Your work can have a significant impact on your mental health. In fact, mental health conditions related to employment stressors are now the fastest growing type of workplace injury. While meaningful work and well managed workplaces can have a positive effect on your mental health, poorly managed workplaces, excessive workloads, poor employee relationships and customer or client aggression – among other factors – can have a significant negative and long-term impact on your mental health. Add in widespread use of digital communication technologies reducing your ability to disconnect from work ..read more

Prioritising your sexual health can be empowering. Whether you are facing specific challenges in your sexual relationships, grappling with questions about your sexual identity or simply seeking to better understand your sexuality and learn more about finding pleasure, you can benefit from speaking to a sexologist. In fact, sexuality is an integral part of the human experience influencing your relationships, well-being and overall quality of life. In fostering a healthy approach, you can experience improved mental and emotional well-being, more satisfying relationships and an overall higher qua ..read more

Self-care or self-love plays an important role in supporting your mental health. It involves accepting yourself as you are and treating yourself with love, compassion and kindness. Loving yourself is important because it affects many areas of your life, including your physical health, mental health and relationships with others. However, loving yourself is not always easy— in fact many people don’t love themselves and are frequently critical and overly harsh on themselves. You may think the notion of self-love sounds selfish or self- indulgent. Some may even feel guilty about devoting time to ..read more

Anxiety is a natural response to stress. However, that fact will provide little consolation if your symptoms are so severe as to send you to a hospital emergency department fearing a heart attack or some other life-threatening illness. The reality is that for some, stress and fear can become so overwhelming and persistent that it can evolve into an anxiety disorder, impacting daily life and overall well-being. If this sounds like your experience, you are not alone. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health and well-being issues in Australia with more than 17% of people aged 16-85 years r ..read more

National suicide and harm prevention campaign R U Ok Day will be marked on September 14 this year. The public health campaign encourages everyone to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times in their lives. It supports a key mental health message about the importance of social connection, conversation and helping others in your community. While a conversation may seem a small effort for you, for anyone facing mental health challenges, being able to speak with someone and knowing that they care can have a big impact on their mental wellbeing. The campaig ..read more

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, can be a challenge to understand and manage. As a parent you may feel stressed or frustrated, thinking that your child is misbehaving, while your child may be equally struggling to control their frustration when they find tasks difficult or boring to complete. However, children with ADHD aren’t misbehaving on purpose. ADHD is a medical condition that can affect your child’s attention span and self-control as well as other behaviours. In fact, about 5 per cent of children are diagnosed with the disorder, with the actual number likely higher as ..read more

Workplace stress has become a significant issue in Australia, despite the legal obligations for employers to create and manage safe and mentally healthy workplaces. While most jobs will have some level of stress, more than half the workforce (in a 2022 survey) now reports their work is suffering because of poor mental health. When occupational stress becomes excessive it can negatively impact your mental and physical health, productivity and overall well-being. Stress can also interfere with your ability to think clearly and make effective decisions. Whether from an overwhelming workload, unre ..read more

Being a mother can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience, but it can also come with mental health challenges. Whether you’re a new mum, or dealing with toddler tantrums, managing fast growing teens or preparing to farewell adult children, each stage of motherhood is a joy and blessing, but can also impact your mental health. As we celebrate Mother’s Day this May, it’s also World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, with a campaign day providing an opportunity to highlight the mental health needs of new mothers and beyond. Read on to find out more about maternal mental health and ways to ..read more

Feeling lonely? It’s a common feeling of isolation, sadness or dissatisfaction with your social connections or relationships. The feeling may last for a short while or it can remain for long periods impacting your mental and physical wellbeing. Studies show that loneliness is a growing concern in many countries, including Australia, with one in four people reporting feeling lonely on a regular basis. For some, Valentine’s Day this month may be a trigger for feelings of loneliness. Read on to learn more about loneliness, how it can impact your mental health and strategies to overcome feeling lo ..read more

Make 2023 the year you focus on your mental health. Forget short-lived New Year’s resolutions and rigid goal setting, instead commit to adopting some simple habits to boost your mental fitness now and well into the future. You may already realise that your mental health forms the basis for everything you do, including shaping your social and emotional well-being. It can impact every aspect of your life. Being intentional about valuing and improving your mental health can help you connect better with others, reduce anxiety and boost your confidence. Making some changes to your routines and adop ..read more