Potential Psychology

How does where you work affect how you feel and behave? And is there a better way to build workspaces so that we can thrive and flourish at work?These are the questions that my guest and I explore in this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast.Dr Jacqueline Vischer is Professor Emeritus at the University of Montreal, an environmental psychologist, author, consultant and expert in how the space we work in affects the way we think, feel and behave.Jacqueline's consulting agency Buildings-In-Use advises companies and government agencies on planning, designing, implementing and managing new and innovative workspaces. She also teaches and researches on the social and behavioral impacts of workspace innovation. In this conversation we discuss: •Environmental psychology and how our built environment affects how we think, feel and behave. •Why we tolerate outside noise at work but can't stand our desk neighbour's phone conversations. •The human need for personal space at work •Technology, Activity Based Working

Today we are talking about one of my favourite topics - Sleep! My guest is Dr Kate Sprecher and she is speaking to me from Colorado, in the United States, where she a is post-doctoral researcher in the Sleep and Chronobiology Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder.Kate's passion is understanding how sleep affects our physical and mental health with her guiding question being, 'How we can get the best sleep possible?'In this conversation I ask Kate about: •The impact of sleep (or lack of it) on our health and wellbeing •How she and her team study sleep in the lab •Her tips for better sleep, and •Her recommended resources for learning more about better sleep and how to get it.We also discuss: •The impact of our natural and unnatural environments on our sleep cycles •The role of sleep for the human body, from how we think and feel to the impact on our hormones and even deep down to our mollecular level •The simple strategies we can use to maximise the quality of our sleep for greater happiness and wellbeing.

Today I am kicking off the first of a few conversations specific to well being within particular professions.My guest for this episode has spent 10 years researching why the mental health of Veterinarians has become so compromised and what can be done about it.Dr Nadine Hamilton is a psychologist who has worked with Vets in her private practice to help them develop better coping strategies and get on top of stress and psychological fatigue to avoid burnout and prevent suicide. She also works with veterinary practice managers and owners to increase wellbeing, productivity and the retention of vets in the workplace - and she is the author of a new book, 'Coping with Stress and Burnout as a Veterinarian'Listen in as Nadine and I discuss: •The 'Dark Side' of the Veterinary Profession •Sources of stress for Vets and their colleagues •The ways in which Positive Psychology and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy can help •Nadine's Coping and Wellbeing Program for Veterinary ProfessionalsA 'must listen' conversation

I'm delighted to have Matthew Condie on the podcast for this episode.Matt is the kind of eclectic psychologist that I love talking to. He's held several key roles in clinical psychology including child protection, youth and adult mental health, forensic drug and alcohol, emergency psychiatric services, perinatal and infant mental health, and refugee mental health working in refugee camps overseas. But Matt also has sport in his veins and he works with athletes and as an educator in the United States, teaching in the area of Sport and Performance psychology and leadership.In this conversation Matt and I traverse the terrains of identity, vulnerability, self compassion and leadership. •We explore the different identities that we possess - worker, family member, child, sibling, partner, parent - and how it's easy to get lost in these to the detriment of who we are as individuals. •We discuss values and how knowing your core values helps you stay true to yourself •Matt introduces us to self-compassion and its imp

Do you know how to keep your brain healthy and well as you age?That's what we're talking about in this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast. My guest is psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Desiree Dickerson who joins me from a little Spanish town near Denia. Desiree's passion is sharing up-to-date, science-backed tools and lifestyle strategies to stay mentally sharp and improve your brain health today and for the years to come.She gives public talks on brain health and well-being and runs workshops on how to rewire your brain for effective behaviour, habit change and lifelong wellbeing.In this episode I ask Desiree,'Why should we keep our brain healthy?''How do we do it?'And'What does it take to keep our brain resilient to reduce the risk of dementia in later life?'Desiree shares her five strategies for staying mentally sharp and building a resilient brain. She also recommends some great resources for learning more about the vital but often overlooked power centre we possess between our ears.Join me for

My guest today has found a way to take the human experiences that we're often not great at talking about openly and make them accessible through story and story telling.Her name is Anna Box. She is a psychologist and story strategist and on any given day she might be working with screenwriters and actors on unpacking a character's psychology, or working with an elite sport organisation on narrative, or working with a school to bring together positive psychology with spirituality and faith based messaging - or maybe teaching leaders about The Hero's Journey.Anna's work explores stories and film and research and well being and performance and thriving. She is passionate about everything she does and that passion spills forth in every word of this conversation.Join me and Anna as we discuss: •The stories we tell ourselves - how they help and how they hinder us •Unpacking and understanding our stories in order to grow and flourish •Qualitative research and understanding what counts and what doesn't •Branding, str

Tired of nagging and arguing with the kids? Today's guest suggests that you flip the switch to positive for happier, healthier kids and greater harmony for the whole family.Professor Lea Waters is one of the world's leading experts on Positive Education, Positive Organizations and Strength-Based Parenting and Teaching. She's a psychologist, the president of the international positive psychology association, the Founding Director of Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Melbourne.Lea is also author of The Strengths Switch: How the new science of strength-based parenting can help your child and your teen to flourishNow before you imagine her as someone so impossibly smart and talented and therefore nothing like you and I, she is also a parent, who due to a difficult upbringing herself, was determined to parent differently, successfully and with a wealth of research behind her approach.Join me as I talk to Lea about: •Strength-based parenting - What are strengths and how do you identify them in your ch

Has the mental health pendulum swung too far?Distress is a contentious topic. We no longer accept 'toughen up, don't cry' as the appropriate message for our kids, schools, even workplaces but my guest today argues that 'medicalising' distress and jumping too quickly to diagnoses and clinical support might not be helping either.Professor Lindsay Oades is the Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology at The Melbourne Graduate School of Education. He firmly believes that "wellbeing is everybody's business" and his mission is to enable others to enable others. In this episode of The Potential Psychology Podcast Lindsay and I discuss: •How we learn to thrive and the complexity of well being •Sharing the language of well being •Putting well being on the agenda at a national and international level •Aiming for more than the prevention of illness •How our schools and communities act as a lever for healthier generations •Lindsay's 'thrivability theory'.It's a conversation that will inspire you to think about prep

With me in this episode is Dr Adrian Medhurst. Adrian is a psychologist, speaker, author and thought leader on a mission to optimise performance and wellbeing for people and organisations. He specialises in performance psychology, wellbeing science, mindfulness, innovation and emerging technology.Adrian is the author of "Meditate on This: The Science of Mindfulness" and the CEO of - Benny Button, a wellbeing and performance business.Adrian describes himself as 'dedicated to improving the lives of as many people as possible through wellbeing and performance initiatives.' A man after my own heart!During our conversation, Adrian and I cover: •Agility and finding the balance between wellbeing and performance •Using little tweaks to enhance our happiness •How to live well and have impact •Mindfulness and the skill of being self aware •Mastering daily stress, and •Benny Button's 8 Factor Model for Wellbeing and Performance.Adrian is also offering listeners a chance to try the Benny Button Wellbeing and Performance

We're back with Season 4 of the Potential Psychology Podcast!In this mini episode I give you the low-down on the up coming expert guests and topics for another insightful and inspiring 10 week listening experience.Are you ready to learn from some of the world's authorities on wellbeing, performance, parenting and mastering your mind and behaviour?Are you ready to fulfil your potential?Come listen in! I'm looking forward to sharing the season with you.If you're new to the podcast, you can catch up on past seasons at http://potential.com.au/podcastOnwards and upwards,Ellen.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/potentialpsychology/message To hear more, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Drowning in email? Swamped by notifications? Stressed by endless work demands?How do you disconnect in a working world that's switched on 24/7? In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast I talk to Dr Melissa Marot, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Organisational Psychologist about work, stress, technology and finding balance in a constantly connected world.I ask Melissa: •What happens in our brain when we're stressed? •How should we respond to stressful situations at work? •What does the changing nature of work, workplaces and constant contact mean for stress and wellbeing? •How do we set expectations and boundaries to better manage 24/7 connection? •What are her tips for managing email inbox overwhelm?Melissa also shares: •The importance of decompression, healthy routines and working with intention. •How to create a life in which you actively and intentionally switch on and switch off. •Burnout - What are the physical and psychological symptoms?If you want to better balance work and life, listen in!-

It's time to talk on the podcast about work and the role that work plays in our well being.Joining me for this episode is Organisational Psychologist and well being expert Karen Gillespie from the New South Wales-based consulting firm EEK & Sense. Karen is passionate about helping us get the blend right between our work and non-work lives, meeting the daily challenges of being at our best, feeling fulfilled at work, staying physically fit and healthy and being present for the other significant people in our lives. She tries to 'practice what she preaches' by not only running a thriving business with her business partner Audrey McGibbon but also spending time with her family, walking her dog, doing yoga and taking good, long holidays.During our conversation I ask Karen: •What are the wellbeing challenges for leaders in all organisations? •How do you lead and grow a business and still be the best parent, best partner and best person you can be? •Why leaders? •What is existential wellbeing? •Why is intellect

This episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast is for the men and boys - and the parents and partners of men and boys.My guest is Carl Nelms, psychologist and founder of Blokes Psychology, a psychology practice in Melbourne, Australia dedicated solely to males. During his training Carl noticed that many of our therapeutic services are designed for 'therapy lovers' and those open to discussion of feelings, emotional needs and concepts like mindfulness. It was his judgement, as a psychologist, a man and a mental health practitioner working primarily with men that this ruled many men out as therapy's target audience. They weren't attracted to these ideas. They were comfortable seeking help from these services. The 'branding' was all wrong.So Carl started Blokes Psychology to offer a plain-speaking, male oriented form of therapy - and it's working!In this episode I ask Carl; •What brings men to therapy? •What do parents of boys need to know to help their sons to thrive and flourish? •How can men help each other

"This is a generation that is ­really struggling. It speaks to me of a lack of ­resilience. The bottom line is that I don't think we are preparing even the little kids or the biggest kids for adversity.'' That's my guest, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, talking about the mental health and well being of our young people - the topic of this episode's podcast discussion. Michael is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists, author of 11 books, broadcaster and a specialist in parenting, children, adolescents and the use of technology for mental health. He is a media commentator, columnist for a number of national publications and the resident parenting expert for several high rating Australian television and radio programs. This was a challenging interview for me. As an incurable optimist it was difficult to face the dismal facts that Michael presented regarding the state of youth mental health here in Australia. I didn't resist, deny or despair as I was inclined to though. I got curious and asked the question, 'Wh

We are turning our attention to kids and young people for our next couple of episodes of the podcast and in this episode I'm talking to psychologist Rachel Colla from Merakai about helping our kids to find a sense of hope and purpose. Merakai is an educational consultancy that helps schools and organisations to lead the way in wellbeing and performance. Rachel is the Director. She is also a speaker, facilitator, Lecturer at The University of Melbourne's Centre for Positive Psychology and mum to four girls. Rachel is passionate about helping us all to achieve optimal wellbeing and happiness in our lives in order to be better parents, friends, colleagues and members of our community and this passion shines through in our conversation.We cover: •The psychological nature of hope. It's not just 'fingers crossed for the future'! •The role that hope plays in kids' well being, persistence and resilience •Practical tips for helping kids to develop hope and succeed at school and in life •How to discover your purpose

We all eat but have you given much thought to why you eat what you eat? Or when you eat? Or how you eat? Have you thought about your relationship with food?My guest today is Dr Naomi Malone, from A Life Simply Lived, a rural psychology practice located in Boort, a town of just under 900 people in the Mallee District of Northern Victoria .Naomi has a specialist interest in eating psychology and the intersection between nutrition and mental health. She's fascinated by our relationship with food and eating and she works with her clients to uncover what helps and hinders them when it comes to what they eat and the impact that this has on their emotional and physical wellbeing.In this episode Naomi and I discuss: •The psychology of eating •The rules we set ourselves when it comes to food •The role of gut health in our mental health •The mind-body connection and the importance of food •Our toolkit for eating for better wellbeing •The importance of savouring •Mindful eating and what we can learn from kids We also c

Ever felt nervous before a big presentation, exam or performance? The sweaty palms? Jumpy tummy? Racing heart?Have you noticed what where your mind goes in these moments? Do worries of impending disaster or freezing at the critical moment creep in? Want to know how to manage your mind - and your nerves?Joining me for Episode 24 of the Potential Psychology Podcast is psychologist, music teacher, concert pianist and performance coach Anastasia Hronis. Anastasia is an expert performer, making her solo debut as a pianist at the Sydney Opera House at the ripe old age of six and more recently performing - again as a soloist - at Carnegie Hall in New York. With her combination of performance credentials and psychological knowledge she knows a thing or two about conquering your nerves to produce a stellar performance - in whatever you do.Today Anastasia and I discuss: •The role of nerves in performance and making those nerves your friend •The importance of mental preparation, not just practice •Why you shouldn't beli

We all know what we're supposed to do achieve our study, work and life goals but we rarely do it, do we? Instead we procrastinate and worry, waste time and stress ourselves out.My guests today are co-authors of a new book, 'The Rubber Brain: A toolkit for optimising your study, work and life!' and we're talking about the emotional and motivational factors that cause us to stumble when we're pursuing our goals.Associate Professor Jacquelyn Cranney from UNSW is passionate about leading education innovation. She researches in the areas of student learning, success and wellbeing, and she's very keen to spread the word about how to be a happier human, particularly when studying.Dr. Sue Morris is a Lecturer in Psychology at UNSW, also with a focus on student wellbeing and flourishing. She been a director on the Board of a kindergarten to year 12 school for 10 years so she is well versed in the whole student life cycle AND she's currently parenting her second consecutive Year 12 student, so the idea of enhancing stu

My guest for this episode is Dee Anderson, a Performance and Wellbeing Specialist who has worked with some of the world's most successful elite athletes to assist them with transitions in their lives and their personal development.Dee is a Director of the Performance and Transition Institute. She has been a national leader in the world of University sport and the development of student athletes. She is a director of Australian University Sport, the National Rugby league Players Ass (NRLPA), the Michael Hughes foundation and the International College of Management, Sydney.Dee has been acknowledged worldwide for her contribution to elite athletes, and has a lifelong commitment to supporting the development of young people.Dee and I enjoy a wide-ranging conversation about the psychological life of elite athletes and the many complex factors that affect athlete well being. It's not all about sport though! As Dee and I talk, we discover the many parallels between well being in sporting life, family life and work l

My guest today is Caroline Anderson from Performance Edge Psychology. Caroline is one of those people who seems to have hit the talent jackpot. She not only runs two successful psychology practices, she also delivers programs and workshops to athletes, sporting organisations and corporate clients on high performance and wellbeing AND she is a former Olympic athlete herself.In this episode Caroline and I discuss the role of the mind and wellbeing in peak performance.We cover: •The psychological link between performance and well being •What psychology offers athletes and high performers •How managing your mind, attention and emotions help you to perform at your best in any high stakes environment •How elite sports performance is like wrangling a toddler! •The importance of learning to rest and recover from our everyday 'mental marathons' •How to find ways to improve your performance that don't involve working harder and longer •What Caroline learned about performance and wellbeing as an Olympic athlete--- Send