Blog Articles

  • Hooray! Burnout does exist
    Workplace “burn-out” is finally recognised as a condition The World Health Assembly in Geneva, which finished yesterday (28 May 2019) has for the first-time recognised burn-out. This means it can be included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is widely used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers. According to the classification,…
  • 7 Myths of alcohol
    The drinking of alcohol is widespread within Australia and it is linked to many work, social and cultural activities. Perhaps surprisingly, 1 in 4 people have consumed alcohol at levels placing them at risk of harm on a single occasion, at least monthly, within the last year. Myth 1: Alcohol makes it easier for people…
  • 3 Wellbeing hacks for everyone
    With all of the wellbeing information available online at the tap of a finger, there’s a risk of becoming overwhelmed by it all. We are constantly exposed to new information on a daily or even hourly basis at times. Wellbeing intersects with so many parts of our lives and the research on how to maintain…
  • Writing it out: Journaling for Stress, Burnout, and Overwhelm
    Not everyone who experiences high levels of stress appreciates the toll it can take on your physical and mental health. Often it takes a period of sustained stress for people to start to understand the implications for them. People who support those experiencing high levels of stress understand the implications of it. They know what…
  • The top 9 excuses why smart people don’t see a counsellor… and why they’re all wrong
    Traditionally people do seek out counsellors when they’re experiencing emotional pain, or feeling stuck and don’t know what to do next. However proactive people also choose to see a counsellor when they’re looking to for an unbiased perspective or want to cultivate and grow the positive aspects already present in their lives.  Here are the…
  • Could you be addicted to stress?
    If you are someone that always seems to be stressed out, and constantly looking for more to add to your to-do list instead of managing well what you already have on it, then you might be an addict. Admittedly there are two sides to the impact of stress; there’s a good side that can help…
  • 8 Signs of ‘Lockdown Burnout’​ to watch out for
    In March 2020, Australia closed its borders and so our love-hate relationship with ‘Lockdown’ began. I remember in the early stages people were happy to be working from home. There seemed to be extra energy in the air. It meant being able to put on a load of washing before the 10am video-conference call, spending more…
  • How to be more efficient working from home
    Before the Coronavirus pandemic, a 2019 LinkedIn survey showed that 82% of new hires wanted to work at least one day a week from home and 57% said they’d ideally like to work from home three days a week. These numbers are now also supported by an Australian study conducted by Boston Consulting Group in June 2020, where between 41…
  • Self-discipline is empowering
    You may think that developing self-discipline is about making up for limitations so that you can manage their impact more effectively. Perhaps just the thought of ‘self-discipline’ fills you with the thought of being ‘boxed in’ and ‘rigid’. These thoughts have probably been reinforced by previous attempts at changing unhelpful habits and confusing self-discipline with…
  • 10 Ways to Boost Productivity in the lead up to Christmas
    Tomorrow is the start of December, the last month of the year and a final chance to cross items off the to-do list before you say goodbye to 2020.  I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year tends to get really busy. Clients I haven’t heard from in a while get…
  • Wellbeing is a daily activity
    One of the most important gifts you can give yourself, is wellbeing. It doesn’t have to mean jet set holidays, days at the spa or a healthy meal every now again. Wellbeing is about having good mental health, high life satisfaction, and a sense of meaning or purpose. Who wouldn’t want that for themselves? And…
  • All YOU need to know about sleep for the holidays
    The holidays is the perfect time to focus on getting your sleep routine back on track. Depending on how much your sleep is disrupted it could take up to a week for your body to settle into its natural sleep routine. Sleep occurs as a result of three interconnected processes occurring simultaneously; the opportunity for…
  • Manage holiday stress with these 5 strategies
    While the Summer holidays started a while ago for Australian children many working parents will have only just started to be on leave. Often the holiday season is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, to take some time off work, or even escape for a getaway. That may still be the case…
  • Mindfulness practices to integrate into your day
    One of the joys of mindfulness is that you can do it anywhere! You don’t need to sit in silence for hours, chant mantras, or even close your eyes. Mindfulness means bringing your complete attention to the present, where you are right now, not distracted by memories of the past or anxieties about the future….
  • Set your goals: It’s not too late!
    Imagine planning a holiday to an unknown destination and paying to travel aimlessly or wherever the wind blows you. Before you realize it, your time has run out, your money is spent, and you haven’t seen or experienced anything worth remembering. Sounds crazy, right?  Well, this could be what happens to your year if you…
  • Could you be a workaholic?
    Research published by the Centre for Future Work in 2020, [1] shows that with the shift towards working from home due to COVID there has been an increase in the average unpaid hours of work. An increase from 4.6 hours to 5.3 hours, confirming an upward trend for the Australian worker. According to their November…
  • 8 Ways to receive a compliment, without feeling awkward
    A compliment from someone you respect can often leave you feeling good… but not always. After all, how are you supposed to respond to something like that? Someone is saying something nice about you so it should make you feel good. Not always… In fact, it can often feel very awkward and sometimes un-deserving. Yes, accepting a…
  • Hypercritical people: 7 Strategies for dealing with them
    Love them or loathe them, they’re out there! If you haven’t come across one in your lifetime yet, consider yourself lucky. I have had the misfortune to come across a few in my working career and honestly, I don’t feel better for it. Fortunately, they’re easier to avoid outside of work. Now, don’t get me…
  • Never worry about anger again!
    In one of the processes I take my clients through to uncover hidden values, I ask them about the last three times they got angry. Some clients can quickly identify those occasions, and some cannot. For those who can’t they share that they are rarely angry. They go on to disclose that they rarely yell,…
  • Traits of resilient people
    Resilience is often talked about as the solution to many psychological conditions, and it may surprise you to learn that anyone can develop resilience. It develops as a result of an attitude or mindset which we can all cultivate.  Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks. It is developing the strength to get…
  • The calming effect of nature
    As humans we have become less connected to nature and as a result risk losing our essential health buffer. When you have a busy work week and a family to care of, any opportunity to take care of yourself is precious. One of the easiest ways to do this is to step out into nature…
  • 10 Savvy ways to develop self-awareness
    “Self-knowledge is the first step to maturity” Jane Austen. You come into the world alone and you spend every minute with yourself until you depart the world, yet you may not know yourself as well as you think you do. Unfortunately, if you don’t know yourself, it’s hard to make progress. It’s like driving a…
  • Grief visits all of us: Nobody has to die
    When you experience any type of loss, the normal response is a period of mourning, also known as “grief.” Grief isn’t specific to human death, on the contrary it often establishes after a significant loss, for example a redundancy, divorce or breakup, a recently diagnosed illness, or financial troubles. Grief usually comes in five stages:…
  • Saying ‘sorry’ doesn’t have to be hard
    A sincere apology does a world of good for both the giver and the receiver. It shows you regret the hurt or pain you caused, whether that’s inadvertently or on purpose, and it signals your desire to restore the relationship to a healthy balance. Without apologizing, authenticity cannot be achieved because authenticity requires you to…
  • Is dehydration waking you up at night?
    Did you know that if you do not drink more fluids than what you lose during the day, you could wake up during the night? Well, it’s true. Dehydration can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. It can happen when you don’t drink enough, through heavy sweating, heat, exercise, airplane travel, or the…
  • Street marijuana is not a sleep aid
    As smart, highly independent people we tend to find our own answers for problems. Rather than asking for help, we tend go looking for it and sometimes in the wrong places. Some of my clients who have been struggling to sleep have resorted to smoking marijuana to help them enjoy a better night’s sleep. They…
  • Acceptance unlocks energy
    If you are constantly feeling depleted yet eating and exercising, it may be time to consider self-acceptance as an energy management strategy. Our energy comes from four domains: physical; emotional, mental and spiritual and there are specific activities that fuel each domain. In some instances, there are particular activities that span across more than one…
  • What I’ve learned about indifference
    After many hours of sitting in my chair, listening to clients report how they feel, I have realized how indifference is a sneaky companion to depression. As part of my offering, I work with EAP clients many of whom work in well-known organisations. You probably even use their services. Last week I had the pleasure…
  • Is mouth breathing making you sick?
    For many of us breathing is an automatic activity, one that we don’t have to think too much about. “Thank goodness”, I can hear you saying, because you have enough on your plate! However, breathing is fundamental to your ongoing health and work performance. If you are eating well, hydrating your body and allowing enough…