" People think of things like suicide in such black or white terms. But much like everything else , it’s far more nuanced and complex than what many see, or try to understand. I can be in a really great mood, I could be having the best day of my life. I might be surrounded by people who love me. But still, suicidal thoughts will bubble up in my mind and linger. I don’t have to be in a bad mood, depressed or drowning in negative self talk to have thoughts of suicide. They can surface when i’m on holiday, doing something i’m passionate about, or working to achieve my goals. The ..read more

    I wish I had let myself be happier I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings I wish I hadn't worked so hard I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. The 5 most common regrets people share in their last weeks, days and hours are like a masterclass in how to live a whole life. They also come with more wishes than any Genie can give, but these wishes are even better because we all have the power to make them come true.I started my first Smile Jar in 2013 ..read more

Why I became an R U OK Day Ambassador  It's been a big week of vulnerability and revealing a few well kept secrets for me as I kicked off my first experiences as an R U OK Day Ambassador. It started by joining the NSW Minister for Women, Mental Health and Ageing, Tanya Davies, and the team at ACON, speaking at the launch of a new suicide prevention strategy that includes funding specifically for LGBTQI programs. I also spoke at ‘In it Together’, a suicide prevention forum held by local GLBT mag Star Observer. Prompted by the recent suicide of a friend, the forum was organised a ..read more

Yesterday I went abseiling to raise awareness for The David Martin Foundation, an organisation that supports young people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Well I tried to anyway. As I stood on the edge the building, 33 stories and 135 metres high, overlooking Sydney’s Darling Harbour on a stunningly beautiful day, fear took over and I froze.I was incredibly disappointed as I’d been looking forward to the abseil, not just because of the great cause it was in aid of, but because of the challenge it presented. To crawl back over the railing defeated was a little heart breaking. I felt ..read more

     2022: The Year of Forgive New Years Resolutions… the new year, new me tradition that’s an almost obligatory part of the midnight calendar flip into a “fresh start”. It’s just that…. New Years Resolutions are bullshit, and I don’t believe in them. We can self reflect, start a new path, set new goals, create change and make that fresh start for ourselves every day of the year. When we can kick off our own new year anytime we like, we shouldn’t be bound to the idea that New Years Eve is our prompt for reflection and change.   Creating a theme to live the year by gives yo ..read more

      R U OK? Day - Are They Really OK? We all have the power to talk with, support and help our friends and family when they need it most, we just need to know how. When someone you know is struggling with life’s challenges or mental health distress it’s natural to want to help. Starting a conversation by asking if they’re OK is easy, but it can sometimes be difficult to know what to say and do next, and that can make conversations feel uncomfortable, awkward, not as supportive or open as they could be.. or even avoided.   What do you do when so ..read more

  The American Zen teacher John Tarrant says, "freedom, waking up and fearlessness come down to the simplicity of 'Wait a minute, what if this is it?'" When I hear such exhortations to live in the moment, the fresh-start addict in me is quite capable of turning them into perfectionistic plans, too: "From tomorrow morning, I'll meditate every single day, and become the kind of person who lives in the moment!" But Tarrant's point isn't that you should live in the moment tomorrow. It's that this is it, right now, with all its odious imperfections – the tasks that remain unaddressed, the mes ..read more

      Habits and “norms” can be such invisible, subtle little things. Some are so ingrained that they feel more innate, natural and normal than they really are, too often we don’t even notice them. Insignificant, small and harmless as they might seem they can impact and influence our values, behaviours, thinking and choices in ways that, without awareness of them, we can’t begin to understand, let alone question, reflect on or change. Is it human nature to - seek approval and satisfaction from others before giving it to ourselves, or - give and value our own internal appro ..read more

  After a month of living the Movember vibes, growing my mo with a team of friends, taking up the challenge of raising donations to fund men’s health programs across the globe, and enjoying the conscious focus that comes with participating, I felt the need to keep a momentum going. I’m not so festive about the “festive season” and (insert “2020/covid19/hard life draining year / sucked / been devoid of purpose” comment here) , so I wanted to bring the same positive perspectives and sense of purpose I’ve felt through November into December. I just didn’t know how, until I stumbled on a sim ..read more

  This week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the Causes of Death data for 2019... 64 people a week, a total of 3 318 people in the year are reported as taking their own lives in 2019. This is around 200 more people a year than 2018. I can only imagine what this will look like for 2020, ( when the data is available in 12-18 months time.)    Key Intentional self-harm (suicide) Data, Australia 2019: There were 3,318 registered deaths by suicide . In 2018 there were 3,138 registered deaths by suicide. Suicide was the 13th leading cause of death. Gender T ..read more