Mental Health

Financial stress - according to Money and Insurance Expert, Bessie Hassan from finder.com.au, “It’s never pleasant to feel the pressures that go hand-in-hand with financial strain. Thankfully though, there is a wide range of resources available to help us address our finances accordingly and prevent us from feeling overwhelmed.” In her latest article for HIF, Bessie offers her advice on how to manage these pressures effectively and highlights her top online tools to utilise.

Did you know that exercise is one of the most commonly used and one of the most effective “stress busters” and antidepressants there is, as well as being one of the simplest, cheapest and most powerful happiness boosters! According to mental health professional, Dr. Happy, "Happy people tend to be healthier, they get sick less often and if they do get sick they recover more quickly; controlling for other variables happy people actually live longer! So, it’s generally not all that hard to convince people that exercise is good for them but given this, it’s disappointing when we look at the research and see how few people do it often enough." With this in mind, we chatted to Dr. Happy to get his top tips that will enhance your motivation and help you get moving and get happy.

How can we help our kids thrive? According to Dr. Happy, "The answer is “non-judgemental observation”. That is, observing phenomena (like thoughts and feelings) with curiosity but without labelling as either good or bad. This type of mindful parenting gives us the opportunity to respond more calmly; more positively; with the best interests of all involved given more weight. It puts space between a particular action and a parents reaction, enabling us to feel more in control and to act in a more considered manner." So how do we put this into practice? Check out this article to read Dr. Happy's top five tips.

Why are zzz’s so important for your overall health? According to Psychologist Dr. Happy, “The average Australian sleeps one hour less each night than what they need - this sort of sleep deprivation is a massive problem. Why? Well, lack of sleep doesn’t just lead to tiredness; it has also been found to be associated with impaired cognitive functioning (thinking), difficulty concentrating and remembering, poorer decision-making, moodiness and relationship problems, increased risk of cardiovascular problems and even weight gain." The good news, however, is that there are steps you can take to ensure you get good quality sleep that will improve your physical and mental health. In this article, Dr. Happy provides his top 10 tips to get a better nights sleep. 

Loneliness - what exactly is it? According to Dr Happy, "It is one of the most significant contributors to poor health and disability. Unfortunately, it is on the rise and the remedy is not as simple as finding more friends or spending more time with others. In this article, Dr. Happy offers his advice on how to deal with loneliness and the importance of appreciating the loved ones in our lives. 

Could a hug a day keep the doctor away? According to psychologist and mental health blogger, Dr. Happy, "Research has shown that hugs cause us to feel “warm and fuzzy” inside as well as more socially connected. Hugs, and physical contact more generally, improve the intimacy of our close relationships and they’re even beneficial for our social relationships too. They lower blood pressure and some studies suggest they might even alleviate fears and anxieties. Physical contact with a loved one has also been found to slow heart rates and reduce stress." In this article, Dr. Happy discusses the healing power of hugs. 

It’s almost a new year and with it come the New Year’s resolutions. According to mental health expert Dr. Happy, "If you’re feeling anxious and stressed about your New Year’s Resolutions then something’s not quite right; and if something’s not quite right, you’re not as likely to be motivated to do what you need to do to achieve your goals.  Resolutions, which is really just another way of describing goals, should be exciting and stimulating; they should stretch you and motivate you to achieve and to be more. But they shouldn’t cause excessive amounts of stress or anxiety." We caught up with Dr. Happy to get his advice on how to set achievable goals which will help motivate and inspire you. 

Do you have a friend or relative who suffers from anxiety? According to Mental Health Advisor Dr. Happy, "The Festive Season is, for many, a time of joy and happiness. But the Festive Season is also, for some, a stressful period during which unpleasant emotions such as depression, loneliness, stress and anxiety can become exaggerated and troublesome."  With this in mind, we caught up with Dr. Happy to get his top 10 tips for helping a friend with anxiety this Christmas. We hope you find them useful! 

Negative emotions are normal aspects of life. In fact according to Dr. Happy, "We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t, sometimes, feel upset; including feeling anxious and stressed. In fact, stress and anxiety are human emotions; without which we probably would not have survived or evolved as a species. This is true for our children, just as it is for us as adults. So the question is - how do we determine when “normal” stress becomes “abnormal” and what can we do about it? In this article Dr. Happy offers his advice on the practical strategies we can implement if our children are excessively worrying or upset about school and/or its impact on their academic or social functioning. 

Did you know up to 40% of Australians will experience a panic attack at some time in their life? According to our resident mental health blogger, Dr Happy, “Panic attacks are discrete episodes of intense anxiety and physiological arousal, to such an extent that sufferers feel they’re going to faint, go crazy or even die. There is, however, some good news; and that’s that despite panic attacks being very distressing and potentially very disabling, they’re also very treatable in the majority of cases. In this article, Tim discusses the key components of effective treatment and the powerful and effective anxiety management strategies we can do to manage panic ourselves.