Not waving but drowning: Are we leading lives of quiet despair?

This blog was written by our friends at Uncommon Knowledge and has been reposted with permission. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” – Henry David Thoreau Not waving but drowning Nobody heard him, the dead man,But still he lay moaning:I was much further out than you thoughtAnd not waving but drowning. Poor […]

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Healing with humour: Interview with Fiona McGary

Rachel: As a comedian, why are you interested in humour and mental health?
Fiona: I got sick in 2014. I was in bed for 4 months, my business was failing, my relationship was failing, life was bad. I had depression. I was crying in the middle of the night and stuck in bed. I’d had depression years earlier when I remembered my sexual abuse. At that time, I drank and smoked too much to cope. When I had depression in 2014, I never went back to that terrible depression like before, because I sought help. That’s when I started to use humour properly.

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The “L” Word: Nearly 30% of Aussies Lonely

by Lynne Rodgers (of North Brisbane Psychologists) Lonely is a taboo word. To admit you feel lonely risks attracting pity or being perceived as a social failure. Yet loneliness is so common it is tipped to be a new public health epidemic. The UK Government has appointed a Minister for Loneliness in recognition of this […]

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Embrace Your Inner Alpaca: A Symbol of Commitment

by Robin Fraser (of North Brisbane Psychologists) Australia’s best-selling book of 2017 was “The Barefoot Investor”. In this book, author Scott Pape discusses a tragic situation where his family farm was burned to the ground in a runaway fire. As he walks around the charred remains of what used to be his home, he recalls seeing in […]

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Is it Shyness or Social Anxiety?

by Lynne Rodgers (of North Brisbane Psychologists) “Shyness is nice, and Shyness can stop you From doing all the things in life You’d like to”  — Ask by The Smiths Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is not shyness. Psychologists distinguish between shyness – a personality disposition or trait (like having brown eyes) – and social anxiety, […]

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Workshop with Rachel on Nonviolent Communication June 23, 2018

If you have no plans this Saturday June 23, come down to Northey Street City Farm in Windsor to the Winter Solstice Festival and join this free workshop with Dr Rachel Hannam from 2pm-3pm at the FairShare Tent to learn about nonviolent communication or NVC.

NVC helps us to bypass blame and judgement, and connect with feelings and needs. Here is a link to the…

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It Is Not The Critic Who Counts

For many people, lack of self-confidence comes form having a harsh inner critic. How do you manage a harsh inner critic? Or harsh critics around you? Working on your own life and mind is the key to accepting yourself as you are and letting go of those criticisms.

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We are all control freaks! Cognitive skills for finding balance

Set yourself free by recognising this one tendency we all share and how it can go awry. Life is to be lived, not controlled. Like a surfer in the waves, we need to respond to life, not stress ourselves managing and controlling it all.

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How Negative Self-Beliefs Sabotage Us

Let’s talk about how beliefs affect our coping strategies in life and, in turn, accidentally keep us stuck. Take John for example. John is 45 years old. Growing up, he developed the idea (called a negative core belief or a schema) that he is “unlikeable”. Here are 3 coping strategies John might use for coping […]

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Giving and receiving gifts

How we receive gifts can reveal some of our innermost feelings about our self worth. Some people have to reciprocate. Some do not. Some accept graciously and some are critical of the gift. How do people with high self worth respond?

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Dealing with critical parents-in-law

Being criticised by your parents-in-law can be particularly disheartening. Young marrieds too often look up to their older relatives. You need to see the truth of such people to be able to get on with your life happily.

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How do I stop giving up?

Why do some people give up when others keep going? New research suggests it is to do with the individual’s mindset. Do you have a ‘set mindset’ or a ‘growth mindset?’ Success or not largely depends on which one you have.

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