Hear For Each Other

03/07/2023

Follow my new business on Insta for images of people from all walks of life practicing mindfulness while playing around with plants!! ❤️🌱🧘‍♂️🥰💪

05/10/2022

What mental health outcomes can we expect with a contracting economy? What about the longer term mental health impacts we are expecting as a result of other changes to our society as a result of Covid, the war in Ukraine, and in the UK, Brexit? In part two of this conversation series with Professor Kinderman, we learn how social factors, and not our individual biologies, are the primary determinants of mental health.

Former British Psychological Society president describes how social factors such as recession, politics, Covid and the war in Ukraine impacts mental health

26/09/2022

Ever had something you really needed to get off your chest but wanted to keep those closest to you out of it? Maybe you are experiencing an ongoing situation, like considering breaking up with your partner, work is stressful, or someone close to you is quite sick? Regular life, as well as being wonderful, is such a sh*tshow. Just lift that veil and 99% of people are struggling with something. Simon from .men.au and myself are back to talk remote / digital men's groups this Wednesday. I.e. how do you find the right one, or if you want to set one up with some mates yourself, how to do it right. Woooot - get excited!

22/09/2022

We've got a new segment! Our new resident psychology legend Mr Adam Kelly and I are going to be talking all things pop and celeb through the lens of psychology and culture. In our first ep together we discuss what on earth made Will Smith slap Chris Rock, and what we made of his public apology.



👂 Listen now!

Dave and Adam unpick the psychology of Will Smith’s behaviour at the Oscars 2022, his apology to Chris Rock, and the neuroscience of fight, fright or freeze.

21/09/2022

Rescheduling tomorrow’s Insta Live sesh with Simon from .men.aus til Wednesday next week – hope you can make it 😎

11/09/2022

Catch Simon from Mindful Men and myself LIVE this September 15, 2022, Thursday 12:30 pm AEST on Instagram to talk about one of the most important structures in my life - a weekly catch up with a tight crew who have got my back. We’ll talk about why I find mine so valuable, how you can set one up yourself without too much fuss (even if you have bu**er all mates), and what to look out for in terms of pitfalls… And if you want to make something like this a regular fixture in your life, then there are a few pitfalls to be aware of.

Stay tuned on our Instagram profile (https://www.instagram.com/hearforeachother/) - Simon is a bit of a pro, but I’m a total hack at this, so any issues you can troll him! 😆 We’ll be posting a few updates between now and then! 😉

Remember, we're HEAR for you!

10/09/2022

Today is an important day for me and a lot of people like me - suicidal ideation is a personal challenge I’ve carried for about 20 years now. It’s not like I TRY to think about su***de - it just happens, and then I realise that I’ve been fantasising different scenarios in my mind for the last 20 mins or so… When it’s happening for me it’s kind of like being visited upon by unwelcome neighbours who just won’t fk off, or dragging around an anvil everywhere.

For my two cents I reckon it’s perfectly reasonable to consider su***de - it IS an option. It’s just that there generally are plenty of better options, but for a confluence of tragic reasons too many of us choose this one. To fail to recognise that su***de is an option because it’s painful and awkward for you as a by-stander is selfish - c’mon man - get over yourself - see that elephant in the corner over there?!!

As with anything important, su***de is something that we should speak about. It doesn’t hurt someone to ask them if they have considered su***de, or experience suicidal thoughts. In a number of cases it can even be a great way to take the pressure out of the situation i.e. “FINALLY! Maybe someone is going to be real with me. Maybe I can talk about this.” Being real, carefully, sensitively, can be very cathartic.

It can be intimidating to really turn up and “be there” for someone experiencing suicidal ideation. If this is the case for you, remember you don’t need to “fix” them. You don’t need to take responsibility for their problems. That would be ridiculous. And furthermore this isn’t about you. Just by “being there”, you are “being there”. Get them talking - listen and validate, and encourage action. And there is ALWAYS hope - as painful as even that can be to recognise.

My thoughts and love to everyone who has lost someone. Too many. Way too many. And my thoughts and love to anyone who experiences suicidal ideation. Hang in there. Put it off. There is hope. There are better outcomes.

07/09/2022

Hot off the press: What causes people to experience psychological distress, and why do we use the term “illness” or “disease”? These are important questions to ask when we know that it’s the things that happen to us, and around us, that are the primary causes of our distress. Are we actually sick if we feel anxious for extended periods in the context of losing our job, in a contracting economy, with rising costs of living? What barriers to better collective health and wellbeing may we be inadvertently creating viewing mental health through such a pathological lens?

Head to our podcast page to listen

We learn from a former president of the British Psychological Society how social drivers of mental health account for 95% of what is termed an “illness”.

31/08/2022

Giving less fks about other people’s bodies might possibly be one of the best things anyone can do for how they feel about their own. Comparing our bodies to others can lead us to miss the simple point that whenever our body feels good, it’s an opportunity to recognise and appreciate that feeling! And so we bloody well should! Humans rarely ever know when the last time is that our body will be able to do a particular thing, and once we lose that ability, we can be sure that we will look back in time and remember wishfully. Even if our bodies are a bit worn out here and there, or funny shaped, or missing bits, they ARE beautiful - they are miraculous. There is plenty to love about our bodies even if just for the fact that they carried us to where we ar

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29/08/2022

In episode 9 of our podcast we were fortunate enough to have as our guest Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald AM, from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. During this very sensitive conversation we talked about some of the market differences in how the journeys of male survivors of sexual abuse differ from that of females.

Missed this awesome episode with Commissioner Fitzgerald AM? Check the podcast page on our website to listen to the full conversation here: https://www.onthelowdown.com.au/hearforeachother/robertfitzgerald

26/08/2022

Why does “culture eats strategy for breakfast”? Why is workplace culture so important? In this episode, Greg Combet AM, Chair Industry Super Australia, describes his own experiences working in male-dominated environments, as head of the ACTU, and as a federal MP. Greg shares his top tips as to what changes he was able to make to steer the workplace culture in a more productive and harmonious direction, as well as what he did to manage his own mental health, support the mental health of others in the process.

How can you create a positive workplace culture? In this short interview highlight from Hear For Each Other episode #3, you’ll learn Greg’s top tips for creating a healthier, happier and more productive workplace culture for everyone.

Click here watch the 14-minute video highlight of Greg Combet's on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/CgQiz3assZw

Why does “culture eats strategy for breakfast”? Why is workplace culture so important? In this episode, Greg Combet AM, Chair Industry Super Australia, descr...

23/08/2022

Good work is good for us, and it’s good for business. However, between 2014 and 19, Safework NSW observed an alarming trend in psychological injury claims - increasing by 53% (vs. a 3.5 % increase in physical claims). The thing is, a great many work-related mental health risk factors, as costly as they can become if left unattended, can be addressed relatively inexpensively and simply.

This Thursday I am interviewing Dr Mark Deady, a UNSW Senior Research Fellow at the Black Dog Institute and the research lead within the Workplace Mental Health Research Program.

For the sake of taking a useful direction during the interview, I'd love to hear any questions about workplace mental health you would like answered by Mark. E.g.
- How can managers initiate conversations with staff around mental health?
- What are some practical initiatives that managers can implement?
- How can you be a manager and not a therapist?

Please leave your question or a comment in the comments section below!