When faced with some threat in our environment, our autonomic nervous system, one of the major neural pathways in the brain, becomes activated. Activation of this neural circuity triggers our ‘flight or fight’ response. This response is our natural response to danger. Think of a time when you were confronted with a terrifying situation. What […]
Where does Men’s Mental Health currently stand? It has long been the understanding that men struggle to acknowledge when mental health issues are present and are less likely to reach out for support. Now, I don’t wish this blog to be another “men should reach out for support” or “mental health challenges are part of […]
It is important to prioritise resilience due to its research-based evidence of physical and emotional benefits, wellbeing and performance outcomes. And we know that one of the best things about resilience is that it is not a set genetic trait – it is something that we can continually develop in life. Research shows that the […]
More than a buzz word, resilience is a key driver of our health and well-being. It’s not just my opinion due to my observations as a Psychologist over many years but backed up by research out of Harvard Medical School and many other centres that provide evidence base research in this area. The ability to […]
Change is an unavoidable part of life and sometimes this means dealing with difficult challenges, setbacks or extreme hardship. At the moment, many people are facing unwanted changes to their lives and livelihoods. Losing jobs, losing career opportunities and unplanned financial burdens are unfortunately commonplace. These changes can lead to a range of strong negative […]
Throughout our lives, there are moments where we may have felt we accurately predicted something would to happen to us. Whether that be you thought “I feel really confident going into this interview today” and you go in, nail it and get the job, or you thought “this workout is going to be painful” and […]
Why is making a comeback important? Making a comeback is an especially important area in light of all things COVID-19 and the recent events of 2020. Many carefully formulated plans or goals may not have come to fruition. This blog provides some practical tips on what making a comeback is all about when the chips […]
Icing the Game Earlier this month you would have read a great blog written by our team mate Kate Nelson on ‘how to avoid choking’. This blog is similar that we are talking about ‘how to ice the game,’ which follows on from the previous blog. However, this topic is slightly different as it looks […]
What is choking? Star basketballers missing a penalty shot in overtime. Well-rehearsed interviewees forget their words during job interviews. Performers sing off pitch or jumble their words on stage. People embarrass themselves on first dates, after practicing introducing themselves in the mirror over and over. Students forget their in-exam essay they have re-written a million […]
Why do we need to set boundaries? We all have our limits. Whether that be at home, at work or with friends, we all have that line which we draw in the sand and say, “yes, that is enough for me”. When our limits have been pushed, we can often feel frustrated and disregarded. An […]
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”― Lao Tzu We have probably all been given the advice to take it ‘One step at a time’. The great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden often questioned his players ‘If you don’t do it properly the first time, when will you have time to do […]
“Honesty is the best policy” A cliché Benjamin Franklin quote we have all heard more than once throughout our lifetime. However, Franklin also said “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment”. The ‘wrong thing’ referred […]
What is a ‘Tribe?’ As humans we all are part of and operate in systems. We call them families, teams, groups, or more recently “tribes”. There are traditional models of these systems, and there are the individual definitions of these systems. Different personalities tend to gravitate more heavily to certain systems over others. For some, […]
When the going gets tough, the tough (resilient) get going – Joseph Kennedy While this is a nice sentiment expressed by Jo Kennedy, father of the US president John, it really only states the beginning of a leader’s journey. That is, when things go pear shaped, as they have with gone with COVID-19 for example. […]
‘Leader’ and ‘Manager’ are two of the most common terms used in business and beyond. Often the terms are used interchangeably. Sometimes there may be a positive connotation towards being a ‘leader’ and more negative connotations towards being a ‘manager’. When put head to head, there are distinctive differences. But is being a leader better […]
Featuring a chat with NRL Player Corey Waddell My name’s Kate – intern at Veretis by day, hobby trail-runner by evening. 3-months ago I decided to sign up for one of the biggest trail-running events in Australia –the Ultra Trail Australia half marathon. Every day I’d go out to train, I would think of the […]
Stepping back to understand our motivations & purpose The need for purpose and meaning behind our actions is one of the defining characteristics of human beings. We are in a healthier state of psychological well-being when we are pursuing tasks that are meaningful to us. We can also suffer quite serious psychological difficulties when we […]
What is Comparison? We have all heard of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. In other words – when we compare ourselves to others, it can be detrimental to our mental health and cripple our happiness. Recent research has found that around 10% of our thinking daily revolves around comparing ourselves […]
Why Non – Verbal Communication? Communication underpins the bulk of human interactions. In fact, it is a crucial, if not the most crucial element for humans being able to exist and bond together as social beings in families, communities and cultures. This in turn shapes the norms and acceptable behaviours for how we interact within […]
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” George Bernard Shaw As humans we often assume that ‘Because I spoke, the message was delivered. Because that message was delivered it was received, interpreted, and understood correctly by the person we were conversing with.’ Unfortunately, communicating is a little more complicated […]
Have you had the usual start to 2020 – resolutions made and goals set? And as the end of January fast approaches, how are you travelling? If there hasn’t been much progress, resist the temptation to ditch it all, and perhaps opt for the ‘refresh’ button instead. What does this involve? Be clear on the […]
A new year has begun, and we all want the best 2020 vision for the year ahead. As we start to get back into our regular routine whether that be at work, studying or training, you are probably thinking about the goals you have set for yourself and how you are going to maintain it. […]
Welcome back from the Veretis team! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and are settling back into work well. To kick the year off, our January Psych Up! topic is ‘Keeping the Momentum Going’. Following on from our December topic of goal setting and New Year resolutions, we will be exploring how to […]
Did you know an estimated 73% of Australians make New Years Resolutions every year? Can you guess how many keep them? 100%? 50%? …. 20%? Studies have found that less than 20% of people actually stick to their New Years Resolutions. The whole process has been broken down, analysed, psychoanalysed, improved and changed by millions […]
Each and every day we make thousands of decisions. Some are small and so routine that they roll in our subconscious state – drawing little to none of our attention. We are unaware of these decisions unless something “jerks” our attention to the situation: such as a road closure preventing us taking our standard route […]
This month’s theme for our blog posts has been ‘Logical Thinking in an Emotional World.’ So far, you’ve learned the difference between the left and right side of the brain, and how to stay rational, adaptable and solution focused in high pressure situations. Today’s blog post will be focusing on the tangible and real-world health […]
Why do I need to know? High pressure situations are a part of life – from giving work presentations to meeting your romantic partners’ parents and friends. These stressful situations can easily become overwhelming and make you feel out of your depth, leading to under performance. One of life’s biggest challenges is learning how to […]
