Minding Your Mind

Sometimes you care about someone and you want to tell them something important like, "You're very negative about things," or, "I wonder if you might be depressed." How do we decide whether to share these hard truths? How do we have these scary conversations, where the person might get angry or upset? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindi...

Everyone has at least a little bit of leisure time. What is the best way to spend it? Should we be active and exercise and learn stuff, or is it better to have a rest and slump in front of the telly? What is the best mix, so we get the most out of life and recharge our batteries? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠...

At work we co-operate, but we also compete with each other. The higher you go, the less room there is. Which is better for our mental health, co-operation or competition? The answer might not be as clear as you think. How do we find the best mix of the two? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

How much power do you have? In your job, in your relationships, in your life? How does having power affect our mental health? How does a sense of powerlessness affect it? And does power corrupt? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. T...

We often discuss strategies we can use to maintain and improve our mental health BUT not every strategy works for everyone. The important thing is to find the ones that work best for you, so that when you feel stressed, anxious or depressed, you know what specific things you can do that will help you feel better. In this ep, we explain how to find out what are the things that work for you. If you...

Privilege is a special, often unearned, advantage, available only to those in specific groups, often based on race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability, sexuality, age, education level and more. Is it unfair? Is it important to be aware of our privilege? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Is loving yourself really the greatest love of all? What is loving yourself? Is it healthy? Or can it veer into arrogant narcissism?  If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and support services, you can co...

How does having a pet affect your mental health? Is it good for us to have a dog, cat or stick insect to take care of? Why do some people like having a pet more than others? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about dep...

What is a gifted child? What are the signs a child might be gifted? If you have a gifted child what should you do? What happens to gifted children when they grow into gifted adults? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more abo...

Is boredom the enemy? Or can it also be a gateway? Should boredom be rigorously avoided, or can it lead to the creation of new ideas? Most importantly, should you give a kid in a pram an iPad to prevent them risk of boredom? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d...

Is homesickness about missing home, or missing people at home? Or is it really just travel anxiety? Whatever it is, how do we deal with homesickness? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression and support services...

Sometimes we read something, or someone says something, that just sounds wise. What is wisdom? What is it made up of? Is it knowledge plus experience plus good judgment? Can we learn to be wise? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find o...

If something bad happens, it’s natural to think of ourselves as a victim: of crime, of  cancer, of harassment. Does identifying as a victim help us process what happened and move on? Or can it suggest a powerlessness, which might actually inhibit our ability to actively recover? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treats depression and other mental illnesses by stimulating parts of the brain. How does it work? Do TMS and other brain stimulation treatments have the potential to improve the way mental illness is treated? Professor Paul Fitzgerald from ANU joins us. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmai...

Being able to make decisions about our life is good for our mental health, but the desire to control  everything  – our environment and other people – can become unpleasant. Where does the urge to be controlling come from? What are the signs you’re in a relationship with someone controlling? What is the right balance between being in control of life, but not becoming a control freak? If you have a...

Obesity rates in Australia are 8 percent for children and 32 percent for adults. Plus, another 18 percent of children and 34 percent of adults are overweight. What is the relationship between our weight and our mental health? Is there a link between obesity and poor mental health, especially depression and anxiety? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In old books and films, sometimes people "go insane" as if a switch had flicked. Now we know that mental health is a spectrum, not a switch. So, what relevance do the terms "sanity" and "insanity" have today? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topi...

Through life we are regularly confronted with tricky decisions. What do I do after school ends? What job should I apply for? What career? What partner? Where do I live? Should I have kids? How should we make decisions? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them t...

Most things humans do have some purpose. Anxiety helps us identify threats and prepare for them. Depression, though, does not seem like something that aids our survival. But does it? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depres...

Ever feel really irritated with everyone, about everything? What is irritability? Why can it descend on us?  What can we do about it? How do you deal with someone who is irritable? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics you’d like them to cover. To find out more about depression...

Being embarrassed is surely one of the worst feelings in the world. You say or do something wrong, then feel incredibly self-conscious, and wish the ground would swallow you up. What is embarrassment? Why does it happen? What’s going on with the red cheeks? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know...

There’s listening, and then there’s  active  listening. When we talk to someone who has a mental health issue, active listening is much better than normal listening. In fact, active listening is better whenever we’re talking to  anyone . What is it, and how do we do it? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Le...

What role can a community organisation play in improving the mental health of people? Can solving local problems within communities improve the mental health of those who live in them? How well are governments doing in responding to mental health challenges in communities? Executive director of Australians for Mental Health Chris Gambian joins us. If you have any questions or comments, email Ian a...

It’s good to have a busy, active life, but for good mental health, we also need to find some peace and contentment. Is that harder now than it was in simpler times? How do we find those moments of peace? When life is challenging, how can we find contentment?  If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know a...

People often say their friends will always support them. But should they? When a friend does something you think is bad, should you be an uncritical source of support? Or is a good friend someone who can tell you when you’re making bad decisions? If you have any questions or comments, email Ian and James at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindingyourmind2@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  . Let them know any other topics...