Ripen Academy

How do we deal with all the negativity in the world today in terms of news headlines grabbing for our attention? This was a post-Pandemic talking point posed to Matt Hughes in a 2022 interview for the Virgin Active Minds Podcast. Matt explains that our attention is attuned to negative news because of an unconscious bias humans have, so avoiding click bait is critical to our mental and emotional health!  

If you would like to hear the full interview, head to Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uDJGTUduX1lpWsxPoyRaY?si=49odVmjfTaewpJ6LfHpO6w

"Why do we need to have Resilience?" - A critical question and post-Pandemic talking point posed to Matt Hughes in a 2022 interview for the Virgin Active Minds Podcast. Matt explains that we all need Resilience for facing life's inevitable threats and challenges, because the truth is nobody escapes pain, fear or suffering.... 'Resilience' is life strategically managed. If you would like to hear the full interview, head to Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uDJGTUduX1lpWsxPoyRaY?si=49odVmjfTaewpJ6LfHpO6w

"How do I know if I am a Resilient one?" - This was a question posed to Matt Hughes in a 2022 interview for the Virgin Active Minds Podcast. In this episode and over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some of the key insights Matt shared for cultivating Resilience to move forward confidently through life's challenges. If you can't wait or would like to hear the full interview, head to Spotify... https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uDJGTUduX1lpWsxPoyRaY?si=49odVmjfTaewpJ6LfHpO6w

Given our Resilience training work around the globe, we’ve identified 3 consistent threats to Personal Resilience and Team Resilience that we keep hearing. We’ve come to refer to them as the ABCs of Threats faced... A – Ambiguity, B – Burnout, C – Consumption. In this episode, we briefly explore each and how cultivating Resilience plays a part in managing these and any other challenge, setback or obstacle you'll face at work, and personally... 

We all face loss throughout our lives. It's part of being human. Loss can either embitter us, or ennoble us. The difference lies in whether we can find meaning in our suffering. In this episode we share the importance of applying mental agility for controlling the things you can, when everything seems out of control... 

Many of the things that happen to us in life are actually neutral – the events themselves are not positive or negative – it’s our attitude towards them that makes them seem good or bad. In this episode Matt shares insights on the importance of controlling our attitude, and a quick technique for applying mental agility to a setback or challenge faced... 

When a colleague, friend or loved one shares something difficult with us, they are most likely looking for someone to listen, not someone to inject them with positivity. Minimising is lazy empathy. There is no script for empathy, but here's some examples for how to quickly and easily show others genuine empathy, for honouring, building and maintaining trusted relationships. Which is great for your Social Resilience... 

If the last few years has taught us anything it’s that life is fragile and unpredictable. There are so many books and research papers now on the power of Gratitude and the importance of counting your blessings, but that sentiment can feel like cold comfort during tough times when blessings are few and far between! Tragic Optimism refers to finding meaning in our suffering, and acknowledging that we grow in many ways from difficult times. In this episode we explore the importance of having a balanced view of what we are facing, rather than relying on "Toxic Positivity", for boosting Personal Resilience. 

Many people think of confidence as the thing they need to get started, but the opposite is true. Confidence is the thing you get from doing. The gap between the confidence we tell ourselves we 'need' and we tell ourselves we 'have', is what determines the level of Resilience we have trying anything new... we call this the confidence gap. Here's how to bridge the gap and build your confidence when trying new things...

Smartphones and other such devices are a tool that we think we control, but the truth is they are mostly in control of us! These devices are monetised by usage, so the developers need us to be addicted to keep using them. With digital media consuming an average of 12+ hours of our precious time each day, how can we get the best from this incredible technology without gambling our time...