you’re angry you tend to take quick, shallow breaths. This sends a message to your brain, causing a positive...

An emotionally abusive inner critic can take a toll on your mental health. When your self-talk is hurtful, below is how you can flip the script.Most of us recognize when another person is being emotionally abusive: The way they’re speaking is meant to tear down your...

Breathe. One of the best things you can do when you start to feel that familiar panicky feeling is to breathe. It may sound basic, but basic is great when managing anxiety symptoms. Breathing deeply and slowly is key to experiencing the full benefits of it. It’s also...

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to embrace who you really are, these quotes may be a starting point. Embrace Yourself“You laugh at me because I’m different, I laugh at you because you’re all the same.”“If life is a stage and you are your own agent, then...

Gaslighting as a concept is actually quite widely known, but its origins can help us define it more clearly. It was born from an old movie in which a husband would turn the gaslights down slightly lower each night to disorient his wife. He would negate his wife’s...

Two years into the pandemic employees say their Zoom/Virtual fatigue is higher than it’s ever been. Top contributors to Zoom fatigue include:Meetings that run too longHaving to stare at a screen for long periods of timeMeetings that serve no purposeConstantly seeing...

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Whilst stress is not always bad, the impact that stress has on your life can be significant. The good news is that the levels of stress you feel can be moderated by the way you respond to it. This brief program aims to provide...

Everyone has worries pop into their head from time to time, but sometimes they won't go away and start to impact your everyday life. The free ReachOut WorryTime App interrupts this repetitive thinking by setting aside your worries until later, so you don't get caught...

The practice of Awareness Meditation can help you to cultivate a sense of presence and awareness that you can take with you anywhere, whether sitting at your desk, sitting in a room or gazing over a vast landscape. Try the following: Begin by finding a comfortable...

This can be defined as behaviour that prepares us to deal with the future, rather than reacting to the future as it happens. Proactive individuals believe that they can make changes to themselves and their environment which will lead to improved future outcomes. Their...

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. The way to improve your listening skills is to practice "active listening." This is...

Self-love is the affirmation and appreciation of one’s current state of well-being and happiness. Self-love is the ultimate form of self-acceptance and unconditional positive regard toward the self. Because of this, an important aspect of self-love is...

The Insomnia Coach app was created for everyone to help manage insomnia. The app is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is free to use. Features include:Guided, weekly training plan to help you track and improve sleepSleep coach with tips for sleeping and...

Give yourself a mental health boost with these four easy actions: Think about something good that happened to you today and say it out loud. Extra points for sharing your ‘Good Stuff’ with others.Update your phone wallpaper to a photo that makes you smile when you...

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a complex mental health condition that typically involves a grandiose or inflated sense of self and an extreme need for admiration and attention, among other symptoms. People with NPD or narcissistic tendencies sometimes show...

Burnout results from chronic workplace stress. According to the World Health Organization, burnout includes these three elements: Exhaustion: Experiencing a stress response causing people to feel physically, emotionally, and cognitively exhausted.Negative and...

A trigger, sometimes referred to as a stressor, is an action or situation that can lead to an adverse emotional reaction. In the context of mental illness, referring to triggers usually means something that has brought on or worsened symptoms. Often, we don’t talk...

Hope expands your thinking and fuels your persistence. Research on hope shows that how you think about the future determines your success in work, relationships and life. For example, high levels of hope lead to an increase in positive workplace outcomes and increased...

While these 12 short videos were designed to help health practitioners learn evidence-based skills which enhance mental wellbeing and resilience, but why not try these techniques for yourself? Once you’ve practised these skills and experienced the benefit, maybe you...

Cardiologists define hurry sickness as "a continuous struggle and unremitting attempt to accomplish or achieve more and more things or participate in more and more events in less and less time." People with hurry sickness think fast, talk fast and act fast. They...

The terms fixed mindset and growth mindset are used to describe the beliefs people have about their intelligence and abilities. If you have a fixed mindset, you assume qualities such as intelligence, character, and ability are stable and cannot be changed. If you have...

When you are feeling overwhelmed by your emotions, visualization techniques can be effective in calming your mind. Research has shown there is a scientific basis for how and why visualization works. Studies of the brain indicate the same areas of the brain light up...

For individuals suffering anxiety symptoms, most breathing and relaxation techniques are effective; however, for sufferers of panic or trauma, some relaxation and breathing strategies can occasionally trigger intrusive memories or fear and dissociation. You may...

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and relaxing of different muscle groups in succession. Before starting, make sure you are sitting or lying in a quiet and comfortable place. As per below instructions when you tense a particular muscle group, do so...

When tense, a person’s breathing is rapid and shallow, which can lead to hyperventilation or panic attacks. Hyperventilation is a process where shallow breathing gets rid of too much carbon dioxide which can lead to light-headedness, breathlessness, feeling of...

Structured problem solving is a useful means to manage the symptoms of anxiety/depression as these symptoms are often the result of an inability (or perceived inability) to deal effectively with problems. The following can be a useful guide in improving such skills:...

Cognitive restructuring is a useful method for controlling symptoms of depression and anxiety and is based on the premise that what causes these feelings is not the situation itself but, rather, the interpretation of the situation. The idea is that our behaviours and...

The pandemic has brought home to us just how dependent businesses are on having a physically, mentally and emotionally healthy workforce. During its progression, we have witnessed the impact not only on employees’ physical health but also on their mental wellbeing....

Many people spend a lot of time and energy trying to get rid of their upsetting thoughts and worries. Not so long ago, psychologists encouraged people to change their thoughts by making them more rational and reality oriented or to just suppress them entirely with...

Life can be stressful—you may feel stressed about performance at work, traumatic events (such as a pandemic, a natural disaster or an act of violence), or a life change. Everyone feels stress from time to time. Stress is the physical or mental response to an external...

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s all too easy to focus our attention on working, accumulating things and just surviving from day to day. When this happens, we are simply going through the motions of life while missing out on living it to the full. This is when we...

Your depression symptoms may increase the more you ignore your needs and self-care — like getting restful sleep, eating nutritious meals and taking time to relax. A good self-care routine can also go a long way toward helping you manage your day-to-day life. Consider...

A habit is a practice you repeat so regularly that it can be hard to change. This could be biting your nails when you’re worried, picking up a bottle of wine whenever you pass the liquor store or cracking open a bag of chips while watching TV at the end of the...

Leadership styles in business vary from one to the next, but one character trait that is steadily becoming essential in the modern workplace, especially since COVID-19, is empathy. It’s the importance of taking into consideration how your actions...

Social relationships and the networks they create have a crucial impact on our health, well-being and longevity. Having close relationships with family and friends is highly protective of health—as protective as exercise or quitting smoking. Moreover, people with...

Research shows that overall work has indeed become considerably more intense since the 1970s. Employees are working faster and harder and are more likely to say they have “too much work to do everything well” than they were in the past. Many report feeling overwhelmed...

Decades of research demonstrate that workers' sense of control at work is a powerful lever for enhancing their health—or harming it.Broadly defined, control at work involves having meaningful discretion over how, when and where work gets done. Workers lack...

Some of us enjoy working virtually, while others prefer working in the workplace. Regardless of your preference, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that virtual work brings. Some common challenges are maintaining personal and professional boundaries,...

Three short videos providing practical tips for Wellbeing in the Workplace: Wellbeing: Chair Exercises https://youtu.be/HYLoDv9wLmw Wellbeing: Breathing Exercise https://youtu.be/o7b5Tmj3KJo Wellbeing: Visualisation...

Having a purpose is essential for a meaningful life and equates to having intentional goals. While mindfulness teaches us to live in the present moment, envisaging the future we want to live in is good for our mental health because it gives us focus and something to...

It is no surprise that during recent times people often find it difficult to maintain a positive outlook on life. After all, there is plenty to keep our spirits down and before you know it, you’re caught in a trap of negative thinking. This type of thinking only leads...

Thanking someone is a very powerful form of appreciation. Sometimes, we just really need to hear ‘thank you’ and sometimes we don’t even realise that’s what we are desperate to hear. Being thanked often motivates us, as we know what we are spending our time and effort...

If you have a smartphone, you’re probably well aware that limiting your screen time can be a challenge. Not to mention, spending too much time online can negatively affect your well-being. And if you’ve watched Netflix’s “The Social Dilemma,” you’re familiar that...

Breathing exercises can be very beneficial to help us wind down and remain calm during our bedtime routines with the ‘4-7-8’ Breathing Exercise being very popular. It is said to make you fall asleep in as little as a few minutes with just 5 steps and can be done...

When stressed, our bodies go through many changes to enable us to become capable of dealing with the situation. We may become more alert, faster and stronger, enabling us to be able to deal with problems. It is common for our heart rate and blood pressure to increase,...

Do you ever get to the end of the workday and feel that it has been a very unproductive one? That you’ve had so much on you’ve struggled to prioritise your time and haven’t got half as much done as you should have, or that feeling of forgetting to do something...

It has been suggested that a meaningful life has three separate but interconnected features: Comprehension, Purpose and Significance. Comprehension is the degree to which we feel our life experiences make sense and have coherence. Our lives have coherence when we can...

Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse where a person makes you doubt yourself or question your account of an incident. Gaslighting can come from a romantic partner, a boss, a friend, or anyone else. It is done to gain power over you and avoid...

Good role models have a positive effect on the people around them. They're widely respected, and teams work harder and put in extra effort for people that they admire. Organizations want leaders who will encourage and inspire others to be at their best, so good role...

Here are six important ways you can step up that each of us can do in our workplaces and communities right now:  Leaders take care of themselves. Put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. As a leader, taking care of your own emotional and physical needs...

Imposter Syndrome is the feeling that you haven’t earned your success, you simply got lucky, and you’re a fraud or “imposter” around people who actually earned it and know what they’re doing. It makes one feel that they do not have the skills or expertise to hold...

What do you do when you feel “stuck”? When you see the world through a negative lens, it can feel like everything is terrible and there’s no way out. Life is hard, and you can’t think your way out of every problem—but you can learn to think more clearly and...

It's tempting to see perfectionism as a desirable or positive quality – it shows that we pay close attention to detail and get things right. But in fact, obsessive perfectionism can do more harm than good. It can damage self-esteem, put a strain on our relationships...

GREAT DREAM is an acronym for 10 key areas to happier living: Giving: doing things for other people.Relating: connecting with the people around you.Exercising: looking after your body.Awareness: being mindful of the world around you.Trying...

There are eight common causes of conflict in the workplace, and you can use them to explore how you can manage conflict more effectively. The eight causes are: Conflicting resources.Conflicting styles.Conflicting perceptions.Conflicting goals.Conflicting...

Emotional awareness is the process of recognizing and acknowledging your feelings. Having emotional awareness can equip you to properly manage and improve your mental hygiene. When humans feel a certain emotion, generally, there is a physical or mental reaction that...

Emotional safety is the foundation for a loving and healthy relationship. It’s about establishing trust with another person and feeling safe enough to be open and vulnerable with them. When you feel emotionally safe and reveal your true self, it opens the door for...

Sleep gives your brain a much-needed break from the stresses of the day. It rejuvenates your mind and allows it to process information. Most adults who get seven to eight hours a day have lower mortality rates, and tend to be healthier, than those who have more or...

Compassion is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used in the workplace to help foster emotional well-being. Below are five ways self-compassion fits into the workplace:Self-compassion is not a form of self-pitySelf-compassion is not an opportunity to complain...

Gratitude can help train your brain to notice and appreciate the little things in life and, in doing so, shifts your life experience tremendously. Gratitude can increase your happiness and wellbeing, life satisfaction, even overall health while decreasing the stuff we...

The following screening tools have been proven by research to help identify symptoms of a mental health disorders. These tools provide an anonymous, free & private way to learn about your mental health & if you are showing warning signs of a mental illness....

2021 has been a year during which we have all been reminded of the importance of well-being and resilience in our lives. Times of adversity and challenge can teach us a lot about ourselves and what we need to thrive. Here are seven lessons we hope can help you make...

Ingredients:4 tbsps Empathy (essential for binding other ingredients together)250mls Acceptance (use equal parts self-acceptance and acceptance of others)250mls Self-controlLarge pack Gratitude500gms Kindness1 Jug Respect500gms ForgivenessDash of LaughterSprinkle of...

Whether you’re focusing on finishing your to-do lists in preparation for some time off or are working over the holidays, staying on top of everything at work can feel particularly challenging at this time of year. Here are some top tips for managing your mental health...

When we are overly stressed and worried it becomes even more difficult to regulate our emotions with effective strategies. Emotion regulation is how we deal with the feelings we experience from moment to moment to have wellbeing, build positive relationships and...

Emotional resilience is our ability to cope with stressful situations and adapt to life’s ups and downs. Becoming emotionally resilient doesn’t mean that you’ll never be stressed again. Life has a habit of challenging us no matter how prepared for its pitfalls we...

We all have different personalities, different wants and needs and different ways of showing our emotions. Navigating through this all takes tact and cleverness – especially if we hope to succeed in life. This is where emotional intelligence becomes important....

Even the healthiest of relationships can sometimes use a little extra work. Here are some simple tips to make sure things stay on the right track.Embrace each other’s differences“They might be ambitious, while you’re more of a homebody”. This is a good dynamic, since...

Some common signs of work depression: withdrawal or isolation from other peoplepoor self-hygiene or significant change in appearancelate arrival at work, missed meetings, or absent daysprocrastination, missed deadlines, reduced productivity, subpar performance in...

Panic attacks can be scary and may hit you quickly. Here are 9 simple strategies you can use to try to stop or manage panic attacks. Some may help you in the moment, while others can help in the longer term.1. Use deep breathingWhile hyperventilating is a symptom...

MindTrails is an evidence-based program designed to help people think differently about situations that make them feel anxious. The program is free as part of a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and has been completed by people of all racial and...

Self-worth is a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect. Below are five exercises for developing and maintaining self-worth. 1. Increase your self-understandingAn important activity on the road to self-worth is to build...

Your health and wellness are unique to you. Several pillars of health, including nutrition, exercise, sleep quality and stress management, combined with your genetics, influence your weight and if and how it changes over time. Unlike other pillars of health, weight is...

Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken & your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal...

Working from home took on new meaning in 2020, as millions of office-based employees and contractors traded hours-long commutes for short walks between the bedroom and kitchen table — or, in the best cases, a dedicated home office.Upsides to this COVID-induced...

Do you find that switching on the radio or blasting your favourite Spotify playlist gets you through your working day with a smile on your face? If you answered yes, you’re not the only one, as 54% of employees believe listening to music at work improves their mental...

Most of us intuitively know what burnout means. Some of us have experienced it while others may feel on the cusp of falling into burnout. We know that doctors, nurses and other frontline healthcare workers have been experiencing severe burnout throughout the last 18...

To find your focus, the first skill you need to develop is to notice when your “attentional flashlight” has wandered away from the task-at-hand. In this “core exercise,” your goal is to repeatedly find your flashlight. Think of this like training a...

Learn how to relax and reduce stress through this four-part video series. Part 1 of 4 - IntroductionThis session will include an explanation of why these techniques are important for us all, and how they can assist us in coping with stress and improving...

During times of stress, it's usually easier to use your strengths instead of your weaknesses. Identifying your strengths and learning how to use them to deal with challenges also helps build resilience. When we talk about a person’s character, we mean the sum...

We have options for dealing with stress and adversity. Learn how one of the four A’s – Accept, Avoid, Alter or Adapt – can help you respond to stress.The optionsWhen we experience severe or chronic stress, it’s not unusual for us to be less than objective and rational...

The way we think events – past, present or future – affects our stress levels. Most of our thoughts speed past and remain below our level of awareness. By becoming conscious we have the ability to manage them rather than allowing them to manage us. Learning to be...

Most people have at some point felt anxious or apprehensive on a Sunday night. Maybe it’s about what awaits the following day or the emotional inertia of feeling relaxed and rested. It’s natural and not uncommon. And there’s a way around it.Sunday Scaries, also known...

Your productivity is heavily dependent on your mental fitness, so improving it will also increase your output. Here are some apps that can help:1. Aqualert to Track Your Water IntakeChances are, you already know some benefits of drinking water for your overall health...

There are many factors that can interfere with our ability to fall and stay asleep, but stress is a big culprit. When stress is moderate and short term, it can be beneficial. It can motivate us to work harder, increase our focus, and improve our performance. However,...

Are you so unhappy at work that you’re unsure what to do? Are you burnt out, anxious or depressed because of your job? If you dread going to work, maybe you’ve considered making a major professional change. Perhaps you were fired or laid off. Your confidence in...

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 4 out of 10 people have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, as compared to 1 out of 10 in 2019. Exercise has been shown to play a role in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Here are three...

Truly productive people feed their focus and starve their distractions. Albert Einstein once said “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Many people have a real plan to get important stuff done — they are not necessarily lazy. They...

The Alcohol & Drug Foundation has just released a new tool to support family and friends of people who use alcohol and drugs called Path2Help.   Navigating a way through the maze of support services for family and friends of people who use alcohol and...

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others.Becoming an Active ListenerThere are five key active listening techniques you can use to...

Where there are people, there is conflict. We all bring our different values, needs and idiosyncrasies to the workplace – and they can sometimes clash with those of our colleagues. Left unchecked, conflict brews and can lead to animosity. Teamwork can break down,...

We've all been in one of "those" situations before. You know... when your favourite project is cancelled after weeks of hard work; when a customer snaps at you unfairly; when your best friend (and co-worker) is laid off suddenly or your boss assigns you more work when...

Think of how often you communicate with people during the day. You write emails, facilitate meetings, participate in conference calls, create reports, devise presentations, debate with your colleagues… the list goes on.We can spend almost our entire day communicating....

This 15 DAYS OF MINDFULNESS has been bought to you by the Dartmouth Wellness Centre Day 1: Basics of Seated Meditation (4.5 min - Intro & Meditation) Day 2: Straw Breathing (4.5 min - Intro & Meditation) Day 3: SHIFT: A Tour of the...

Laughter may seem like all fun and games, but it has some serious benefits too. Every time you laugh, whether it’s a giggle or a guffaw, your brain is flooded with a cocktail of endorphins and serotonin. The former helps kill pain, and the latter gives you a jolt of...

What Is Cognitive Restructuring?Cognitive restructuring is a useful technique for understanding unhappy feelings and moods, and for challenging the sometimes-wrong "automatic beliefs" that can lie behind them. As such, you can use it to reframe the unnecessary...

The Family Relationship Advice Line is a national telephone service that helps families affected by relationship or separation issues, including information on parenting arrangements after separation.Anyone can call the Advice Line about family relationships. This...

The Australian Government has just launched a new, free phone application with information, ideas and guidance for parents to help them provide additional support their child’s mental health and wellbeing.The Raising Healthy Mind App was developed by the Raising...

A new workbook has been added to our Treatment Workbooks page titled ‘Your Most Important Assignment Is YOU’. This workbook aims to help teach teenagers 36 psychological skills to help make them feel more in control of their life and more hopeful about the future....

Whether your job has you on your computer or on your feet all day, the thought of taking a walk outdoors in your free time may not hold much appeal, particularly if the weathers bad. But carving out a few minutes for a breath of fresh air is essential for our...

Looking to learn new skills to help you improve the way you feel? Or perhaps you've heard of these before but would benefit from a refresher. These three short videos will teach you evidence-based skills in minutes to manage the moment, which you can try...

Worrying is a normal part of the human experience — everyone experiences it from time to time. But left unchecked, it can have effects on both your physical and mental health. But what exactly is worrying? Worry is defined as distress caused by something...

The healing process isn’t linear, but the suggestions below are ways to find relief and support along the way.Create a safety planSafety planning can give you a sense of control and protection. You can add responses for different circumstances, such as seeing your ex...

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add a little mindfulness meditation to your day without formal practice, then these mindfulness exercises are for you. These mindfulness exercises can mostly be slotted in while you go about your everyday business,...

Gratitude is certainly an emotion that’s worth cultivating and it is something that can be cultivated. Studies have repeatedly shown that we can train things sometimes thought of as hard-wired or pre-set, like our gratitude, optimism and enthusiasm. One...

Sometimes the demands of working can leave little time or energy for other parts of your life, like social time, leisure activities or learning, health and fitness. Sometimes you can make those sacrifices for a short period of time, but consistently sacrificing those...

Below are a number of practical tips for managing stress in your workplace:Define your regular hours of work: Try and stick to these as much as possible, as working too many hours can increase stress, fatigue and burnout. Make sure you schedule in annual leave on...

We all have those habits we wish we didn’t, but just can’t seem to break. You might think you spend too much time on social media or playing games, or that your time streaming videos might be better spent reading that classic novel you’ve always wanted to try.Though...

If you need to calm down immediately, you can do so by following a few simple exercises. Some of these strategies may feel difficult the first few times you try them, but with some practice, they can offer a quick path to relief from your feelings of anxiety. How to...

Do you often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do? Some of these are feelings maybe as a result of not keeping a proper "To-Do List." These are prioritized lists of all the tasks that you need to carry out. They list everything that you have to do,...

Below are a few ways how to boost your self-esteem and become more confident.Identify (and heal) the root causeLow self-esteem has deep roots, which require a commitment to becoming self-aware. Addressing it requires getting real with yourself to learn what’s making...

"PERMA" stands for the five essential elements that should be in place for us to experience lasting well-being. These are:1. Positive Emotion (P)For us to experience well-being, we need positive emotion in our lives. Any positive emotion such as peace, gratitude,...

In the chaos of the daily grind, you may be wondering where to find time to even think about your own wellbeing. You may be surprised at the number of things you can do that require minimal effort or time to contribute to your wellbeing, simply by taking advantage of...

Mindfulness is about being present in the here and now, without judgement of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or stressing about the future or past. Mindfulness is a practice, which means sometimes you may find it easier to do than others. By doing small mindful activities regularly,...

Taking care of your self is a proactive way to contribute to your positive mental health and can lead to better resilience when dealing with the stress. Self-care refers to activities undertaken with the intention of reducing stress, enhancing energy and ensuring...

Time management is the process of planning activities to increase productivity. Resent research looked at 158 separate studies including over 50,000 people around the world to find out whether time management works. Here are the basic time management strategies skills...

WHO has launched mYoga - a yoga app to help people stay active and healthy. The app is safe and secure and does not collect any data from users. The app contains a collection of videos and audio files to teach and accompany yoga practice and is an easy-to-use and free...

Feeling tired on a regular basis is extremely common. In fact, about one-third of us report regularly feeling sleepy or fatigued. Fatigue is a common symptom of several conditions and serious diseases, but in most cases it is caused by simple lifestyle factors....

Negative thoughts may fester and stop you going for promotions, friendships, relationships, adventures and opportunities. They can stunt personal growth, cause us to make bad decisions, and drive us to become the worst versions of ourselves. They can warp our...

Sometimes we get up on the wrong side of the bed and dread the entire workday ahead. Studies show that “start-of-workday” moods stay with you all day long and affect job performance and productivity. The more we focus on dread, the more it grows. Neuroscientists say...

Below are some tips to help yourself as well as others to deal with grief and loss: Remember to ask for help if you need it; don’t be afraid to speak up and admit that you are struggling to cope with your loss. Be honest with family and friends about how you are...

Below are 13 tips to help improve your sleep: Use your bed only for sleep, and not for other activities such as worrying. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark during your sleeping hours. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature - not too...

Below are 10 tips to help manage your everyday stress: Recognise signs of stress Signs of stress vary from person to person but recognising your own personal signs can help you take positive steps. Signs of stress might include tensing your jaw, grinding your teeth,...

Below are 12 ways you can help look after yourself after a traumatic event or situation:  Recognise that you have been through a distressing experience and give yourself permission to experience some reaction to it. Don't be angry with yourself for being upset...

Below are 5 tips to help improve your anxiety: Check your self-talkWhen we are upset and anxious we sometimes say negative things to ourselves. Unhelpful self-talk might include things like, “I’m hopeless”, “I’m going to be terrible at this” or “I’ll never get...

While you’re snoozing, your mind and body journey through a series of events designed to reduce your consciousness and awareness, relax your muscles and alter your brain waves. Some organs get to power down to minimal functionality to maintain or reset, while others...

Social relationships support good mental and physical health. These 14 tips will help you to enjoy better interactions with the people you encounter, so you can feel the benefits of positive connection.1 Think positiveWorries about social situations can make you...

Below are 10 tips to help improve your relationship: Work on lowering stress in your life, which might be putting strain on your relationship. Take time to talk with your partner about life stresses and how to manage these together. Seek to support each other in times...

Virtual meeting fatigue is a phenomenon almost nobody had heard of before the pandemic, but one most of us are all too familiar with now. For many of us, sitting through back-to-back-to-back Zoom meetings has been one of the defining experiences of the last 18 months....

Overwork and burnout contributed to more than 745,000 deaths worldwide in just one year, according to the World Health Organization. People working 55 or more hours per week have an estimated 35 percent higher risk of a stroke and a 17 percent higher risk of...

Meditation is a technique that can help provide mental clarity and focus by training your mind and developing your concentration. A consistent meditation practice can help you improve in many areas of your life, including being more productive at work. The wonderful...

A diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fruits and fish could lower depression risk by up to a third, research suggests. Those that adhered to this diet had a 33% reduced chance of developing depression. The results come from studies on tens of thousands of people around the...

The last 18 months have been challenging for most of us for so many reasons, and this has only further highlighted the importance of having the ability to experience and express our emotions. This is much more important than we may appreciate. As the felt response to...

What Is Stress? Stress is "a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize." This means that we experience stress if we believe that we don't have the time, resources...

We all feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed at some point. It’s important to give yourself grace when you have these feelings. Try not to brush them off or push through whatever is causing you to feel anxious – your mental health matters and if you’re feeling the...

Symptoms to look for: ExhaustionCynicismAvoiding previously pleasurable activitiesIrritabilityDifficulty concentratingSleep disruption – difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleepPhysiological symptoms like headaches, gut, and bowel issuesRelying on...

Here are some strategies for responding to stress in healthy ways to de-escalate your stress response. 1. Find outlets for frustration. When you deal effectively with frustration, it lessens the stress response. Do something positive and healthy. 2. Practice breathing...

Reducing stress levels can have an immediate effect as well as protecting long-term health. Below are some strategies for reducing stress: Identify what’s causing stress. Monitor your state of mind throughout the day. If you feel stressed, write down the cause,...

For so many adults, it is not that we’ve forgotten how to have fun as we grow older—it’s simply that we have grown to undervalue fun’s importance. We learn that a serious nature is a marker of maturity. Also, as the years pass, and life piles on increasing...

If you’re like most people, you might not know about your own brain. Yet, your brain is who you are - and is the boss of your mind and body. It never shuts down and is active even when you’re asleep. It determines how well you perform at work and how far you climb the...

When something goes wrong at work it’s normal to take that negative experience and hold onto it for the rest of the day — or maybe even for the whole week. That tendency is a product of how our brains are wired. Our view of the world has a fundamental...

Email is an incredibly useful communication tool but not when we use it appropriately. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the amount of email that we receive and need to respond to. There are ways to manage your email so that you're more productive. Below are some...

Today technology allows us to speak with others across the country and the world without having to leave our office. We also see a rise in open floor plan offices aimed at fostering interaction and good communication. While these modern-day opportunities are...

You open your computer to find an email in ALL CAPS and a series of exclamation points along with a frowning emoji. A co-worker is furious about a mistake you made, a deadline you missed or something you forgot. You feel the stress of your heart slamming against your...

The relationships in our lives — whether with friends, family members, or romantic partners — are one of our richest sources of joy, meaning, and purpose. And when we take the time to invest in them by asking creative, meaningful questions, we create long-lasting...

A cognitive distortion — and there are many — is an exaggerated pattern of thought that’s not based on facts. It consequently leads you to view things more negatively than they really are. In other words, cognitive distortions are your mind convincing you to believe...

Understanding how to set personal limits is essential for building and maintaining healthy relationships. Many people know what the word “boundaries” means, but they have no idea what they are. You might think of boundaries as something like a property line...

There is no right or wrong way to work through grief, the important thing is that you work through it. If you’re struggling to cope with your grief here are five suggestions that may help: Allow yourself to feel everything  The first step in the grieving process...

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add a little mindfulness meditation to your day without formal practice, then these mindfulness exercises are for you. These mindfulness exercises can mostly be slotted in while you go about your everyday business,...

Happiness may seem a luxury at a time of real worries about our physical safety and our job security. But it's important to our health in both the short and long term and affects our productivity. According to the GREAT DREAM model, happiness is really quite simple....

Think about your current job and how often each of the following 10 statements describe how you feel.  I can’t honestly say what I really think or get things off my chest at work. My job has a lot of responsibility, but I don’t have very much authority.I...

Australian workplaces are required by law to manage risks to psychological health in the same way as risks to physical health. People at Work helps you to do this in your workplace by: helping workplaces comply with health and safety dutiesimproving management of...

Maybe the idea of work fills you with dread, or you’re finding it hard to connect with your colleagues. Maybe you find yourself zoning out when you need to be focusing, or you’re watching the clock, just waiting for the chance to crawl back into bed. If you feel any...

To many people when they hear the word “Mindfulness” an image of Buddha sitting under a tree may pop up or someone sitting on the floor meditating. Mindfulness may be the buzz of modern life, especially when the whole world is under such intense pressure fighting for...

While aiming for excellence can lead to breakthroughs, perfectionism can lead to breakdowns and burnout. A key difference between unhealthy perfectionism and healthy striving is being able to define realistic expectations and being able to say, “that’s good enough,...

People have debated the concept of "life balance" for decades, and it means something different to everyone. One person might think he's achieved balance when he can leave work early enough to eat dinner with his family. Someone else might view it as having a flexible...

Is anxiety getting in the way of your life? MindShift™ CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of...

Your job can test your patience in a number of ways. You can’t always control your work environment, but sharing space with certain people, and your long list of duties, can leave you physically and mentally exhausted. It’s one thing to experience normal everyday...

Everyone feels lonely from time to time. But loneliness can become a problem when your need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. Loneliness is not always the same as being alone, because you might choose to be alone and feel content without much...

Many people experience stress in their jobs. It might be temporarily because of a project deadline, or because of seasonal fluctuations in your workload. Or you might experience long-term stress due to the nature of your role, because of a difficult boss or co-worker,...

Workplace stress is an inevitable part of business, but when stress gets out of hand, it’s bad for business and the people who do the work. Just last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burn-out to be a syndrome and described it as an “occupational...