Psychologist with too many projects
My partner and I own two cars. One of them is approaching the end of it's useful life. It is much loved but the costs to repair and maintain it now massively outweigh it's value. At first I contemplated purchasing a replacement car. But when I did the maths, even a conservative second-hand car would … Continue reading What catching the bus has taught me about time
I've been using Sam Harris' Waking Up meditation app for about a year now. I took up mindfulness meditation almost out of frustration from hearing about it constantly in the news and scientific literature. It gets marketed as a cure-all, and whilst I am aware there is some scientific literature to back up some claims … Continue reading Get a free month of the Waking Up app
Back in my teenage years, I took up weight training. I was determined to change my body from soft and flabby to at least mildly toned. I started at a gym, got given a program and I went regularly. I kept a basic record of my progress (weights and reps) and over the next couple … Continue reading You should track your progress on at least one thing in life
As you are probably aware, if you are reading this, I am writing a book on self-improvement. I take the view that we should endeavour to make ongoing incremental improvements to ourselves over time. Doing so helps us live a life with purpose and meaning. But there will be times, as it is for me … Continue reading Self-improvement during difficult times
Chapter 5 of my book on self-improvement is up. It is on the topic of 'Purpose'. I battled for a while trying to write this chapter. I think it was because I felt I needed to say something particularly groundbreaking or interesting. In reality however the message I was (am) trying to get across is … Continue reading Chapter 5 on Purpose is up
One of the projects I am involved with is called Visualising Mental Health (VMH). It is a project at the intersection of psychology and design. In collaboration with Match Studio, who are a design studio situated within the University of South Australia, we get 3rd Year Communication Design students to develop mental health communication prototypes. … Continue reading Visualising Mental Health wraps up for 2019
I am writing a book on self-improvement. You can learn a bit more about it on my Book Index page. I am also engaged actively in my own self-improvement (I think it would be a bit hypocritical if I wasn't). My main goal for self-improvement in 2020 is to read more in my field of … Continue reading Relational psychotherapy, anti self-improvement and cross cultural psychiatry
When I first started my job at the university, I noticed the term 'self-care' was used a lot by my counselling colleagues. I understand self-care as any deliberate activity that an individual engages in with the distinct purpose of improving their physical, mental, social, spiritual or intellectual health. Since starting my role, I've thought a … Continue reading Self-care and the concept of balance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGGKSHMQOM Last weekend I binge watched Ricky Gervais' Neflix series Afterlife. Given it was only 6 episodes at ~ 30 minutes each, I'm not sure it really qualifies as a binge, but I'll take the credit regardless (note: not an achievement). The series had a lasting effect on me which I suspected it might going … Continue reading Suffering just under the surface
I recently left social media. So far I am very happy I did. It took a little while (a few days) to start to lose that feeling of needing to check on my accounts. It took a few more days to lose the ongoing need for someone to validate me with a 'like' or 'share'. … Continue reading Just contact the people you give a shit about
