wellbeing toolkit

A curated collection of recommended services, books, articles, podcasts and videos. I’ve learned something from every resource I’ve shared which has evolved or changed my thinking or how I live and lead. I hope you reap the same benefits.

Mental health is health, yet stigma, shame, and a lack of understanding often prevent us from having important conversations about it. Let’s change that. Let’s start conversations, share our experiences (if we feel safe and comfortable doing so), engage empathetically when others need our support and let’s educate ourselves to change this.

Looking after our mental health and ensuring we - and those around us - are properly supported is critical to our overall health. Our mental health and wellbeing fluctuates just like our physical health does. Let me share some statistics*:

  • One in five Australians experience a mental illness in a calendar year.

  • Almost 50% of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

  • The three most common mental illnesses in Australia are anxiety, depression and substance use.

  • Mental illness is the third leading cause of disability in Australia. Most of us probably don’t associate the term disability with mental health, but mental illness can be as disabling as physical disease. When I did my mental health first-aid training, I learned that a severe case of depression can be as debilitating as late-stage cancer. Think about that.

As you can see, mental health issues are extremely common. *: Reference.

Please feel free to share this Toolkit with others.

Books

Reasons to Stay Alive
Matt Haig

The Comfort Book
Matt Haig

First We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety
Sarah Wilson

videos

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit
TED: Judson Brewer

My Year of Living Mindfully - documentary
Shannon Harvey

The Connection - documentary
Shannon Harvey

Podcasts

How Gratitude Benefits Your Brain
The Science of Happiness

Regulate Your Mood With Solitude
NPR Life Kit

You, But Better: Explores the psychology behind using our minds to do things that are good for us
Hidden Brain

The Power of a Made Up Ritual
Happiness Lab

Self Care: How Do We Identify Our Real Needs and Finally Get Them Met?
We Can Do Hard Things With Glennon Doyle

APPS

Headspace

mental health support Services

Note that many of the services below offer confidential counselling by trained staff via a few different mediums (phone, SMS, web-chat, etc). Visit their websites for details.

Mental Health Coaching Program for Sole-Traders and Small Business Owners // Ph: 1300 945 301
Beyond Blue is offering free and confidential mental health support for sole-traders and small business owners via this six-session 1:1 coaching program called NewAcess. The sessions are run by a coach trained in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) who has a background in small business.

Ethi-Call by the Ethics Centre
Ethi-Call sessions are a confidential one-hour call with an ethics counsellor. The counsellor will guide you through a series of questions that help shine a light on the problem you’re trying to solve, so you can navigate life’s toughest challenges. Calls must be booked through their website.

Discuss a Mental Health Care Plan with Your GP
If you think you might be living with a mental health issue, book a ‘mental health appointment’ (they take longer than a regular consult) with your GP to discuss a Mental Health Care Plan. They will discuss how you are feeling and can recommend possible treatment options.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
If you are an employee, check to see if your company has an EAP. Through EAPs, companies provide their employees free access to professional and confidential counselling.

If you, or someone you know has been having suicidal thoughts, complete a Suicide Prevention Plan and share it with your loved ones.

Beyond Blue // Ph: 1300 22 4636
Offers phone and online counselling support with a focus on anxiety, depression and suicide prevention.

Lifeline // Ph: 13 11 14
Offers phone and online counselling support with a focus on crisis and suicide prevention.

Suicide Call Back Service // Ph: 1300 659 437
Offers phone and online support to those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts.

PANDA // Ph: 1300 726 306
Offers phone and online support for parents experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety.

QLife // Ph: 1800 184 527
Offers phone and online support to the LGBTI community on sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings and relationships.

MensLine // Ph: 1300 789 978
Offers phone and online support for men with family and relationship concerns.

Kids Helpline // Ph: 1800 55 1800
Offers phone and online counselling for young people aged 5-25.

Griefline // Ph: 1300 845 745
Offers phone counselling for dealing with grief and loss.