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I love this one. #midding #dictionaryofobscures

I love this one.

#midding

#dictionaryofobscuresorrows

It’s round about this time of year that I start

It’s round about this time of year that I start to get reflective about the year coming to a close.

Something that has meant so much to me this year are the friendships that I’ve forged with other psychologists, counselors and mental health practitioners.

The work we do can be somewhat isolating and incredibly diverse. Although we often work directly with clients (not always) we don’t always get heaps of time to reflect upon the nature of the work we do and how it impacts us - both professionally and personally.

So, on a whim (and with further encouragement & reassurance from @thejocelynbrewer when I was going to pull the plug last min) I invited a small group of practitioners to get together, connect, reflect and explore why we do what we do and what it does for us.

Quite serendipitously, we landed with a warm, curious and supportive bunch of people who are open and vulnerable about their own processes as therapists.

It’s been an intimate community that has helped me feel distinctly less alone as a practitioner, and also has expanded my awareness of the views and approaches of other people working in this field.

Thank you to all the beautiful people who have joined me for a SHRNKS session this year! It’s been such a gift and I can’t wait to dig back in with more meet-ups next year. 🪩

For the most part, many of us know what steps (sma

For the most part, many of us know what steps (small or large) are needed to nudge us closer to the happier, wiser, healthier, calmer, braver and kinder people we want to be.

The challenge is actually taking these steps - adopting these new behaviours and casting off others that - while comforting - might be restricting our growth and potential for happiness & fulfillment.

It’s a comfort to know that back in 300AUD St Augustine was grappling with a similar challenge - fearing to “find happiness” in its true place, in those behaviours or habits or actions we routinely deny or resist because they appear too challenging or unfamiliar to our well-worn paths of comfort and routine.

There is a perverse part of us that *doesn’t want* these behaviour shifts to work. Because we want full permission to indulge in our comfortable habits and routines without the nagging notion that they’re actually eroding our health, vitality and quality of life. But the curse of knowledge is that, we can’t reclaim ignorance.

Anyone who:
👉has quit an addictive behaviour
👉 has left a familiar but toxic relationship👉 has left a job or life path to pursue something more meaningful and aligned ~
will tell you that the grappling with the potential for a happier, healthier life comes with the struggle, grief and loss of abandoning a large part of oneself. Perhaps even, alongside the wish that this abandonment will work out for the best, a similar wish is that this effortful moral shift of behaviour will backfire and allow that old part of ourselves (gripped to the substance, or relationship, or unfulfilling job) to say “haha I told you so!”

Know that if you’re grappling with this tension, you’re not alone. We come complete with an army of selves, all competing, vying and negotiating for prominence. Wisdom comes from knowing how to manage this internal chorus, whose words to heed and whose words to let go.

#quote #philosophy #habit #psychology #authenticity

The legends over at @reachout_aus are doing such g

The legends over at @reachout_aus are doing such great stuff to support and educate young people around mental health - which is so important, considering over 40% of young people in Australia experience mental health issues.

So they’re chucking a fundraiser tomorrow, where you can get wacky with fairy bread and help raise money to support @reachout_aus and all the amazing work they’re doing.

For the month of November, Aussie owned confectionery company Dollar Sweets will donate 10 cents from every sale of their 100’s and 1000’s sold to support ReachOut, with fairy bread lovers also able to donate directly via fairybreadday.com until the 1st of December. ✌️

(Thanks heaps for the stash of sprinkles. Levon is going to lose it. 😅)

#reachout #fairybreadday #reachoutaustralia #mentalhealth

HAPPY #AUSMUSICTSHIRTDAY FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE.

HAPPY #AUSMUSICTSHIRTDAY FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE. And a very special thanks to all you legends who donated to @supportact 🤘 (You can still chuck us a donation via my link in stories)

On this momentous day, I thought I’d take a walk down memory lane and share a few of my favorite Aussie music moments (conveniently captured with photographic integrity) - swipe to see:

1. My fam reppin’ for #ausmusictshirtday
2. Flashing Michael on the Charles Bridge in Prague where the film clip to “Never Tear Us Apart” was filmed
3. Smooching my Big Day Out bff @whiskisser even though she flat-out refused to come watch @jet.theband with me
4. Performing with my first ever covers band Agent69 (lol) and ripping into a killer rendition of Bow River
5. Me & mum ready to enjoy Dale Ryder high-as-a-kite performing with Boom Crash Opera at Bridge Hotel
6. Taking snaps of @tenderfoothq as they recorded some of their debut album To Be Young
7. Performing with The Shuffle @brassmonkeycronulla where we cut loose on some AC/DC numbers
8. At our wedding reception where everyone was scream-swearing in the appropriate section of The Angels “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again”
9. Levon’s first #ausmusictshirtday
10. Levon finally nailing the intro to TNT

I love Aussie music. Let’s keep supporting those who make it happen. 🪩✌️

Funny, cute and unhinged memories from this weeken

Funny, cute and unhinged memories from this weekend when (one of) my divine little sisters got married to the King of the Sea.

My contribution to the festivities included supplying a toddler to shriek right through the vow exchange.

A beautiful treasure trove of memorable moments, wallabies, leeches and lots of laughter.

Swipe to the last vid for an ASMR experience.

I think, for many of us, this is the ultimate goal

I think, for many of us, this is the ultimate goal of therapy, of personal growth, of finding balance.

When we can non-judgmentally confront our present experience/emotional states/relationships/work life, etc. we can develop a clearer and more balanced view of what we are working with.

And when we hold the possibility of a beautiful future close within us, we allow it to become part of us too - infusing our present with different types of action, choices and purpose.

I aim to consistently train both of these aspects of growth, as fostering equanimity in the present moment is often a challenge for me, and being hopeful for the future can also devolve into anxiety and pessimism.

What do I do?

For present moment okayness: I meditate. Every day for 10min. I also have a regular yoga practice, which supports this too.

For future possibility: I invest ~ in my relationships (with time, communication & gratitude), in my skills and interests (through reading, studying, research, etc) and in my body (exercise, sleep, self-care, etc). Even the smallest investment of time and energy can compound and have remarkable long-term results.

Wishing you energy and clarity on your quest to be okay with what is and to be hopeful for what could be. ✌️

#psychology #mindfulness

Grateful to everyone who was a part of our SOUND M

Grateful to everyone who was a part of our SOUND MINDS: SYDNEY event at @thegreatclubsydney last week.

Big love to @odette @davejenkinsjr & @cyrusvill for sharing your stories and wisdom! And @kaatfishh for being coordination queen extraordinaire!

We’ll be coming to MELB next for Mon 5 Dec and joined by some cool guests! You can find the link to register via my highlights! 🤙

📸 @georgiajanegriffiths

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