blooming minds FEBRUARY 2019
issue 12
BORN TO SING MENTAL DEXTERITY &
An interview with Martin Meader; Writer and Choir Musical Director
THE OTHER F-WORD
WANT TO BLOOM IN 2019?
CYCLING WITHOUT AGE A HOLE IN HER GENES An interview with Dr. Jodie Fleming
Talking About Mental
An interview with Alanagh Godderidge, Coordinator of Sorrento Trishaw
Health Issues at Work… WHAT TO DO NEXT
STEPS
TO
HELP
YOU
BLOOM
NEED A FRIEND?
OUR RESOURCES BLOOM! MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING BY TASHA BROOMHALL
Available in paperback or ebook format. This book debunks some of the common misunderstandings around mental health and mental illness and provides practical strategies for you to use to support your own mental health as well as support those around you.
$22 INC GST
BLOOM! AT WORK! A MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE FOR LEADERS BY TASHA BROOMHALL
Available in paperback or ebook format. This book will provide knowledge about the relevance of mental health issues, a brief overview of common mental health issues and possible functional impacts and a range of proactive strategies and resources that may assist both the employee and the organisation.
$25.00 INC GST
A YEAR TO BLOOM – 52 WEEK JOURNAL BY TASHA BROOMHALL
Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? In a funk? Need some support for your mental health? This guided 52 week journal will give you practical ideas and guidance to enhance your wellbeing through two strategies. Each week a new journal activity will encourage you to continue actively enhancing your mental health over the next 52 weeks. You can choose from two different formats – a printed a5 journal or weekly emails delivered straight to your inbox.
LIVE CONSCIOUSLY AND BLOOM – SELF REFLECTION JOURNAL BY TASHA BROOMHALL
The personal reflections journal provides a guiding hand in reviewing your values. Based on these values you will then set daily intentions and cultivate your gratitude. Carrying out those two simple steps each day can make an incredible difference to your life.
$24.20 INC GST
$17.60 INC GST
Mental Health in the Workplace for Leaders, ONLINE COURSE This course delivers an overview of common mental illnesses, reasonable adjustments, privacy requirements and balancing people needs with business needs. This course is delivered as four self-paced online assessed modules with individual assessment of learning. Each module has videos, recorded lessons, support notes and an assessment.
Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing Campaign You can develop your organisation’s mental health culture through a targeted information program that includes integrated articles in your newsletter, informative posters, information on your intranet to develop awareness, and skills to recognise and respond to mental health issues in the workplace. The pack is designed around a 12-month campaign to raise mental health awareness in your organisation and focusses on building the individual resilience of your employees.
Let’s Talk About It Video Series Educational videos for your intranet about how to have appropriate workplace conversations in relation to mental health and wellbeing.
Workplace Information Pack This pack includes short guidelines suitable for inclusion on your intranet. Titles: • What is mental health and mental illness • General impacts of mental health issues in the workplace • How to respond if you have concerns about a colleague or employee’s mental health • Strategies for managing mental health issues with an employee • Responding to an employee or colleague who may be at risk of suicide • Resources and supports for looking after your own mental health and wellbeing
OUR E-MAGAZINES N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 5
ISSUE 1
J A N UA RY 2 0 1 6
ARE YOU A HUMAN BEING OR A HUMAN DOING?
CREATING A CULTURE OF POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF... ATTENTIVENESS
IT’S TIME TO REFLECT
BY DRIVING CONSCIOUSLY YOU NOT ONLY MINIMISE ACCIDENTS BUT ALSO CAN HELP KEEP YOURSELF CALMER IN THE PROCESS
APRIL 2016
BEING CULTURALLY SMART IS THE NEXT BIG THING
AGEISM IN THE WORKPLACE
5 SIMPLE STEP TO ASSIST YOU IN ENHANCING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
“OVER 25% OF AUSTRALIANS AGED OVER 50 EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF PREJUDICE“ MAREE WHACK DETAILS 7 STRATEGIES TO REDUCE AGEISM IN THE WORKPLACE
ONE STEP AT A TIME WITH JULIE MEEK
APPRAISING PERFORMANCE
APPLYING THE 4 STAGES OF CHANGE TO CREATE THE RIGHT HABITS TO BETTER PERSONAL PERFORMANCE
O C TO B E R 2 0 1 6
CHEF SOPHIE BUDD’S RAW INDULGENCE
BRANT GARVEY
DEALING WITH THE STRESS OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REVIEWS WITH NARELLE DI TRENTO
I N T E R V I E W
RIO OLYMPICS BOUND ATHELETE TALKS ABOUT ATTITUDE AND RESILIENCE
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY
A MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY MAP FOR ORGANISATIONS
RENEE GARDINER DISCUSSES NOURISHING THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT THROUGH GARDENING
INCLUDING: AWARENESS RAISING, SKILL BUILDING AND BEHAVIOURAL INTEGRATION
FINDING YOGA
QUIZ
SOPHIE BUDD’S
GROUP YOGA TO HELP YOU DEAL WITH MENTAL PAIN
ARE YOU STRESSED OR BLOOMING? A PERSONAL SURVEY TO “CHECK-IN” WITH YOURSELF
GROWING CHANGE
LETS TALK ABOUT IT
BY RENEE GARDINER
CONSTRUCTIVE MENTAL HEALTH
HAVING THAT IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT SOMEONES MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING; BM DISCUSSES THE 3 VITAL ASPECTS
THE BUDDY SYSTEM
KHANH NGUYEN, THE GENERAL MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF CIVCON, CIVIL AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, EXPLAINS HOW A YOUNG AND RAPIDLY EXPANDING COMPANY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
PLUS...
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS TO STRANGERS, LOVED ONES AND OURSELVES
ISSUE 4
CQ
A BLOOMING GREAT 2016
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: SNACK RIGHT WITH NUTRITIONIST AND DIETITIAN, JULIE MEEK
CHRISTMAS KINDNESS ADVENT CALENDAR
OVER 6000 LAUGHTER YOGA GROUPS AND CLUBS WORLDWIDE ARE PROVING LAUGHTER REALLY IS THE BEST MEDICINE
J U LY 2 0 1 6
HOW TO PROVIDE POSITIVE LEADERSHIP IN CHANGING TIMES
NICK MAISEY - BEFRIEND SHANNA CRISPIN- HI THERE GORGEOUS BETTY KITCHENER - MHFA ALICIA CURTIS - 100 WOMEN PETER SHARP & JAE WEST - THE LIBERATORS
SIMPLE MANGO MOUSSE
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING IS NO LAUGHING MATTER...OR IS IT?
ISSUE 3
LEADING POSITIVELY THROUGH CHANGE
ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS WITH TASHA BROOMHALL
SO NOW THAT WE’RE ALMOST IN DECEMBER, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED THIS YEAR?
WE TALK TO AN INTERNATIONAL WORKPLACE RELATIONS EXECUTIVE, ANDREW DOUGLAS, WHO IS LEADING HIS ORGANISATION BY EXAMPLE
ISSUE 2
AGENTS OF CHANGE
FINDING 4 NURTURING AND NOURISHING THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF EACH WEEK
MAKING REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE WORKPLACE
JULIE MEEK
OVERCOMING BARRIERS @ WORK
SHOW SUPPORT AND MEET YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS LEADERS
BY PETER DHU
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ISSUE 5
J A N UA RY 2 0 1 7
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blooming minds
blooming minds
ISSUE 6
AM I OK?
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK, NOT JUST DURING MENTAL HEALTH WEEK.
GETTING HELP A PERSONALISED WELLBEING PLAN
TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL ...
EMPLOYEE DISCLOSURE: YOUR RIGHTS AND RESONSIBILITIES
AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACE SURVIVAL GUIDE
COMMON ISSUES PEOPLE FROM CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS EXPERIENCE IN AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES
Q & A WITH BLUEBIRD
The Small Things A FAMILIES DEDICATION TO INCREASING SUICIDE AWARENESS
INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA STEPHENSON
POLICY & PROCEDURE CREATING A CULTURE OF POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH
one day seminar
MENTAL ILLNESS in the workplace
WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH FOR LEADERS SEE PAGE 16 FOR DETAILS & REGISTRATION
HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF STRESS?
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blooming minds Special Workplace Edition
CREATING A CULTURE OF POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
OCTOBER 2018
ARE YOU A HUMAN BEING... OR A HUMAN DOING?
START WITH GOVERNANCE 13 REASONS WHY SUICIDE SHOULD NOT BE A TABOO TOPIC
DO WE NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS?
SEPTEMBER 2018
PERTH ACTIVE DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP HOW TO MANAGE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AND STAY WELL YOU, ME, WE
NEURO MYTHS & HACKS MAKING REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE WORKPLACE
FEBRUARY 2019
issue 12
issue 10
HAVE YOU GOT THE GUTS?
NEURO MYTHS & HACKS CURIOUSER & CURIOUSER
HOW MUCH POISON HAVE YOU DRUNK THIS YEAR? BORN TO SING MENTAL DEXTERITY &
An interview with Martin Meader; Writer and Choir Musical Director
THE OTHER F-WORD
WHAT TO BLOOM IN 2019?
CYCLING WITHOUT AGE A HOLE IN HER GENES An interview with Dr. Jodie Fleming
Talking About Mental STUCK INTO SUBSTANCES?
HELPING THE HELPERS
An interview with Alanagh Godderidge, Coordinator of Sorrento Trishaw
Health Issues at Work… IS YOUR ORGANISATION MERELY TICKING THE MENTAL HEALTH BOXES?
LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF & OTHERS WHEN TEMPERS FLARE
WORKPLACE CONTINUUM OF MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
WHAT TO DO NEXT
STEPS
TO
HELP
YOU
BLOOM
NEED A FRIEND?
ISSUE 12
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Tasha Broomhall DEPUTY EDITOR & RESEARCHER:
Barry Mannolini-Winwood WRITERS:
Tasha Broomhall Julie Meek Michael Prince RESEARCHER:
Kelly Ho
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Craig Broomhall As labelled DESIGNER:
Craig Broomhall
Blooming MindsŠ 2019 All Rights Reserved. We encourage you to share the content of this e-magazine with others who you think may be interested. However to comply with copyright please ensure that information is only shared in its full form and with the credit given to the authors. The information, opinions, suggestions and ideas contained in this publication are based on the experience of the contributors and research information which is believed to be accurate but not infallible. All effort has been made to render this information free from error or omission. Whilst written and presented in good faith, Blooming Minds and the contributors assume no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly from this information. The material cannot substitute for appropriate professional opinion, which would take into account individual factors, specific situations, environmental conditions or circumstances likely to influence actions taken or avoided at any time. Please be advised, this presentation provides general information only, and should not be seen as professional advice specific to any particular situation, problem or person. If you require assistance for mental health issues please contact your medical practitioner or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
CONTENTS
8 A HOLE IN HER GENES 12 LORETO 14 CYCLING WITHOUT AGE 16 WANT TO BLOOM IN 2019? 18 STRESS & ANXIETY 20 THE ELUSIVE BALANCE 22 HOW MANY SHADES OF GREEN? 24 MENTAL DEXTERITY AND THE OTHER F-WORD 25 START A BLOOM GROUP 26 WHATS YOUR GAME PLAN? -LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF 28 YOUR MENTAL HEALTH 29 TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AT WORK - WHAT TO DO NEXT 30 MENTAL FLOSS - CALMING YOUR BODY AND MIND 32 NEED A FRIEND? 34 ACCESS TO SUPPORT 36 BABUSHKA 38 BORN TO SING
www.bloomingminds.com.au
TASHA’S UPDATE
O
ver the last few years I have been researching positive mental wellbeing during study for a Master of Psychology, and now a PhD. I have been reassured that there are a range of approaches supported by research to help improve positive mental wellbeing. Yet the rates of mental health issues in our community don’t appear to be decreasing, the number of people we lose to suicide is increasing, and, despite high levels of mental health awareness and available services, there is still so much unmet need. What can we do about this as individuals, families, communities and workplaces? We can look at integrating positive proactive strategies into our lives to help us to thrive and flourish, not just survive and bounce back from adversity. I believe we need to move beyond resilience and consciously act to improve our own mental wellbeing and support others to do the same. I don’t think it is enough to learn just to deal with challenges. Instead, we need to reflect on our own lives and what is potentially harming our own mental wellbeing and make changes to minimise our own risks and maximise our opportunity to flourish. In this edition, we have interviewed a range of people taking proactive approaches that might provide inspiration for you to adopt in your own life. We interviewed Therese Hussey from Loreto Primary School about the program they are implementing to improve the mental wellbeing of their students and families. We also share the stories of Martin Meader and his workplace choirs for mental wellbeing. We take a ride with the Sorrento Trishaw which aims to reduce social isolation of people with mobility challenges in our community. Our cover story this edition is with the incredible Dr Jodie Fleming, a health psychologist who has just published her memoir about her experiences moving from being the practitioner to the patient when she underwent treatment for breast cancer. Jodie’s story may help you to better understand the experience of those around you facing similar challenges and open up ideas of how we can connect and support those we love. We also have a bunch of articles with ideas you can explore to improve your own mental wellbeing. We’ve collated lists of services and supports available, as well as contributions from regulars Julie Meek and Michael Prince. I hope you enjoy this edition, and as always, I’d love to hear your feedback and insights. Email me at info@bloomingminds.com.au May you bloom,
Tasha
Want some more ideas for how to help yourself bloom? Watch here.
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“
Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living and enjoy life. On this basis, the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health can be regarded as a vital concern of individuals, communities and societies throughout the world
“
World Health Organization
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A Hole in My Genes By Tasha Broomhall
A
re you supporting someone living with cancer? A loved one? A patient? A client? If so, we have just the book you need to read. A Hole in my Genes is the newly released memoir from psychologist Dr Jodie Fleming and charts her experiences supporting her husband through cancer, receiving her own cancer diagnosis, treatment, loss, and finding a stable place to stand amidst it all. Her story will give you great insight into the experiences of a person living with cancer, battling through treatment and trying to maintain their sense of self within an avalanche of impositions. Jodie masterfully weaves these lessons through her story to help you to understand what people going through cancer treatment are experiencing, their fears and hopes and how to support them. If you are (or have been) living with cancer yourself and are seeking someone to connect with who genuinely understands the challenges, fears and isolation, you will find a companion as you read through Jodie’s story. We recently interviewed Jodie about her experiences as both patient and author. What do you wish you knew when first diagnosed with breast cancer? I remember wishing that there was a guarantee that I wouldn’t die, but of course there is no such thing. It took me two years to learn that I wouldn’t always fear cancer returning, so perhaps learning that earlier would’ve allowed me to focus more on the job at hand rather than trying to cram a lifetime into weeks, just in case I died. I wish I knew that losing my hair wasn’t as difficult as I worried it would be. I spent more time devastated, waiting for that to happen, than actually worrying about losing my breasts. But once it was gone, I actually really enjoyed wearing scarves. It felt quite glamorous.
I wish I knew that it would be the people that I thought that I could lean on who would be the most likely to let me down, and those that I would never have suspected who would provide the most helpful support. Not everyone copes with your cancer in the way you hope they might, sadly. I wish I understood that there would one day be silver linings to the whole experience, thousands of them in fact. That might have made it a bit easier to make it to the finish line. I also would’ve liked to have understood that the end of active treatment was, in fact, going to be one of the hardest stages of the entire process. Once I was no longer seeing doctors so regularly, once my hair started to grow back, once everyone else around me assumed that life was now back to normal – it wasn’t. I think I had the expectation too that everything should be back to how it was, but it wasn’t, and it couldn’t be for a really long time afterward.
How has having breast cancer changed your perspectives on life? Immediately after treatment, I noticed things like colours were more vibrant, smells more sweet, the warmth of the sun on my skin was simply delightful. I came back into the moment I suppose, but I also wasn’t taking things for granted as I may have before getting sick. It was easy, for a while, to stop sweating the small stuff. It was difficult not to try and cram a lifetime into
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a shorter period of time, ‘just in case’. I still struggle with that. On one hand though, I suppose that means making the most out of every day.
say. Say, ‘it sucks!’ Because it does.
Sit with your person. Talk to them. Or be quiet. Let them decide. Talk to them as if they don’t have cancer.
I have supervision for my work, and I have seen a psychologist on and off, just to check in.
Don’t act as if they are dying (unless they are) and don’t tell them about every person you’ve ever heard I can’t seem to engage in anything that I see as ‘wasting of who has died of cancer! my life’ – that includes housework and washing the car for example! It costs me a small fortune to have a How do you proactively support your own housecleaner, but I just can’t bring myself to give up mental wellbeing? that time for something I don’t see value in. I exercise, a lot. In fact, there just isn’t enough time in the week for me to exercise as much as I need to. Having had cancer has also changed my relationship Mostly, I exercise with other people, so it involves a with my body. I no longer give myself a hard time for sense of belonging, motivation to show up, loads of how it looks, and I’m more conscious of nourishing it, laughter and fun. resting it and exercising it now. Knowing all too well that our lives are indeed finite, does change your view I also have a good sleep routine. I take enough of life and does impact on how you live it. In some downtime. ways, it has made it more difficult. I ask myself ‘what’s the point?’ much more often than I used to. But at the I practice incidental mindfulness every day and I keep same time, I also laugh louder and more often than I check of my unhelpful thoughts, of which there are might have before. many. I use some thinking strategies to get around those. What can we do as family and friends of someone with a diagnosis like breast I don’t mind a good Netflix binge, and I try to read cancer? every day. Show up. Be there. My family and friends are extremely important to me, Bring food, bring lip balm, bring ginger tea, bring so time with them is essential. I also walk/ books and movies. run my dog Mortimer.
Chances are, they’re after a bit of normalcy. Having said that, don’t be scared to talk to them about cancer, if that’s what they want. Go wig shopping with them. Walk with them. Shop with them. Just be you! But make sure you show up. Don’t disappear when they need you the most. Is there anything that we shouldn’t do? Don’t make it about you. Don’t be offended if they need some time out. Don’t hold a grudge if they make a bad decision or say or do the wrong thing. This is probably the first time they’ve ‘done’ cancer too, and they are trying to navigate their way through the best that they can.
I also try to feed my brain. Breakfast is super important to me, it sets me up to do the right thing all day long. And, I write! What do you wish our society knew about mental wellbeing? I wish our society knew the vital importance of prioritising and caring for our mental wellbeing in the same way we often care for our physical wellbeing.
Don’t avoid them because you didn’t know what to
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I wish that we were better at putting ourselves first, so that we are able to be as well as possible in order to then care for those around us. We are programmed to think that is selfish, but as Ashley Judd says, “Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s selfesteem.” It would be wonderful if we could all understand that our mental wellbeing needs attention – it won’t simply look after itself. We need to ‘service’ it, just as we do with our cars. It’s not a sign of weakness to need to sometimes access professional help, or help in general, in the name of maintaining and improving our mental wellbeing. A society that regularly accesses mental health support in the name of prevention as opposed to cure, would be amazing. We seem to be entering an incredible time where we as a society are beginning to recognise that busyness and stress are not badges of honour. People are beginning to embrace mindful endeavours and to prioritise self-care as a way of life, not as a mere catchphrase. We are still miles behind other cultures, but at least we seem to be heading in the right direction. Anything else you’d like to add? I’ve been told by many cancer survivors that they wish they’d had a book like A Hole in My Genes forty years
ago, when they were going through treatment. It isn’t just a book about cancer though. It’s a book about facing adversity and building an arsenal of coping tools to get through it. I hope that it becomes a useful, motivating tool for anyone facing any number of life’s hiccups. Dr Jodie Fleming, a clinical & health psychologist, is an avid, curious and open observer of human behaviour.
You can find Jodie at; https://thepsychologyofit.com.au Facebook: @thepsychologyofit Instagram: @the_psychology_of_it Twitter: @psychologyofit ‘A Hole in my Genes’ will give hope, insight and validation to patients, survivors, loved ones and professionals. You can buy a print or eBook copy of A Hole in My Genes on Amazon, Smashwords, The Mosh Shop and other online bookstores.
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Information and Support Services: Australia
• Breast Cancer Network Australia: 1800 500 258 or www.bcna.org.au • Cancer Council: 13 11 20 or www.cancer.org.au • Cancer Australia: www.canceraustralia.gov.au • Carer Gateway: 1800 422 737 or www.carergateway.gov.au/cancer • Family Relationship Advice Line: 1800 050 321 or www.familyrelationships.gov.au
New Zealand
• Cancer Society: 0800 226 237 or www.auckland-northland.cancernz.org.nz • Breast Cancer Foundation NZ: 0880 226 8773 or www.breastcancerfoundation.org.nz • Breast Cancer Family Support: www.breastcancer.org.nz/content/ Support/Family-Support • Strengthening Families: www.strengtheningfamilies.govt.nz • Family Services Directory: www.familyservices.govt.nz/directory
Photo Credits: By Peta Photography www.bypeta.com
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LO R ET O
T
Pro ac t ive M en tal We ll bei ng i n Sc hools By Tasha Broomhall
here has been an increasing awareness of mental health problems over the last decade or so, including in schools.
The tradition across all Loreto schools has been to educate our young people to be “seekers of truth and doers of justice.” This comes from our founder, Mary Ward, who began an institute of religious women dedicated to be the change they wished to see in the world. Loreto Nedlands have developed a holistic approach to positive education called Blossoming – A Complete Loreto Education. Essentially, we want all our students to blossom. The Blossoming Policy outlines the work we do in developing the students to be critical, curious and creative through initiatives, including character strength work, play based education and well-being lessons across all year
Dalya Vaglio Tanet, student at Loreto Nedlands during a Wellness Morning. Photographer Louise Miller
Some schools are extending this to building skills for managing mental wellbeing proactively. These initiatives aim to increase a student’s capacity to understand their own, and others, mental health and to develop the skills to foster this positively. We have spent some time over the last year learning about the research-based initiatives at Loreto Primary School. This interview with their Principal Therese Hussey may give you ideas you can incorporate at school or at home.
What does the mental wellbeing program consist of?
Why has the school prioritised mental wellbeing?
Student well-being and positive education initiatives have become part of the landscape for schools in recent years. The complexities of educating our children to navigate the uncertainties of a future workforce and to be the change that they would like to see in their communities and the world, has challenged us to structure our approach toward student well-being and positive education. Mental wellbeing has become a whole school priority as we work with staff, parents and the wider community to build the skills our students require to be resilient, creative and collaborative human beings in an often challenging and uncertain world. We recognise that children require explicit teaching of positive mindsets and character strengths in order to have effective and meaningful strategies to manage their mental health, now and into the future.
levels. We want our students to identify character strengths they can draw on and to have the ability to develop those strengths that may be more challenging for them. We are fortunate to have a dedicated Wellbeing Coordinator, Andrew Boxsell, who teaches specific wellbeing lessons to all classes each week. Mr Boxsell provides ongoing professional learning to staff, and works with small groups of parents throughout the term to assist them in developing positive mental health initiatives at home within the family. We have built Wellness Mornings into each term, whereby the students participate in whole school wellness activities with senior staff, whilst the staff also have some wellness time once each term.
What is the program aiming to achieve? As the character strengths are introduced, we hear the students using words such as kind, brave, generous, persevere and team, as they draw on their skills to solve problems. This is developing resiliency and a change of
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thinking from “I can’t do this” to, “I wonder how I could solve this.” The Blossoming Policy is beginning to inform all aspects of the education we provide at Loreto.
invested when they can be involved in professional learning conversations and our lesson is that this needs to be ongoing in order to be successfully sustained.
Are you seeing any results to date?
What do you believe other schools can learn from your experience?
Over the past twelve months we have seen a shift in how our students reflect on their behaviour and interactions with others at school. We have focused on one-character strength over a two-week period. The students learn about the character strength in a detailed explicit lesson with the Wellbeing Coordinator. Then, with their teachers throughout the week, the students look for ways they can implement the character strength in their everyday lives. We find the students are becoming far more reflective in setting personal learning goals. They are keen to use bravery, for example, to push themselves to achieve success out of their normal comfort zone. They refer to prudence when reflecting on their decision making when interacting with others in the playground. “Zest” has become cool. The students and staff congratulate each other on their use of zest when enthusiasm and vitality is displayed with all aspects of learning. Parents are beginning to have similar conversations with their children as they build on their strengths together with the school.
What are the lessons you’ve learnt so far in implementing this program?
It is essential that all staff are invested in the program and have a desire for the change of thinking that such a policy requires. Staff modelling of positive mindsets and staff confidence in referring to character strengths through all aspects of their day, both in class and in the playground, is essential in developing a shift in thinking, beyond the traditional structures of a school environment. Creating an environment whereby all students can blossom must involve all those who work in the school. Blossoming words, staff quotes, and photographs always need to be visible around the school. Positive mental health must be front of mind in all decision making. It needs to involve all staff and be informed by research and best practice examples. Staff are
Whilst awareness of mental health and the importance of positive mental health outcomes for students has improved in recent years, we realised early on that in order to have a successful positive mental health program we need to develop a policy that is unique to our context and our students. Having a dedicated Wellbeing Coordinator passionate about mental health has made all the difference to our success. Another significant aspect is our success has been that we moved very slowly. We were courageous enough to try a few things in the first year. We had a smorgasbord approach and, from there, with additional professional conversations and exposure to mental health symposiums and conferences, the staff, under the direction of the Wellbeing Coordinator, were able to tailor a policy unique to our context.
Any other information you would like to share?
The Loreto Nedlands Blossoming Policy informs and guides our decision making around teaching and learning. The Wellbeing Coordinator attends all Curriculum Team Meetings at Loreto to ensure that positive mental health is at the fore of curriculum decisions and curriculum planning in all learning areas. Traditional school rules have now become obsolete at Loreto Nedlands. Whilst students require boundaries around behaviour, we have successfully revised the concept of rules into Loreto Nedlands Expectations. The four expectations that have been developed are expectations relevant to students, staff and the entire Loreto community. Expectations around respect, using your strengths and challenging yourself to achieve beyond your expectations are beginning to change the culture at Loreto Nedlands to one whereby all who participate in our community can blossom.
Therese Hussey Principal Loreto Nedlands. Therese is passionate about student wellbeing and believes that all students can achieve their best in an environment that nurtures by providing opportunities for challenge, creativity and innovation. Loreto Nedlands is a coeducational Independent Catholic Primary School situated in Nedlands, Western Australia.
Photo courtesy of Catholic Education Western Australia.
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CYCLING without age By Tasha Broomhall
P
eople who have a good support network feel confident and that confidence can help them to cope better. Studies have demonstrated that social support is the highest predictor of happiness during periods of high stress1.
Interestingly, studies also show that while the support a person receives is important, the support they provide to others is an even more important factor in sustained happiness and engagements1. Psychologists from Maslow to Baumeister have repeatedly stressed that a sense of social connection is one of our fundamental human needs. If social connection is so important for many of us, what happens if we don’t have this? What are the risks of social isolation? 2, 3, 4 Cardiovascular Disease Hypertension Depression Anxiety Dysphoria Cognitive Decline Obesity Diabetes Type 2 Mellitus There are many factors that contribute to social isolation and disconnection, including restricted mobility through aging, illness and disability. One initiative that aims to reduce social isolation for people with restricted mobility is the Cycling Without Age movement (CWA). Alanagh Godderidge coordinates the Sorrento Trishaw in Perth as part of CWA. We interviewed Alanagh to find out more about how they are improving social connection, helping less mobile people engage with nature.
What is the Cycling Without Age movement? The movement is a grass roots initiative that is now in 40 countries around the world. Our community is built on the backs of volunteers who offer fee-free rides to promote inclusivity and the sharing of stories, whilst positively impacting social isolation. We value cycling slowly, not necessarily for safety, but to keep our seniors connected, helping them to stay relevant in their local communities. We are happy to stop to talk to passers-by, pat their dog, or stop for a coffee. What motivated you to start the Sorrento Trishaw? I needed to stay home and look after a family member, who was dealing with a long-term illness. Being somewhat removed from the day to day goings on outside of the home, I decided I needed to contribute in a different way. I saw a YouTube video of a young man taking a couple of senior ladies out for a ride. I was immediately filled with a sense of purpose, knowing that I too could provide a service such as this, in my local area. Hence the Sorrento Trishaw was born. Though it wasn’t as easy as this of course. I learnt to wear a lot of hats in a short time. I met with different levels of government, their agencies, insurance companies, local businesses and learnt a lot about fundraising and networking. I was fortunate to meet a local lady who self-funds a local charity, who bought the Trishaw. I then noticed Cycling Without Age and piggy backed from their lead. There are now four Trishaws in Perth and another 30 on the East Coast. In Perth we have become leaders in collaboration, moving the way for the rest of the country. Out of necessity CWAA Inc was started last year. 14
Our aim is to have more Trishaws in Western Australia, enabling more rides for our seniors and those lesser abled. I have every belief that I too will be old one day. I believe more Trishaws will be out about when it is my turn to be a passenger!
What have you learnt running the Sorrento Trishaw? Our seniors don’t always have a voice and aren’t always heard. Everyone has a story. I have been privileged to have listened to great stories on our rides. Especially from locals who have lived in Sorrento since the suburb’s infancy. I have learnt that I live in a very rich community, filled with people who want to contribute and make a difference. The Sorrento Trishaw has 20 volunteers, all of whom thoroughly enjoy participating.
people like this that empower our communities, making us stronger and more empathetic. An idea is only that, until communities and businesses come on board to support. For this I am grateful. This year the Sorrento Trishaw is more streamlined in its workings. We hope to have a booking system and a more sustainable management system in place. The interest is strong, we just need to harness it and develop. Saying that we have come a long way in 18 months. We are all very passionate in what we do. It’s a privilege to be involved and play a part. Want to get involved or start a Trishaw in your area? Please email alanagh@cyclingwithoutage.org.au Anyone wanting a ride on the Sorrento Trishaw, please visit the FB page Cycling Without Age Sorrento Trishaw and send Alanagh a message.
How do people get involved? There are lots of jobs and talents required to keep our wheels turning. Our Trishaws wouldn’t be out and about if it wasn’t for our volunteer pilots (riders). We have people who regularly clean and maintain the Trishaw. Business consultants, grant writers, contacts in aged care and not for profits all help us gain momentum.
“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.” Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence
1.
What are your plans for 2019? I think I was somewhat naïve at the costs it takes to develop a program, though I have been fortunate to have had the backing of family, friends and local businesses. This year I was fortunate to be approached by Blooming Minds, offering to sponsor the Trishaw for this year. It’s
2. 3. 4.
Achor, S. (2012). Positive Intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 90(1/2), 100–102. Xia, N., & Li, H. (2018). Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Cardiovascular Health. Antioxidants & redox signalling, 28(9), 837-851. Bhatti, A. B., & Haq, A. U. (2017). The Pathophysiology of Perceived Social Isolation: Effects on Health and Mortality. Cureus, 9(1), e994. doi:10.7759/ cureus.994 Brinkhues, S., Dukers-Muijrers et al., (2017). Socially isolated individuals are more prone to have newly diagnosed and prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus - the Maastricht study. BMC public health, 17(1), 955. doi:10.1186/s12889017-4948-6
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Want to Bloom in 2019? A By Tasha Broomhall
re you back into the daily routines of work and home? Many of us took some time off work over the summer and hopefully you managed to disconnect from any work pressures and truly enjoy connection and even some fun.
Some research suggests that the peak happiness benefit we receive from taking holidays is between the day 5 and day 11 of our leave1. After one month back at work, most of (if not all) positive effects of a holiday have faded to the same state we were in before. Yet, so many of us hang out for the holidays to reset our mental wellbeing, to catch up on sleep, to cram in positive experiences. It’s as if we trudge through the year doing all the roles we need to do and promise ourselves it’ll all be made better as soon as we can just take another break. Does this sound like you? How about if this year, you consciously take steps to keep positively connected, energised and enjoying yourself all year long? There are many different models and ideas for how you can enhance your mental wellbeing. The following five simple steps may assist you in this process.
STEP 1 – CHECK YOURSELF OUT
Start with this simple exercise. Read through the instructions first, then pause, close your eyes, and do the exercise. Imagine a string stretching across the room that you are in. On the left-hand side of the room is the space where you would be struggling emotionally, not doing well, feeling overwhelmed, emotionally distressed, and often not well connected with others. Over on the right-hand side of the room is where you would be thriving and buoyant, emotionally resilient, able to deal with the daily pressures of life, able to experience and manage your emotions very well, able to fulfil the roles that you have chosen, and be well connected with others. Still with your eyes closed, I want you to imagine where you currently sit on that continuum. Are you down on the left-hand side? Struggling? Maybe masking it beautifully, but inside you recognise that
you are not travelling well? Life has become a chore and you are feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, hollow and distressed a lot of the time. Or, are you on the right-hand side? You’re feeling fabulous. You’re strong, optimistic, resourceful, and able to deal with whatever comes your way with confidence. You’re feeling connected and buoyant! Just imagine where you are. Does anyone else know where you’re sitting? Do you know where they’re sitting? Maybe not – because sometimes we mask so well. Sometimes it feels as though our jobs, our relationships, and our sense of self, rely on the masking. Sometimes it’s just no one else’s business – and that’s ok. It doesn’t have to be that we wear our current mental state on our sleeve for everyone else to know. However, it is important for us to reflect on our mental health and wellbeing for ourselves. The intention is not to diagnose the human condition; not every challenging emotion is a sign of mental disorder. It is natural to be happy at times; and to be sad at times, even to feel totally overwhelmed at times - it’s normal to have fluctuations in our emotions. We don’t want to be trying to diagnose ourselves, or others, but we do want to notice if we are experiencing these emotions in a way that is ongoing and impacting negatively on our wellbeing or functioning. Take the time to stop, reflect on where you’re at and how you’re going. Now close your eyes and do the exercise for yourself.
STEP 2 – GET RESOURCED
When I talk about being blooming and buoyant, I am not talking about eradicating all stress in your life. That is never going to happen. It’s how quickly we bounce back from that unwell or challenging side of things that is important. If you feel that you have been on the unwell side of the continuum for a few weeks, I encourage you to talk to your GP or mental health professional. If you’re not recalibrating within a couple of weeks, it’s important to seek professional advice. Left unchecked, times of distress and challenge can, for
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some people, develop into experiences such as anxiety and depression. Stress management strategies, such as yoga or meditation classes, can really help some people; for some its going to a support group. For others it is time in nature and developing a mindset of gratitude. Whatever it is for you, connect with resources that can support you. You don’t have to go through it alone. Get some help. Resource yourself with the skills and utilise professional assistance to look after your mental health and to deal with any problems that may arise.
my gorgeous Psychology professor, Alex Main sometimes asks me: “Tasha are you a human being or a human doing?” So, I love this concept of committing to doing 4 positive nurturing things for your mental health each week. Have you done 4 positive nurturing things for yourself in the last week? What about for someone else? You might have done 4 things for someone else in the last day! If 4 positive nurturing things for yourself each week seems impossible, then just start with 1.
STEP 3 – GET BALANCED
How do you start this process of developing your buoyancy and your mental wellbeing? Firstly, you need to wake up! You need to make conscious decisions and take deliberate actions to create the life that you want. We often don’t stop to reflect on how we’re going in terms of our broad life goals – besides New Year’s and our birthday! For the rest of the year we tend to fall into patterns of unconscious behaviour that may not actually be serving our goals. Don’t wait until you’re struggling emotionally, or not coping with stress, to look at your mental health. Be proactive, stay conscious, and reflect ongoing. You can make the changes to look after yourself that may be needed. Choose a day each month to reflect on how you’re going and what you’re doing. Are you living your values? Where do you sit on the continuum, from not feeling well at all through to being brilliantly buoyant! Put that day on auto repeat on your calendar or write it in your diary. Every month, as you stop on that day and reflect, congratulate yourself for what you’re doing well and plan what changes you need to make in areas that you’re struggling.
What are your most important values in life? Do you live consciously by these? Think back over the last three months, were you living in line with these values? Some value their family relationships the most, but the reality often is that we can’t spend 24 hours of our day in these relationships. How do you prioritise family time outside of your other responsibilities? What if you value community service the most? You might want to help support charities, yet you spend a lot of time talking about it but never doing it. Or, maybe you strongly value being positive and kind but you are so overwhelmed with work that you find yourself being snappy and judgemental of others. What caused you to stop living in the way that is most important to you? What can you do to keep your values front of mind and in focus? One way to focus is to proactively use a journal to help you define your values and decide how you will intentionally live aligned with them.
STEP 4 – FIND 4
A colleague told me about research which advocates we do 4 positive nurturing things for ourselves each week to support optimal mental health. I love this idea. It seems like a fabulous antidote to the Groundhog Day existence that so many people experience. You might find yourself with your head down passionately working towards goals, championing causes, being with your family and helping others. It’s easy to get so caught up in these things that you forget to also look after yourself. I know. I’m working on breaking that pattern myself! I meet many people who live like this – doing their job, doing family chores, doing-doing-doing. But, as
STEP 5 – WAKE UP!
Edited extract from BLOOM! Mental Health & Wellbeing ©
de Bloom, J., Geurts, S. A., & Kompier, M. A. (2012). Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well‐being. Stress and Health, 28(4), 305-318. Westman, M., & Eden, D. (1997). Effects of a respite from work on burnout: vacation relief and fade-out. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(4), 516.
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STRESS &
anxiety
By Tasha Broomhall
A
nxiety is common and can be distressing at times. But, it isn’t always bad. Anxiety can actually help you to perform when under pressure (e.g. meeting a deadline or needing to react quickly in a dangerous situation), but at other times, it can be debilitating. It is common that we will each experience varying degrees of anxiety as part of our lives. However, for some people, situational anxiety (often referred to as stress, tension, worry, angst, etc.) can become a more regular and distressing experience. Statistics show that 14% of Australian adults will experience an anxiety disorder every year, or 25% of us during our lifetime1. However, only around a third of those people receive professional help.
The following symptoms make up part of the fabric of human emotions and experiences. However, if a person is experiencing a number of these ongoing, and it is distressing for them or starting to impact on their functioning, then it is worth having a chat to a GP. A trusted doctor can help you to determine any potential issues and resources for support. Symptoms of anxiety may include: • Pounding heart, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, blushing. • Rapid/shortness of breath. • Dizziness, headache, sweating, tingling and numbness. • Choking, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.
• Muscle aches and pains (especially neck, shoulders, back), restlessness, tremors and shaking. • Unrealistic or excessive fear and worry. • Mind racing or going blank. • Decreased concentration and memory. • Indecisiveness. • Irritability. • Impatience. • Anger. • Confusion. • Feeling on edge. • Nervousness. • Tiredness. • Sleep disturbances. • Vivid dreams. • Avoidance of situations. • Obsessive or compulsive behaviour. • Distress in social situations. • Phobic behaviour. • Increased use of alcohol or other drugs. There is help available. Please do not suffer through this type of excessive stress believing that it is normal or that it will pass soon. Some stress is normal. Much stress is situational and will pass when the situation resolves (for example: a big project at work, a major life change). Treatments and resources that can help for anxiety: • Relaxation training and stress management skills training.
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• Meditation and mindfulness training. • Psychological therapies (with a counsellor, or reputable online therapy sites and books). • Medication may be required to manage symptoms and enable functioning. There are a range of treatment options and some people often find that a combination (a holistic model) works really well. There will be individual differences in terms of what treatments people engage with, and what meets their individual needs and symptoms. Consult with your medical professional to determine the best course of action for you. Some ways of managing anxiety include: • Develop an advanced directive to help you consciously manage your illness and your wellbeing. • Learn short spot meditations to use throughout the day to help calm you when you are feeling tense or overwhelmed, as well as longer meditations to use daily or weekly.
• Learn relaxation or yogic breathing. • Go for a walk, or more rigorous exercise, as an in the moment stress reliever. • Write down your concerns. Try to get some perspective on them by doing some reality checking. • Spend time with a friend whose presence uplifts you. • Listen to some fabulous music. • Learn mindfulness based, stress reduction strategies. • Immerse yourself in a hobby. • Find four positive nurturing things for yourself every week. • Read books, or use websites, that are designed to help you manage your anxiety. Particularly those based on cognitive behaviour therapy. Excerpt from the book Bloom! Mental Health and Wellbeing©
RESOURCES FOR ANXIETY E-therapy (evidence based computerised therapy) MindSpot https://mindspot.org.au/ The MindSpot Clinic is a free telephone and online service for adults troubled by symptoms of anxiety or depression. They provide free Online Screening Assessments, free Treatment Courses and they can help you find local services. MoodGYM https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome MoodGYM is an innovative, interactive web program designed to prevent depression. The Training Program will help you learn cognitive behaviour therapy skills for preventing and coping with depression and consists of five modules, an interactive game, anxiety and depression assessments, downloadable relaxation audio, a workbook and feedback assessment. Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUFAD) https://crufad.org/ CRUFAD combines clinical and research expertise in depressive and anxiety disorders to create online treatment methods and give advice This Way Up www.thiswayup.org.au As a part of CRUFAD, This Way Up provides good information about self-help and online treatment courses for various disorders e-couch www.ecouch.anu.edu.au/welcome Provides information about emotional problems – what causes them, how to prevent them and how to treat them. The e-couch online program includes information, exercises and a workbook to track your progress and record your experiences, and toolkits to help you improve your mood and emotional state, and tackle challenges that you may be facing.
Photos by Ian Espinosa
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M
THE E V I S U L E E C N A L A B
Photo courtesy of Catholic Educa
Written by Kelly Ho and Tasha Broomhall
any people cite non-monetary reasons for why they love their work. When they feel engaged they have satisfactory autonomy, a sense of mastery, and are able to learn new things. However, many find work overwhelming, draining and dissatisfying. Some people feel stuck in their current roles and unable to make the changes that would help them be happier1. We generally spend a large chunk of our week at work, so optimally, we want to be positively engaged. Or at the very least we want to minimise any harm. Balancing Work with Life
• Impending deadlines and highly demanding workloads can lead to overworking with minimal rewards. Elevated stress levels and reduced resting periods can lead to burnouts.
Key features of burnout: • Emotional exhaustion. • Becoming cynical and loss of compassion. • Reduced efficiency . • Lack of a sense of achievement2.
• Unplug when you’re out of work. Don’t check emails. Block work notifications outside of work hours. Try not to let work overtake your time at home3. • Meditate to relax and help ease your mind. Even if you can only fit in a couple of minutes before/after work, before an important meeting, or during a break. • Limit procrastination to boost productivity and reduce work stress. Apps to block the usage of social media can be useful (e.g., the Forest App4) and enable you to focus. • Prioritise family and other loved ones for positive and supportive relationships5. Sometimes it is useful to set up a standing arrangement (such as every Wednesday night, or the first Sunday of the month) as a set catchup with family or friends. A schedule helps you to ensure you prioritise and keep in touch with the people that are important to you.
Strategies, such as the above, can help to increase your sense of control in situations. This can have positive benefits on your mood and how you • Finish work on time. Wherever possible cope with challenges. If strategies like these aren’t limit how many extra hours you do a week, working for you, or if you can’t manage to make especially if work hours are beginning to any positive changes, then that’s a good time to creep into consistent extra time. • Move away from your desk or usual work area. go have a chat with your Employee Assistance At lunch time either move to a lunch room, sit Provider, GP, or other mental health supports. outside, or go for a walk. A change of scenery, They can help you to make some changes that will hopefully work for you and make you feel better. and a little movement and socialisation, can help you get through a long day and come back to your tasks refreshed and ready to push on.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Blair-Loy & Cech, 2017 Work-life balance. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/work-life-balance At work. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.headsup.org.au/your-mental-health/taking-care-of-yourself-and-staying-well/at-work Livni, E. (2017). Cut your phone dependence with an app that plants trees as a reward. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1112713/urbtech-dependence-with-an-app-that-plants-trees-as-a-reward/ 5. Lee, D. (2014). 6 Tips For Better Work-Life Balance. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahlee/2014/10/20/6-tipsfor-better-work-life-balance/#3c6c20b129ff
Photos by Jeremy Thomas
What you can do to help yourself:
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WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH FOR LEADERS
ation Western Australia.
SEMINAR May h t 8 y Cit Perth h June t 0 1 e m o Bro
Increase your understanding and recognise possible symptoms of common mental illnesses, understand your roles and responsibilities as an employer and get strategies to approach employees and make workplace adjustments
Who should attend this seminar? People who manage, supervise or lead others, HR, OSH, WHS, People & Culture
There is a lot of talk about workplace mental health, but do you want specific strategies to implement and frameworks to follow to develop your organisation’s positive mental health culture? This practical interactive seminar will help you achieve this.
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ONLY
%
managers have an OF
understanding of
MENTAL ILLNESS
BLOOMING MINDS PROVIDES GROUP TRAINING AND INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO ASSIST ORGANISATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THEIR WORKPLACE AND TO MINIMISE THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF EMPLOYEE STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
bloomingminds.com.au
21
How Many Shades of
GREEN? By Tasha Broomhall
D
o you have people in your life that you choose not to share your joys with because they cut you down when you do?
You know, the person who when you tell them about how fabulously your new relationship is going, they remind you that this is what you said about the last guy you dated. Or, you tell them about an exciting holiday that you are planning, and they respond with “well it’s alright for some I guess!” Sometimes it’s the friend who you know will support you beautifully in any misery that you want to share, but if it’s good news you’re dispensing then they don’t want to hear it. Rather than be happy for you they poke holes in your joy by reminding you of past failures, by pointing out possible risks that you’re not focussing on, or by turning the conversation around to talk about their own dramas or achievements (both of which serve to get the positive attention away from your happiness). Or, is it you that dances with the green-eyed monster? Do you find yourself reacting with jealousy when a friend shares with you news of their promotion, or a story about a great compliment that they were paid? When you see your friend drive up in a new car, the sort you would love to have, do you react by telling them how impractical it is? Sometimes our positive experiences, our bravery to try new things, the chances that we will take, evoke a real discomfort in people who may not be happy with where they are themselves. Think about it. If you are happy with your life,
do you feel challenged and distressed by other’s successes? Or, do you feel happy for them? There seems to be a basic sense of scarcity that guides jealousy. Someone might feel that there are limited resources and that it’s a fight to see who comes out on top. Some may genuinely believe that there is never enough in their life. Never enough toys. Never enough money. Never enough holidays. Never enough attention. Never enough love. Often this scarcity mentality is also reflected in how they feel about themselves – as though they are never enough. If you notice these patterns in yourself, each time you recognise you are reacting with jealousy, pause, take a deep breath, and change your perspective. Acknowledge to yourself that you are feeling jealous and acknowledge the futility of this. Jealousy isn’t a positive driver for improving your circumstances in life. Instead, when you feel jealous, stop and take stock of what you are currently grateful for. Acknowledge that you too can attract the things in life that you desire and, if you wish to, determine a plan for how to achieve it. If you are not motivated enough to make a plan and take action, then simply acknowledge that it’s something that you would like but that you don’t feel you can, or will, achieve. Leave the negative energy there. Don’t keep carrying it with you and let it poison your relationships and your view of the world. Edited extract from the book Bloom! Mental health and wellbeing ©
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“
Unknown
Photo by Dominik Jirovsky
“
Envy is an illusion. When something good happens to someone else it takes nothing away from you.
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Mental Dexterity and the other F word
M
By Tasha Broomhall
W
ental Dexterity is about being flexible in your thinking and actions, and about understanding the control and influence you have on your thoughts and reactions. How can you develop flexible thinking?
You are probably familiar with the fight or flight reaction that we can have in times of stress. Often people can recognise occasions when they have reacted to a situation in this way. Yet, this initial reaction may not be the most helpful in the long term. We might say, or do, something in the heat of the moment that we later regret. Can you think of a situation recently where you have done this? Well, there is an alternative. The other “F” word can be helpful in enabling us to be more flexible and considered in our reactions. That “F” word is Freeze. Catch yourself as you feel the stress rising inside. It may be a tightness in the jaw. It may be the clenching of your fists. You may feel like crying, running away, or want to punch or hurl abuse at someone… know your signs. When you notice them happening, freeze and take a deep breath.
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
2. Take a second, deep breath in. Again, fill your lungs. Then exhale with a long sigh and a yawn, releasing any tension in your face as you go. 3. Fill your lungs with a third, deep breath. Exhale with a long sigh, releasing any remaining tension that you may have. Even a tiny pause can give your brain just enough wiggle room for common sense to prevail. However, sometimes we need a bit more of a strategy to create this Freeze moment for ourselves. Have you ever had the experience of being in an argument with someone, and ten minutes later, you have the perfect comeback? Think about the last time you were in a verbal stoush with someone. Think back to the conversation. At what point could you have built in your Freeze? When did you start to notice that you were simply reacting to the other person? What are some things you could do, or say, that might have helped buy you some time to handle things better? If I am bamboozled by what a person has said, or done, and I don’t know how to respond, or, if a person puts me on the spot and asks me to do something, or commit to something that I’m not sure I want to, I might say something like: • “Can I think about that for a while and get back to you?” • “That’s a different perspective for sure.” Can help if you are wanting to close the conversation. • “I can see that this is important to you. I will get back to you once I’ve had some time to think.”
Try it. See if by buying yourself some time you can “It’s as though my body was automatically slow down your reactions and gain some perspective. This might allow you to make a decision about how preparing for the pressures of than the day.in a you want to respond, rather just reacting fight or flight manner. Like it was tensing in preparation for the 1. Take a deep breath in. Fill your lungs. Then, Edited extract from the book Bloom! Mental health and exhale with a long sigh, releasing any tension as daily To Do List© test...” wellbeing you breathe out.
A simple way to Freeze is to learn some spot breathing techniques. Eric Harrison of the Perth Meditation Centre teaches a technique called Three Breaths. It is so simple that you can do it anywhere:
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Start A Bloom Group By Tasha Broomhall
A monthly catch-up with likeminded friends who each wish to positively influence their mental health and wellbeing
D
o you want to increase your mental health and wellbeing? If so, connect with others who wish to achieve the same and support each other to BLOOM! Being part of a group can help you to each maintain focus on your personal goals, and can provide positive energy and encouragement for those times that you feel stuck. Positive psychology research by practitioners such as Martin Seligman and Shawn Achor indicates that we can influence our happiness and emotional wellbeing through simple acts of choosing to align our thoughts, emotions and actions, and through positive intention. People who have a good support network feel confident and studies have shown that social support is the highest predictor of happiness during times of stress1 . The support a person receives is important, but the support they provide to others is an even more important factor in sustained happiness and engagement1 . Through your Bloom Group, you can treasure and prioritise those who sustain you, and provide support to others where you can.
The Bloom Groups are based on the A Year to Bloom personal wellbeing journal. This journal is designed to give you practical ideas and guidance to enhance your wellbeing through two strategies. Firstly, imagine if this year you could enjoy at least 4 intentionally positive and nurturing things each week. That means doing something nice for yourself every second day. This is more than most of us do each week (and you probably do something intentionally positive for someone else every day!). So, take the challenge and commit to engaging in 4 intentionally positive and nourishing things for yourself every week. Start today! Secondly, consider the weekly theme in the journal, and where each idea may fit in to your life. Each week’s theme provides ideas, questions, or tasks designed to focus your attention on different areas of your life, your influence on others, and your wellbeing. Commit to completing each week’s tasks and detailing your journey in the journal’s pages.
To access BLOOM Group resources email us.
1. Achor, S. (2012). Positive Intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 90(1/2), 100–102.
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WHAT’S YOUR GAME PLAN?
O
- Looking after Yourself By Julie Meek
n the first day of every year it is unbelievably tempting to lay down the New Year resolutions isn’t it? It is the very first question asked by EVERYONE you bump into at the beginning of the New Year and there is always unspoken pressure to come up with a list that is unusual, different and a cut above the rest. Isn’t it curious that despite declaring grand plans for oneself, usually related to physical shape, size and wellbeing, beyond February no one bothers to mention said resolutions again? The reason is simple, by the second month of the year they are often a mere memory as very few people carry out and maintain their stated resolutions. Have you ever considered that the resolutions and plans that you make at the beginning of the year (or any time) can actually form the structure of your personal game plan? A national survey across the US recently discovered some interesting stuff. They found that among those people who have made resolutions in the past at any time of the year, nine out of ten of them have made health-related goals. These goals included losing weight, eating less junk food and consuming fewer calories. But when it comes to making these resolutions work, 88% of the people surveyed indicated that they had failed with more than two thirds calling it quits within three months or less. According to Mark Murphy, author of Hard Goals: The Secret of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, people set goals all the time despite the fact that so many never end up getting carried out in any significant way. Many of us are aware of conventional wisdom that tells us goal setting should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time limited).
However, Murphy says that the key factor in sticking with resolutions isn't that the goals aren't clear or measurable, it’s that people don't care enough about them. He does have a point when you consider that so many of our New Year resolutions are connected to our eating and exercise habits, yet, so few of us actually implement the desired changes on a monotonously annual basis. Goals need to be HARD (heartfelt, animated, required and difficult) to be successful. A great example of this is aiming to quit smoking because you know you should, as opposed to quitting because it means you will be able to play with your kids and watch them grow up. It’s all about having emotional skin in the game. My Top 3 Tips for looking after yourself with a Game Plan in 2019: 1. Map Out Your Path – what are your goals, what do they look like and how will you get there? 2. Buddy Up – having a friend to walk with or meet on early mornings or just someone to chat with when you need inspiration is definitely a secret weapon to success 3. Be a Scribe – write things down and keep a diary or journal detailing your journey, it makes you accountable too.
A nutritionist and dietitian, Julie Meek is one of the most respected sports dietitians in Australia with over 15 years’ experience in public, sports and corporate nutrition. www.juliemeek.com.au
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BAKED BEANS By Julie Meek
INGREDIENTS Spray olive oil 200g middle rasher lean bacon 1 medium brown onion, chopped 2 tsp tomato paste 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup ½ cup chicken stock 400g tinned tomatoes 400g butter or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 4 slices ciabatta loaf to serve
NUTRITIONAL FACTS
(Per Serve) Calories Fat Carbohydrates Protein Calcium
354 7.6g 40.5g 25.8g 6.9mg
DIRECTIONS Heat pan, add chopped bacon and cook for 5 minutes Add onion and cook for 2 minutes until browned Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2 minutes Add the sugar, maple syrup, stock and tomatoes and cook for 5-8 minutes or until slightly thickened Add the beans and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until heated through Serve with a slice of bread
Mini Chocolate Muffins By Julie Meek
INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS ¾ cup self-raising flour Sift together flour, baking ½ tsp baking powder powder and cocoa powder ½ cup cocoa powder into a bowl. Add sugar, 1 cup caster sugar yoghurt, eggs, vanilla ½ cup low fat vanilla yoghurt essence and oil and mix to 2 eggs combine. Spoon batter into 1 tsp vanilla essence non-stick mini muffin trays 1½ tbsp vegetable oil and bake for 15 minutes. They should be slightly soft to touch. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container within 5-10 minutes for very moist muffins. Photos courtesy of Julie Meek
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Your Mental Health
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By Tasha Broomhall
eople who are very responsive and compassionate about supporting the needs of others, might not always take as good care of their own needs. Providing intense support to another can have an invisible impact on us. If you think that you may need some help setting appropriate boundaries around those you are supporting, or if you think you could be developing mental health issues or clinical mental illness yourself, then seek support. A great place to start is to find a GP who you feel comfortable talking with about your mental health issues. Call your medical practice and ask the receptionist to recommend a doctor who is up-to-date, and helpful, with mental health issues. The receptionist will usually have a good idea of who in the practice fits this bill and will happily give you this information. Book a double appointment with the GP to talk about your concerns. If you are feeling nervous you can take a trusted friend or family member with you. Alternatively write
a list before you go. Detail your concerns so that if you feel overwhelmed you can pass the list to the doctor to read instead. The GP will do an assessment to determine a treatment plan with you. This may include referral to a psychologist or another allied health professional, medication or other medical treatments, lifestyle changes, and/or other complimentary therapies. There are many different treatment options, but remember mental illness is not a one size fits all experience. It is individual. Your treatment plan should also be individual. If you feel the need, seek a second opinion and look at what options suit you best. The important thing is to get some help. Explore your options and take your mental health seriously. Edited extract from the book Bloom! Mental Health and Wellbeing Š
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TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AT WORK…
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What to do Next By Tasha Broomhall
f an employee discloses that they have been diagnosed with mental health issues, do not assume that you know what that means for them. Even if you have experienced the same illness yourself, it does not mean that you will understand what it means for them. It is important to respectfully ask them about their experience. This is important so that you can determine, with them, how it may be relevant in your workplace, and ascertain any adjustments, or supports, that may be required. You could say something like: “I understand a little bit about what depression/anxiety/schizophrenia/ bipolar means for some people. Can you tell me what it means for you?” Then, genuinely listen to them. If an employee opens-up and talks to you about their mental health issues, your goal shouldn’t be to counsel them or offer advice. Generally, if it were that simple to resolve their issues, they would have worked it out by themselves. Your goal needs to be to connect with them, show compassion and empathy, and guide them toward support. Asking the employee the following questions may help you with this: • “Does anyone else know how you are feeling?” • “Are you currently getting any support or help with this?” • “Have you thought of what might be helpful for you?” • “Is there anything that you can think of that I can do to help?” Sometimes we will have concerns about an employee and they will not disclose any mental health issues. In this case, if you have concerns related to their personal wellbeing: • Advise that you are available in the future should they wish to talk. • If you are concerned about their wellbeing and safety, contact HR, the EAP/Managers Assist Helpline, or follow your organisation’s Mental Health Emergency Response procedure as
required. If the employee has not disclosed anything, but you have concerns related to work performance: • Discuss your concerns with them. Give them time to think about what you have raised. Then reconvene after a break. • Give them the option of having a support person with you in the meeting. • Seek support from HR or the EAP/Managers Assist Helpline (provided as part of some EAP services) if you are still not sure how to proceed. • Address each of the performance issues in line with HR advice. Your role is to engage with the employee, support them to make reasonable adjustments within the workplace, and to seek other supports as necessary. Your role is not to provide all of that support yourself. You need to confidently set clear boundaries around the support you can provide. Then, encourage them to seek help from internal services, and external supports, as required. If you provide the names and contact details of these other services, the employee is more likely to engage with them. Do so with confidence. For example, if you have your EAP’s number in your mobile phone, you can very easily provide that to the employee. By having the number ready in this way, it can serve to validate the EAP as a valuable service in the employee’s mind. At any point in this process, seek support from your Human Resources, Safety or Employee Assistance provider for guidance. If at any point you have concerns about an employee’s immediate safety, or risk of suicide, then you need to seek urgent crisis support. Edited extract from the book Bloom at Work! A Mental Health Guide for Leaders © Watch a short video about how to have these conversations
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MENTAL FLOSS-
Calming your Body and Mind
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By Tasha Broomhall
editation uses a variety of techniques to help you quickly calm your body and mind. This can be done through a short spot meditation such as pausing and taking a few breaths. You could pause and practice focussing your attentionfor a minute.Or engage in a meditation which may last 20 minutes, an hour, or longer.
You can meditate sitting, standing, laying down, moving, or staying still. Explore various types of meditation to get a feel for what you get the most benefit from. Once you have chosen the position, it is a process of calming both your breathing and your mind to help you to disengage from the usual mental chatter that we experience. Using visualisation techniques, focus on your breath, on body sensations. These can be processes you guide yourself through, or that someone else leads (either in person or through a recording). People use meditation for different reasons. However, many people find meditation is a great tool to help them relax, regulate emotions, and be more mindful and purposeful in their day. I once heard it described as dental floss for the brain. This resonates with me because, through meditation, I clear out some of the waste and gunk that clogs my mind, restoring a sense of clarity. The primary aim of relaxation based meditation is to focus on your body sensations while relaxing muscle tone and stress. This can be fabulous. Especially if you experience muscle tension leading to pain or sleep disturbance. Relaxation does not require your mind to do anything. Although, you may become so relaxed that your mind naturally calms. You may even become sleepy. Meditation is a way of relaxing both the body and focussing the mind. As well as releasing muscle tension in the body, meditation specifically works on releasing attachment to our mental processes so that we can truly relax wholly.
Mindfulness is a term used very broadly in today’s vernacular. It is generally used to refer to a state of awareness or alertness. Awareness of your emotions, your body, your thoughts, your words, your actions. The general goal of mindfulness is to get people to switch off their auto-pilot and to engage fully and presently in what they are doing / who they are with / what they are eating / what they are saying. Mindfulness is about attention to the moment, rather than rehashing the past, or rehearsing the future. You may see results very quickly through a simple three sigh spot meditation that can help to calm and relax you in the moment. Like with many activities, the more you practice and learn what types of meditation suits you best, the more you integrate it into your life, the more benefits you are likely to experience. Many people claim that they can’t meditate because their mind is too busy. However, a racing mind is a great reason to learn to meditate. You don’t have to stop the racing thoughts. Rather, you learn techniques and build skills to be able to notice the racing thoughts without being as engaged with them. The idea is to have more capacity to observe your mental processes, rather than be driven by them. Meditation can be done anytime or anywhere. Cognitive research suggests that it’s one of the best things you can do for your mental health and wellbeing!2 There are some people who relish longer meditations, meditating for twenty-minute (or more) sessions every day. However, you don’t have to do that if you prefer to do smaller meditations. Sit for a few minutes and let your mind wander naturally; take a deep breath and sigh out when moving from one activity to the next; use deep and deliberate breathing every
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time you get a red light while driving your car; use the time in an elevator to be still and focus on the buttons lighting up as the elevator moves through the floors. The trick is to work at not engaging with any thoughts that may be wafting through your mind.
It’s not dental floss, in this case, it’s mental floss. It’s as good at cleaning out the mess in your brain as dental floss is at preventing cavity and decay for your teeth.
Develop your capacity to be still, to be mindful, to not be dragged mentally through the day. Instead, choose where you put your attention. Give your brain some attention breaks.
Edited extract from the book Bloom! Mental Health and Wellbeing ©
Download our free meditations here
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Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better, it’s about befriending who we are.
“
Ani Pema Chodron
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M
need a friend? By Tasha Broomhall
any of us recognise the importance of social relationships for ourselves and others. A sense of connection and belonging can be both stabilising and supportive. Yet, making friends as an adult isn’t always as easy as we might hope. Our often-busy lives can sometimes lead people to feeling socially isolated. Not working, moving to a new location, the loss of relationships, and other life changes, can all lead to people feeling disconnected from those around them. Some of us are more naturally reserved and find the idea of going somewhere new, meeting new people, overwhelming. If you are feeling isolated and want to find a way to increase connections in a positive environment, the Befriend Social Network may be just what you need. The vulnerability of meeting new people can be soothed somewhat when you know you are stepping into a
deliberately designed positive social network. They have groups that meet around various topics such as sewing, music, walking, writing‌ the list goes on. Through Befriend you can connect with people across Perth. With a range of areas of interest being explored, you might find something that suits you perfectly. Befriends mission is to help people from all backgrounds to create meaningful connections and grow inclusive communities where everyone is valued and belong. With aspirations to create a more inclusive, connected world, they partnered up with social event coordinators from all over Perth. Since 2010, Befriend has supported the running of social groups that welcome all adults. You’ll be warmly welcomed by their Hosts who always have a friendly smile for newcomers. This is the place to find friends and connect with others in your area who are looking to meet new people.
You can find out more about the Befriend Social Network at: www.befriend.org.au Befriend hosts a large variety of events that are perfect for everyone; so, join in!
Photo by Kevin Delvecchio
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events
FEBRUARY Sunset Walk at Burns Beach Every Sunday 5:45PM Burns Beach Café, 35 Ocean Parade Kwinana Crochet & Knitting Club Every Wednesday 10:00AM Dome Café, 2 Robbos Way Kwinana
Boomerang Bag Sewing Every Friday., 10:00AM City of Wanneroo – Clarkson Library, 27 Ocean Keys Blvd Journal Writing for Fun in Leedervillle Friday 8 Feb., 10:00AM Bodhi Tree Bookshop and Café Social Walk around Tomato Lake Tuesday 12 Feb., 4:00PM Tomato Lake, Oats St Belmont Befriend Bowling @ Zone Bowling Morley Sunday 17 Feb., 6:00PM AMF Bowling Morley MARCH Fathers are Fun – Kwinana Saturday 2 March., 9:30AM Child and Parent Centre – Calista Monday Morning Coffee Monay 4 March., 10:00AM Gosnells Dome, 2160 Albany Hwy Social Sewing Group Tuesday 26 March., 9:30AM John Wellard Community Centre Free Sunday Music – Grace Barbe – Fremantle Arts Centre Sunday 31 March., 2:00PM Fremantle Arts Centre, 1 Finnarty Street APRIL Stroll around Tomato Lake Monday 1 April., 8:30AM Tomato Lake, Oats St Belmont Connect for Craft – Bertram Friday 5 April., 10:00AM William Bertram Community Centre, Johnson Rd, Bertram Armadale Crochet and Knitting Group Thursday 11 April., 9:30AM Armadale Library South Coast Friendships & Social Meet Saturday 20 April 11:45AM Cherubs Cucina, 330 Pinjarra Rd, Mandurah For more events, visit www.meetup.com/en-AU/Befriend-Inc-Social-Club/events/calendar
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available support
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By Kelly Ho and Tasha Broomhall
here are many potential barriers to accessing support for mental health issues, including finances and living in regional or remote areas. While some people prefer face to face support, there is good evidence that for many, there is also benefit from online and telephone supports. There are a range of information and support services available that help to overcome some of these barriers. There may be some of the following that will be of use to you.
Apps
Mindshift (Anxiety Canada) is great for those living with either anxiety or high levels of stress. It teaches relaxation techniques, how to develop constructive ways of thinking, and suggests healthy activities.
Check-In app (Beyond Blue) provides information and
advice on how you should approach a friend in need of mental health support. It helps you plan where to have the conversation, what to talk about, and how you can provide support to the person you care about. This app is ideal for anyone who wants to help but is either afraid of making things worse or doesn’t know how to start the conversation.
Snapshot (Black Dog Institute) enables individuals to
monitor their mental health and the lifestyle factors impacting their wellbeing. It gives general advice based on the user’s responses and offers recommendations on how to seek support.
My3 trains users how to identify suicide warning signs
in both themselves and others. It asks you to choose three people with who you are comfortable sharing your thoughts and keeps you connected to them. It helps you create your own safety plan and asks you to list your warning signs, support network, and coping strategies.
What’s Up (ReachOut Australia) uses Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy to help users cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. There is a function that allows you to track your good and bad habits, and a page of questions to help you identify exactly how you’re feeling.
Podcasts
Anxiety Slayer
This podcast series explores strategies for overcoming anxiety. Award winning hosts, Shann Vander and Ananga Sivyer, provide advice and tools to relax. They coach you through feeling more at peace with yourself and the environment around you.
Black Dog Institute
The Black Dog Institute has a series of podcast episodes where mental health professionals give advice to other mental health professionals on a variety of topics. It is particularly useful for those seeking further education around mental health.
Terrible, Thanks for Asking
Tired of the question “how are you?” This podcast is for you. Host Nora McInerny encourages listeners to be open and honest with their feelings and be unashamed with their struggles.
The Hardcore Self Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Robert Duff answers your questions about mental health without the “psychobabble BS”. He talks to the listeners like close friends rather than strangers on the internet. In his episodes, he covers topics like borderline personality disorder, bipolar, depression, and perfectionism.
The OCD Stories
By interviewing people who live with OCD, and professionals who work in the field, host Stuart Ralph inspires and educates his listeners. Each episode aims to help people in the process of actively overcoming the challenges that come with OCD. Listen by subscribing to the YouTube channel, or on Apple iTunes
All in the Mind (ABC Australia)
This series explores everything to do with the mind. There are hundreds of topics to discover, including depression, synaesthesia, being tone deaf, and even the emotions that a dog may experience. With a new episode every Sunday, All in the Mind never fails to have fascinating topics to satisfy your curiosity.
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YouTube Channels
Depression to Expression Scott Ste Marie speaks openly about living with depression and anxiety . He encourages viewers to change the way they use language when talking about mental health to change the way society feels about it. Kati Morton Kati Morton is a licensed therapist who uploads videos (every Monday and Thursday), each on a different mental health related topic. She does great How-to videos, where she gives advice on overcoming a variety of problems. She also shares interviews with real people with lived experience of mental illness.
Online Programs
myCompass (Black Dog Institute)
https://www.mycompass.org.au/ myCompass is an online self-help program, designed for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress. It is free to use and is a good program for anyone who wants to improve their mental health. Interactive activities, and a lifestyle tracking feature, enables users to better understand and learn more about themselves, as well as learning new strategies to boost mental health.
headtohealth
https://headtohealth.gov.au/ Head to Health is a good place to start when you are seeking resources for mental health and mental disorder, but you have no idea where to start. It details recommended mental health resources. The online feature, Sam the Chatbot, can guide you to relevant services while providing you information on them.
Telephone Support
Suicide call back service: 1300 659 467
The suicide call back service is a national telephone and counselling service for everyone affected by suicide. This includes: • People at risk of suicide • People who are worried about someone who might be suicide • People bereaved by suicide • Professionals who work with clients affected by suicide
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Lifeline is a national non-profit organisation that provides crisis support and suicide prevention services for all Australians. Their aim is for people to live a suicide-free life through connection, compassion, and hope.
SANE: 1800 187 263
SANE is an Australian charity that aims to help all those experiencing mental illness. Their helpline provides support to help people live mentally healthier lives, and to reduce the risk of suicide.
Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA): 1300 643 287
The MHFA is an organisation that works to boost understanding of mental wellbeing by changing the attitudes and raising awareness of the importance of good mental health.
My Aged Care: 1800 200 422
My Aged Care’s telephone service can help you with accessing the appropriate senior care services. By dialling this number, you can also find out more information about yourself, or the person you are caring for.
Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA): 1300 726 306
PANDA provides a national helpline to support those experiencing or are affected by perinatal anxiety and depression. They aid with the needs of expecting parents, or those in their first year of parenthood.
QLife: 1800 184 527 (LGBTIQ+)
QLife gives anonymous support to people within the LGBTIQ+ community and can refer you to the relevant services to talk about your questions or problem about sexuality and gender identity, or feelings about your body and relationships with others.
The Butterfly Foundation: 1800 33 4673 (Eating Disorders)
The Butterfly Foundation helpline has experienced staff members who are trained in counselling people with eating disorders and those who are caring for someone who is experiencing it.
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 or www.1800respect.org.au (Domestic Violence)
Trained counsellors are available 24/7 to listen and support people experiencing abuse at home, whether it’s sexual, domestic, or family orientated.
National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500 Information and assistance with caring for people living with dementia or advice on how to reduce the risks on developing it is only a free phone call away. The National Dementia Helpline can provide you access to government support services, information about services local to your area, and emotional support with managing the effects that dementia has on you and your loved ones.
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Babushka O
Written by Michael Prince
ur young granddaughters delight in our four Babushka dolls. When they visit there’s a ritual. Each doll must be unpacked one by one until each of the inner dolls stand side by side, from largest to next-to-smallest and then the “teeny-weeny” one is held in the hand and savored as a precious thing. Then the process is reversed until each smaller one disappears again inside the next larger and the largest doll stands alone. This ritual is repeated for all four dolls until all four “teeny-weeny” ones have been rejoiced over As the decades pass, I’ve come to imagine myself as a Babushka doll. This image arises often when I’m talking with someone decades younger than I In the moment, one part of me is aware they see me as a white haired older man, while another self-observing me is acutely aware of all the smaller me-s living within this older, externally visible me; all the way down to the “teen-weeny’ me with its earliest childhood memories and even earlier, perhaps In any given moment, each me is alive within with his gifts, wounds and limitations: ready to be triggered to reactively derail me or called upon to resource me and enable my better self to show up. With awareness and practice I keep learning I have a choice.
Michael Prince is a coach, speaker and facilitator who is passionate about Courage Work: Unlocking courageous, wholehearted leadership. He creates safe, trustworthy spaces for people to reconnect “soul with role”, who they are with what they do.
The work of my life is to name, welcome, nurture, and even delight in my many selves: claiming their gifts, healing their wounds, embracing their limitations. Learning to stand unashamed and undefended as my fullest self. Offering all my flawed magnificence to those Photo: Ken Maley I am called to serve and live amongst and love.
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Organisations are obligated to create psychologically safe workplaces which includes identifying and controlling for risks. Mental health issues are one of the less visible OSH risks. However, they can lead to high rates of absenteeism and presenteeism. Especially when symptoms go unnoticed.
Blooming Minds can assist to build capacity through: • Development of a Mental Wellbeing Committee (including templates for developing Terms of Reference). • Expert Consulting as temporary Committee member (approximate six month term) to bring best practice research and guidelines to the Committee, and to build the capacity of the Committee to fulfil this role ongoing. • Workplace Mental Wellbeing Culture Audit and Analysis (assess governance, awareness, skills and behaviours). • Workplace Mental Wellbeing Policy templates and document proformas. • Workplace Education Packs (videos, newsletter articles, posters). • Membership site with comprehensive resources. • Curated mental wellbeing book sets for your library. • Comprehensive employee training & mentoring.
Blooming Minds partners with your organisation through a four-fold approach to develop and implement a Workplace Mental Wellbeing Program that is incorporated into daily routines for maximum benefit and ROI.
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BORN TO SING By Martin Meader
W
orkplace stress is on the radar in many organisations. Some have resigned themselves to accepting high levels of stress as just part to the furniture. Others proactively work to harness motivating stress, while minimising and managing potentially challenging or negative stress. Some interventions are aimed at reducing workplace stressors. Ranging from pragmatic strategies, such as job design, workload demands, and agency or autonomy of role, through to release strategies, such as Laughter Yoga, meditation, and workplace massage programs. One intervention growing in popularity, and backed by research1 , is workplace choirs. Recent research out of the UK indicated that 96% of choir participants reported reduced stress, and 86% reported reduced loneliness1 . We had a chat with Martin Meader. He has been coordinating community choirs for many years, and is now creating choirs in workplaces with fantastic results.
Why did you start Born to Sing Choirs?
I had returned to Perth from living in USA in 2007 when I was approached by ABC 720 Radio to form a choir (under the name of Born To Sing) comprising of 120 non-singers to sing Christmas Carols in Forrest Place. Once that 6-week program was successfully completed, with some friends, I decided to continue the choir. The Born To Sing choirs now meet weekly in Guildford, Joondalup, Melville and Rockingham (200 singers in total).
What are the benefits to mental wellbeing from singing or the choir?
Singing in a choir helps to improve physical and mental health. It reduces stress, creates social bonds. It also bonds large groups effectively and more quickly than other creative pursuits and improves social networks. Singing in a choir also enhances our sense of happiness and wellbeing2 The benefits of attending the choir that I have seen in workplace engagement, particularly in terms of improved communication between staff in each organisation. • Communication – helps to interact and communicate with other members of staff. • Promotes staff engagement within work setting. • Positive outlet for staff, improves relationships with other staff members. • Easier to approach people in the work setting if you have met them and have gotten to know them in a different capacity. • Provides opportunity to engage with those at the senior level
What is the program aiming to achieve?
I set performance goals for the Born To Sing choirs that gives the singers a sense of achievement. So far, the choirs have sung at the Perth Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, His Majesty’s Theatre,
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the Perth Concert Hall, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Songfests in Dunsborough, Denmark & Guildford. Through performing, the sense of achievement improves social bonding in the group and fosters a great sense of camaraderie. The choirs become a family that communicate and help each inside and outside of the choir. Friendships and romances form, work connections are created and a deeper sense of care develops among the singers. One of the goals that empower the choir is when we raise funds from our concerts for worthy causes. So far, we have raised over $225,000 for organisations such as Cancer Council Relay for Life, Red Cross Blood Bank, Mission Australia and Variety - the Children's Charity
Who joins the choirs?
Predominantly, men and women over 40 years of age, up to 90 years of age. The choirs are definitely a place for Baby Boomers to come to. They love the songs of the 60s & 70s. To date, I have facilitated teambuilding singing workshops facilitated capacity building, team-building singing
higher level • Keep the sessions light and humorous • Have a good tea-break because that’s where a lot of the social interaction takes place • Don’t take myself too seriously • Learn from better musicians than myself • Be a good listener
What are the future plans for the Choirs?
The choir has a goal to perform at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. My personal goal is to take singing together into the workplace. Anecdotal feedback from my workshops is that the staff who attended the weekly workshops returned to their workstations extremely happy and full of joy.
Any other information you would like to share?
In 2016, I was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer. In the following two years, I underwent numerous major operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. During that time, I made myself attend choir 4 times per week because I knew that if I had a purpose (especially a musical purpose), I would have a greater chance of surviving. The support and love that I received from my choir members cannot be understated. It was massive and for me, undoubtedly, was a vital part of getting through the treatment. I am virtually free of the cancers that invaded my body and now attend the hospital on a monthly basis to keep a check on my continual improvement.
workshops in Australia, Singapore, the U.K., Indonesia, Canada and U.S.A. (Ottawa Police Force, Bankwest, the Department of Youth Sport & Recreation, the Western Australian Cricket Association (players and admin staff), the Deputy Principal’s Association, W.A. Transport - Rail System and W.A. Prisons).
What are the lessons you’ve learnt so far?
• Anything is possible if you set goals. • Always be positive in your support • Be prepared to change the music to suit the choir. • Keep choirs on task so that the singing moves them to a
1. 2. 3.
Workplace choirs can help guard against stress and isolation | BPS. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/workplace-choirscan-help-guard-against-stress-and-isolation Pearce, E., Launay, J., Dunbar, R., & Pearce, E. (2015). The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding. Royal Society Open Science, 2(10), 150221– 150221. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150221 Moss, H., & O'Donoghue, J. (2018). Sing while you work-the well-being benefits of workplace choirs.
ABOUT MARTIN MEADER
In 1997, Martin co-wrote and Co-Executive Produced Paradise Road, which starred Glenn Close & Cate Blanchett. He is the musical director of the Born to Sing Choirs in Guildford, Joondalup, Rockingham and Melville, a total of 200 singers. From 2014-2015, Martin was the musical director for the choir of the Western Desert Kidney Health Project, an initiative that aimed to reduce disease and diabetes by 20 per cent over three years in 10 Aboriginal Goldfields communities. Martin has facilitated capacity building, teambuilding singing workshops in Australia, Singapore, the U.K., Indonesia, Canada and U.S.A. He is currently completing his Ph.D in Creative Writing at ECU. Photos courtesy of Martin Meader
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TESTIMONIALS I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to you on a job well done…your presentation was informative, thought provoking and interesting. Students who attended the course were impressed by your professionalism and knowledge. Comments such as, “you have no idea how much this has helped me”, “I learned how to handle stress more effectively and how to recognize it”. These comments attest to your level of ability in delivering the material. Students were left with a lasting impression that they will take into their future careers. Thank you A. Watkins, Notre Dame University
I was hooked from the beginning to end. I was continuously learning new stuff about how I can help others and myself. F. Mitchell, CSO, Workpower Inc.
Tasha’s style in training is excellent. Her balance between evidence-based theory and practical strategies means you leave the workshop with key actions and inspiration to improve employees mental wellbeing
Very practical and informative course. Excellent way to upskill front line leaders in mental health management in the workplace. Received feedback from other participants that this should always be offered to new supervisors. Great job. J. Bruce, Human Resources, Cliffs
Practical tools and advice to identify and manage mental illness in the workplace in a way that supports the individual and the business needs. Excellent presentation, good examples, entertaining. C. Bam, Manager, Department of Commerce
Tasha is knowledgeable and entertaining. Learning is easy with her. S. Eccleston, Tech Advisor, Water Corporation
F. Peters, HR Policy Advisor, ECU
Meet your obligations for managing mental health in the workplace. Blooming Minds partners with your organisation to:
Build AWARENESS Teach SKILLS Change BEHAVIOURS Training Programs that Save Lives.
Talk to us today about how we can help you: www.bloomingminds.com.au
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