Dr Zoe

21/11/2025

I’m finally om Instagram! 🎉

If you like the neuroscience and practical tools for wellbeing I share here, you’ll find more short videos and bite-sized content over on Insta at

This Facebook space is staying for longer posts and articles.

Come follow on Instagram if you want quick, real-world wellbeing tools in your feed. 💚

19/11/2025

Beers, barbecues and men’s mental health: why “doing” helps men talk

International Men’s Day on 19 November is a reminder that men’s mental health is not just about crisis lines or “having a chat” over coffee. For many men, the nervous system responds better to doing than to talking.

In my article, Beers, Barbecues & Biochemistry: Exploring Social Neuroscience in Men’s Mental Health, I look at what happens in the brain and body when men open up more easily at a barbecue, in a workshop, or walking side by side. Feeling watched or judged can shut people down. Familiar, low-pressure routines can calm the system and make real conversation more likely.

If you work with men, love men, or are one, I hope this piece offers a practical, science-informed way to create safer spaces for honest conversations.

Read the full article here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/397012757_Beers_Barbecues_Biochemistry_Exploring_Social_Neuroscience_in_Men's_Mental_Health

14/11/2025

I do not often post in French, but this one is special.

I had the privilege of living in Mauritius for four years. My husband is Mauritian, as is our wonderful extended family, and the island is still a second home.

With Movember in full swing and International Men’s Day (19th) approaching, Mauritian outlet Actu.mu covered my piece about men’s mental health and why simple, sustainable habits can make a real difference. This article examines Mauritius’ position in the World Happiness Report, the quiet slide in life satisfaction, and how everyday routines can support men’s sleep, mood, and resilience.

Grateful to Mauritius for the years we spent there, and for the chance to contribute back in a small way. 💛

Article (in French): https://lnkd.in/d6PhHuNt



https://actu.mu/le-dr-zoe-wyatt-appelle-a-une-approche-simple-et-durable-de-la-sante-mentale-masculine-a-maurice/

Alors que la Journée internationale des hommes (19 novembre) et le mouvement Movember remettent la santé mentale masculine au centre des discussions, la consultante clinique et chercheuse, Dr Zoe Wyatt-Potage, lance un appel à l’action pragmatique : « Ce sont les habitudes du quotidien, pas le...

10/11/2025

When we’re stressed, the body reacts quickly. Adrenaline and epinephrine start the fight-or-flight response. Cortisol follows to keep us on high alert.

You can even find cortisol in sweat and in tears. Notice it, name it, then cry and/or sweat it out!

Interesting Harvard research to support in the links below...

04/11/2025

Please stop saying this to men 👇

• “Man up.”
• “You’ll be right.”
• “Other people have it worse.”
• “Don’t make a fuss.”
• “Just get over it.”
• “Real men don’t cry.”

These phrases shut down conversations and stop men from reaching out.

Try this instead:
• “I’m glad you told me.”
• “Do you want to talk, or just want company?”
• “That sounds heavy. How can I help today?”
• “You don’t have to carry this alone.”
• “Want me to book a GP or counsellor with you?”

Movember (Men's mental health month) is a reminder: early conversations save lives. Check in with a mate, make a time to move together, and normalise help-seeking.

27/10/2025

Mental Health Month wrap-up 💚
Most of my day is spent talking with clients and teams across the world. My reset is simple: a quiet moment with my cat, a beach walk, and lifting weights.

What helps me show up well:
• Move daily
• Mind-map complex stuff so it’s not all in my head
• Circle what I can influence today and park the rest

What I see helping teams: trust around flexible time, leaders who keep real office hours, clear paths to support, and kinder meetings with buffers.

Tiny action: add one 10-minute buffer before your next hard meeting and start with a one-line check-in. Small signals of care change the day.

What’s one small behaviour you’ll try this week to make work kinder and clearer?

22/10/2025

Ever leaned on AI for company?

You’re not alone. New research tells us two things can be true:

• Feeling heard by AI can ease loneliness in the moment.
• However, heavy, companionship-style use is linked to more loneliness over time.

My new article explores what helps, what harms and how to keep AI use light, purposeful and pointed back to people.

Find it here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396673428_Talk_to_Me_AI_Companions_in_the_Age_of_Disconnection

13/10/2025

Is your phone keeping your nervous system on high alert?

I’m joining Neurocon 2025 — a free, online neuroscience conference on The Brain Under Stress (23–25 Oct).

I’ll be speaking on Scroll, Stress, Repeat: The Neuroscience of Trauma in a Digital World, alongside researchers and clinicians exploring trauma, stress, and resilience.

Register for your Zoom link at neurocon.eu — and feel free to share with anyone who might be interested.

01/10/2025

“Quiet cracking” is the new term for silently disengaging from a job that slowly breaks your spirit. Let’s call it what it is: burnout.

The major causes are the same as they’ve always been: being overworked, undervalued, and disrespected.

If we want to cure it, we need to make it safe to talk about it. I’ve written more on this in my article:

https://lnkd.in/du4XHGfm

19/09/2025

Double inhale, looong exhale - a magic trick for your nervous system ✨

16/09/2025

What is your feed doing to your nervous system?

In my latest article, I look at:

• Why fast, unpredictable posts can train your brain to expect danger
• How that can lock us into an “always on” alert state
• What helps: better platform design + simple resets and short breaks you can actually do

Read the full article: https://www.sciencexcel.com/article/scroll-stress-repeat-the-neuroscience-of-trauma-in-a-digital-world

11/09/2025

You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Today is R U OK? Day in Australia - a national reminder to start real conversations by asking “Are you OK?” and listening with care. I love that message, and I also believe it starts with us.

Before you check in with someone else, do a quick self-check:

• Where am I on the green–yellow–red spectrum today?
• Do I need a break now, before I tip into red?
• What actually refills my cup?

That’s the point of the image: choose to take a break at the green bottle – before you need one. Prevention beats repair.

Quick refill ideas (pick one you’ll actually do): step outside for fresh air, a big glass of water, slow exhale breathing, a 10-minute lie-down, gentle stretch, quiet tea without your phone, three lines in a journal, notifications off for 20 minutes, or messaging a friend to book a proper chat.

Then, from that steadier place, check in with someone you care about: “Are you OK?”