Clear the air Clearhead

Sport: It is about so much more than just physical fitness. It is also excellent for your mental health and can provide you with a sense of belonging and community through being part of a team. This is why is it important that everyone has access to being able to play a sport, regardless of their gender or sexuality. In today’s episode we will delve into the benefits of playing a sport, but also what we can do to make it more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community.

Our guest today is Jason ball, one of the first openly gay Aussie Rules players in Australia which was a game changer in this hyper-masculine sport. He’s been named Young Australian of the Year for his advocacy work in promoting equality for LGBTQ+ players, and has undertaken ambassador roles with Beyond Blue, the Safe Schools Coalition, the Victorian Pride Centre, and the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, just to name a few! In this episode, he will share with us why it was initially difficult to accept his sexuality and his journey of coming out, and what we can do to make it easier for others to share their true identity both at home and at work.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

0:00 - Intro
2:10 - How Jason Ball got started in playing professional sport
3:55 - The benefits of playing sport on your mental health 
6:50 - The role of diet on your physical and mental health 
8:10 - How to deal with pressure when playing professional sport 
10:30 - Why Jason's sexuality initially caused him to leave his sporting career 
14:30 - What made Jason finally come out with his true identity 
20:55 - How to deal with a negative response when coming out
23:35 - The unique mental health challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community 
25:30 - How to reduce discrimination towards the LGBTQ+ community
28:35 - What is needed to create a more inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community 
33:04 - How can one be an ally? 
36:15 - How do we know we have created an inclusive society?
38:55 - Why is representation important?
41:30 - What is toxic masculinity?
45:00 - How to challenge gender stereotypes
47:06 - When should LGBTQ people seek professional help and what are available services in Australia?
50:30 - What has Jason learnt about managing stress and negative emotions?
52:45 - What is Jason's one message to those who are questioning their identity and their allies
54:00 - What is Jason's one wellbeing practice

Learn more about Jason here:
https://jasonball.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjasonball/

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/

Menopause is a significant life transition that 50% of the population goes through, but often is not talked about enough, especially in the workplace. Aside from physical symptoms, menopause can also have a big impact on your mental health. In this episode, we’ll be learning what is menopause and how to manage it both in your personal and work lives.

Dr Linda Dear MBBS, FRNZCGP, BA (Hons) Psychology, DRCOG, NCMP.
Linda is a specialist GP and Menopause Doctor, trained in the UK and based in New Zealand. She currently runs a private menopause clinic called Menodoctor and sees women from all over the country for specialist consultations. She has also created New Zealand and Australia’s largest survey on menopause and runs menopause training and education service for workplaces.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

2:05 - What was Linda's journey to becoming a menopause doctor?
3:50 - What is menopause?
6:15 - What age does menopause start?
8:50 - How do you know if you are experiencing menopause?
10:50 - What are menopause-related mental health symptoms?
14:04 - What can you do to manage the menopause-related mental health symptoms?
17:50 - How does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) work?
22:15 - How long should you stay on HRT?
24:40 - How do you treat vaginal symptoms related to menopause?
26:10 - What lifestyle changes improve the transition through menopause?
32.37 - How does menopause impact someone at work and how can organisations support them?
37:40 - How can managers better support employees who are experiencing menopause?
41:50 - What resources are available to assist workplaces to better support employees experiencing menopause?
44:10 - Can men also experience menopause?
47:30 - Are there higher risk groups that will experience a more difficult perimenopausal period?
51:45 - Are there special considerations organisations with a predominantly female workforce need to be aware of?
54:40 - What is a menopause policy?
57:09 - What are the key findings from the largest menopause survey?
1:00:50 - What is Linda's one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Linda:


https://menodoctor.com/pages/about
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindamdear/?originalSubdomain=nz 

Helpful resources:

Perimenopausal or Menopausal Quiz:
https://menodoctor.com/pages/about#quiz-qrHPoP

Learn more about Clearhead:


https://www.myclearhead.com/

Addiction is a major global issue. While it may be seen as ‘part of our culture’ to use alcohol or even recreational drugs to unwind and celebrate important milestones, substance abuse often goes unnoticed until it has already taken a toll on our relationships, safety, and mental health. Whereby, the Alcohol and drug foundation states that 1 in 3 adults drink alcohol at levels that put them at risk of alcohol-related disease or injury. In this episode, we’ll be unpacking how and why people become addicted to substances, and what we can do to help people overcome addiction.

Kenenth’s biography:

Dr. Kenneth Leonard is the Director of the Clinical Institute on Addictions, and Research Professor in Psychiatry at the University at Buffalo Medical School in New York. He is a member of multiple research journals' editorial boards and various research organisations specialising in alcoholism. Kenneth is internationally recognised for his research on the impact of substance abuse on relationships and has published more than 200 articles, including on the topic of alcohol's influence on domestic violence and child development, and the role of family in the prevention and treatment of addiction.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

2:30 - Why Kenneth started his research on alcoholism?
3:40 - What causes addiction?
5:55 - What is considered heavy and regular drinking?
8:10 - Who is susceptible to addiction? 9.50 - Why do people self medicate with drugs and alcohol? 11:28 - What is the first step to reducing our dependency on using substances?
13:53 - How to assess your level of addiction?
15:07 - Negative impact of alcohol on marriages and child development.
18:35 - Role of marriage and childbirth in reducing addiction.
20:25 - What are the advantages of children with secure attachment?
21:50 - How you social environment influences your level of addiction.
23:45 - How to build self awareness about your level of addiction?
25:40 - Why we should not protect our loved ones from the consequences of their addiction.
27:22 - Tips on how to approach people about their drinking.
29:15 - When should you approach them about their drinking?
34:55 - How many times do people need treatment before they recover?
35:37 - What are the treatment options out there?
39:25 - How to put a plan in place to prevent relapse
44:51 - Cold turkey vs gradual reduction 46.33 - What can you do if rehab hasn't worked
47:50 - Are there generational differences in substance abuse
50:00 - What to know about cannabis use
51:57 - what government policies can help with reducing substance abuse?
53:13 - What is the role of alcohol in domestic violence
56:12 - What is Ken's one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Kenneth:
Website: www.buffalo.edu/cria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UBResearchInstituteonAddictions?ref=hi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UB_RIA


Helpful resources:

Check Your Drinking Tool: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/checkyourdrinking/index.html

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/

Everyone has their own challenges to face, but have you ever considered yourself to be an obstacle in your mental health journey? Whether you are aware of it or not, it’s easier than you think to find yourself ‘in your own mental prison,’ letting certain doubts and beliefs hold you back from your full potential. In this webinar, we are joined by Dr. Paul Wood, who will help us learn how turn our post traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth.

Paul’s Biography:

Dr. Paul Wood, best-selling author of bestselling author of “How to Escape from Prison” and “Mental Fitness” will be sharing how to use your experiences to inspire you and lift you up, rather than hold you down. Paul has dealt with his own fair share of grief, fear, and troubling times, overcoming a situation that felt hopeless and a 10-year prison sentence to become a beacon of hope for those in similar circumstances. Now a thriving husband, father, and speaker, he has dedicated his life to helping people become mentally fit and ‘free,’ able to turn their darkest moments into valuable lessons that make them stronger and more equipped to build a life they are proud of.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

2:20 - Reflecting on our mental state when experiencing problems.
5:05 - What were the factors that led Paul to commit murder and get sent to prison for 10 years?
9:35 - How Paul processed being sexually abused as a youth to prevent himself from developing PTSD.
13:30 - The power of therapy in recovering from trauma.
15:25 - What are your mental health symptoms trying to tell you?
17:50 - How to adopt a trauma-informed approach to become a better person.
19:55 - What was the turning point for Paul to change his life and mindset?
21:30 - What is post traumatic growth and the importance of having a sense of progress.
27:50 - How to develop a “stress is enhancing” mindset to stay resilient.
29:15 - How to cope with multiple life challenges at once when you are emotionally fatigued.
33:25 - What are the habits needed to stay mentally fit and overcome adversity?
40:30 - How to change your social circles if they are not healthy for you.
45:50 - How to stop comparing your life with others.
48:35 - How do we escape the prison of our mind and self actualize.
51:24 - The importance of work life balance and investing in your personal relationships.
52:45 - What is Paul’s one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Paul:
https://paulwood.com/

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/

There are lots of studies that show innovation is unlocked when you have a diverse workforce that brings together individuals with unique perspectives, knowledge, and experiences. However, if we are not equipped with the right tools to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, we risk continuing to disproportionately affect underrepresented communities by failing to construct a safe psychosocial environment for everyone.


In today’s webinar we will speak with Meghna Majmudar from Ready Set to discuss the trials that underrepresented communities face in the workforce, and the practical, actionable steps we can take to create an environment where cultural differences are not only acknowledged, but integrated into every aspect of the organisation.


Meghna's Biography:

Meghna is an experienced anthropologist, strategist, and transformational neuro-linguistic programming practitioner and through her work, she has learnt how to highlight where unfair power imbalances are occurring and propose solutions to help people feel safe in their identities at work.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:

2:00 - How Meghna got started.
3:45 - What does the minority experience feel like?
5:00 - How to balance assimilation vs authentically showing your identity.
8:00 - Using the term "Underestimated identity" to reframe underrepresented communities.
9:28 - When does bias become negative?
11:15 - How does bias enter the workplace?
13:12 - What are the 4 stages of the DEI maturity model?
16:20 - How do you give feedback in a safe and culturally appropriate manner?
24:15 - What does having an 'overly nice' work culture mean?
27:26 - How to use the ROPA framework to decide whether to speak out about bias at work.
30:20 - How can implementing DEI go wrong at work?
38:00 - What is real allyship for minorities?
46:00 - What is the communication style needed to support DEI?
51:28 - How to navigate the difference in generational attitude at work.
54:30 - What does successful DEI implementation look like?
56:05 - What is Meghna's one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Meghna:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghnamajmudar/

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/

Most people would like to know how to become a high performer, or at the very least more confident and less self-critical. However, the secret habits and quiet discipline to build the resilience required in becoming the best is not always easily understood. Whether it is imposter syndrome or self-sabotage that is preventing us from unlocking our true potential, there are simple steps we can take to overcome our brain’s inherent bias and limitations in the face of failure.

To help us unpack the psychology behind high performance and consistently enter a state of flow, even for those of us who are not professional athletes, is Dr. Nate Zinsser.

Nate’s biography:

Dr. Nate Zinsser is an expert in the psychology of human performance and have consulted with many high performing individuals and organisations seeking a competitive edge. Dr Zinsser has been at the forefront of applied sport psychology for over thirty years and is the Director of a cutting edge program at the United States Military Academy’s Center for Enhanced Performance, personally conducting over seventeen thousand individual training sessions and seven hundred team training sessions for cadets seeking the mental edge for athletic, academic, and military performance. He is also the author of multiple research papers, a textbook and his latest book, The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide for Unshakable Performance has been endorsed by Olympic coaches and more.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions.
2:44 - What got Nate interested in understanding the psychology of high performers?
4:10 - What is the role of psychology on top of raw talent in high performers?
6:22 - What is the number 1 myth about becoming a high performer?
9:53 - How can one consistently enter a state of flow?
13:07 - What are techniques to quieten your inner critic and build self confidence?
22:18 - Why do we constantly have so many negative thoughts?
26:23 - How do you know if you are a high performer or not?
30:35 - How to assess for high performers in job interviews.
32:35 - How does self sabotage prevent people from unlocking their true potential.
35:35 - How can one overcome imposter syndrome through positive affirmation?
40:29 - Can one overcome failure by just working on our strengths?
43:28 - How does one develop resilience in the face of failure by recognising our brain's attribution bias?
46:26 -...