In this episode I am talking to Dr. Michael F. Steger.

Mike is a Professor of Psychology and the Director for the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University. 

An internationally recognized authority on the benefits of finding meaning in one’s life and in one’s work, Dr. Steger is a sought after speaker and enjoys providing keynotes, workshops, and retreats around the world on topics ranging from meaning and purpose, flourishing at work, positive education, effective leadership, and expanding clinical practice by incorporating meaning and purpose assessment and interventions. 

He is the developer of the most widely-used measures of meaning and purpose in the world, including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Work and Meaning Inventory. 

Mike has published his research in more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and three books, including Designing Positive Psychology, Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace, and the Handbook of Positivity and Strengths-Based Approaches at Work. Dr. Steger offers a number of online courses on elevating success in work and life, including his newest courses: Meaning in the Moment (https://wholebeinginstitute.com/meaning-in-the-moment/) and Mastering Your Motivation, available through www.michaelsteger.online.

Website. www.michaelfsteger.com

Find the Meaning in Life Questionnaire Here

Find the Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI) Here

In this episode, I am talking to Jamie Getgood about redundancy with heart.

With GM Holden closing its manufacturing operations in Australia, Jamie undertook leadership in the development of a best practice Transition Centre to support all employees in receiving the support, advice and training to help them transition into new work. he was instrumental in not only developing internal strategies but creating networks within multiple government departments, the supply chain, employers and community groups.

Jamie’s passion for people, his focus on employee engagement and the success of the business is evident in his achievements. This passion allowed him to develop pivotal relationships with all of the employees which is crucial in assisting in their transition into new opportunities.

As a result his work, Jamie was named as the South Australian AND Australian Leader/Manager of the year at the Australian Excellence Awards in 2017.  These accolades and his drive to support all people, have seen him develop a reputation as a leader in the transition space in this country.

Marcia Ryan, is the founder of Wellbeing Works, She has extensive experience delivering development solutions to organisational leaders and teams seeking guidance to create positive change, maximise talent, enhance employee engagement and build high performing teams. She has also coached leaders who were required to lead others through challenges with care and build resiliency to manage change and cultivate collaborative teamwork. 

Marcia designs and delivers collaboration, wellbeing and resiliency workshops that provides participants with practical strategies they can implement immediately at work. She also provides organisational coaching services, using a strength-based approach. 

Marcia holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology and specialises in the application of positive psychology in organisations to improve team collaboration and work relationships that are supportive, enabling and energising. Her speciality is helping others build highquality connections, to build trust, respectfully engage and enable success in others that leads to higher team performance and a positive workplace culture. 

Marcia has recently produced a tool to help amplify the way we connect – the High-Quality Connection Cards, available for purchase from www.wellbeingworks.net.au.

HQCCoP Facebook Group - we always welcome new members! https://www.facebook.com/groups/HQCCOP/

Recommended Books/Resources:

10 Keys to Happier Living - Vanessa King https://www.actionforhappiness.org/book(She also has a book for children - 50 Ways to Feel Happier https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ways-Feel-Happy-activities-happiness/dp/1784930857/?tag=actioforhappi-21) and of course the wonderful Action For Happiness monthly calendars: https://www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars

Quote from Shane Lopez - Making Hope Happen - a really cool book summary video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQmeZ1fcSN4

In this episode, I am talking to Dr Paige Williams about Learning to Thrive Through Disruption, Challenge and Change

Dr. Paige Williams is an honorary fellow and researcher at the Center for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne. 

Paige uses the latest research in neuroscience, positive psychology, and systems thinking to help leaders leverage their energy, attitudes and mindsets to benefit from the dynamic, complex and uncertain environment in which most organizations now operate. She is determined to help leaders move beyond just the need for resilience so that they can become ‘anti-fragile’. 

This is the focus of her new book, Becoming Anti-fragile:

To find out more about Paige, visit her website www.drpaigewilliams.com 

There you will find her details about her book – Becoming Anti Fragile and the link to the Anti Fragile Survey that you can take for free.

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Until next time.

Wishing you Wellbing.

Lisa Barker is the founding director of Heliotropia Wellbeing, a Melbourne based wellbeing consultancy, specialising in co-creating custom designed wellbeing workshops and webinars with individuals, groups and organisations. Heliotropia means ‘turn towards the sun’ and describes the natural tendency of all living things to turn towards what is life-giving and away from what depletes us. Lisa also loves to coach and has developed her own coaching practice based on strengths and systemic wellbeing. Lisa is absolutely passionate about the science of wellbeing and has two post graduate qualifications in Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne. Lisa is also passionate about nature and loves to assist people to build a connection with nature for personal wellbeing. She grew up in the Adelaide Hills and spent her childhood almost entirely outside. Her love of nature has naturally led to a deep commitment to the environment. Lisa is an outstanding educator, having devoted many years to teaching. She has taught from ages 4 to 16 in her career, influencing hundreds of young lives over this time. Lisa also studied and taught Japanese for many years and has a deep love of Japanese language and culture. Outside of her work, Lisa and her partner Chris have raised three daughters who are now young adults living and working in the US and the UK. Lisa is an avid ocean swimmer and swims throughout the year with a group of women at Point Lonsdale. She credits the ocean as her greatest source of wellbeing and the closest and most intimate form of nature connection there is.

Website: WWW.Heliotropia.com.au

Todays guest is Dr Narelle Lemon

Narelle is a writer, educator and researcher heavily influenced by positive psychology with over 25 years’ experience in educational contexts across early years, K-12, higher education, museums, arts and cultural settings, and community.

She currently holds the position of Associate Professor in Education at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia where she works with those studying to be future teachers while researching across a variety of areas through a portfolio approach to her overarching interest of engagement and participation.

Narelle’s passion to make a difference, hear and share the voice of others, and create possibility is led through her strengths of creativity, awareness and curiosity. She’s very much inspired by being a pracademic, and you can see this in the variety of research area including positive psychology specifically aimed at empowering self-care routines, mindful practice and coping strategies; arts and cultural education; and her award winning scholarship of learning and teaching work in social media use for learning and professional development. Narelle has published over 100 books, edited books, journal papers and book chapters with two new co-authored books influenced by positive psychology due this year. Look out for Building and Sustaining a Teaching Career: Strategies for Professional Experience, Wellbeing and Mindful Practice (with Cambridge University Press) due out May 2020, and Reframing and Rethinking Collaboration in Higher Education and Beyond: A Practical Guide for Doctoral Students and Early Career Researchers (as part of the Insider Guides to Success in Academia Series with Routledge due out mid-late 2020).

Narelle is also the Creative Director of Explore & Create Co that offers workshops, coaching and resources for those looking to build their self-care through mindfulness inspired strategies while building a toolbox of wellbeing resources that impacts both personal and professional growth.

She is active on social media sharing resources and offering tips and she can be found on Twitter at @rellypops or on Instagram at @exploreandcreateco and @rellypops with the occasional (well often) picture of green tea that fuels her writing (hello #greentearefillsrequired). Narelle also curates various resources and blogs via the website http://www.exploreandcreateco.com/ including a new podcast created for pre-service teachers during the COVID-19 distance socialising requirements available on Spotify and her website that has been designed to inspire hope and optimism

Book recommendation: Automatic Habits by James Clear

https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Atomic-Habits-Audiobook

Roz Rimes is an educator, coach, guest lecturer and founder of social enterprise ‘Live with Zest’. She works with her Australian Labradoodles Flash and Rafa who have advanced Canine-Assisted Therapy qualifications.  Roz and Flash have been a volunteer therapy team for eight years, soothing and strengthening patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, (Rehabilitation, Mental Health and Eating Disorders) and now St Vincent’s Private Hospital. After observing so many life enhancing transformations as a result of Canine-Assisted Therapy, Roz decided to pursue a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) at the University of Melbourne. Her work is informed by wellbeing science and focusses on Savouring fortified by Canine-Assisted Education and how this powerful combination can successfully increase wellbeing. According to Bryant and Veroff (2007) Savouring is a process used by people to intentionally amplify positive experiences and therefore positive emotions; it can be past, present or future focussed.  The efficacy of Savouring is recognised by several scholars including Professor Lea Waters in Australia, Dr Ilona Boniwell in the UK/Europe and Associate Professor Acacia Parks in the USA, the scientist behind the Happify App.  Roz uses the same savouring techniques employed by the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) such as: Sharing with others, Memory-building, Self-congratulation and Sharpening perceptions to build positive emotions and increase stamina for learning. Canine-Assisted Education (CAE) is an Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) where the dog’s role is to follow the directions of the handler/educator to engage with the client in order to achieve the educational intervention goals (Jones, Rice & Cotton, 2018).  Roz’s practice is informed by Lead the Way Institute’s Neurobiological Model of Animal-Assisted Therapy. Jones et al., (2018) describe that “…the presence of a friendly dog (provided the individual likes dogs), can improve engagement and rapport, and reduce anxious arousal.  For example, interaction with a therapy dog may reduce the impact of social exclusion on mental well-being…and anxiety associated with stressful situations.” (p. 196) Jones et al (2018) also refer to optimal interaction times (5-24 minutes) and physiological benefits such as “…including a reduction in stress physiology (e.g. cortisol and blood pressure) and an increase in ‘affiliative’ hormones (including oxytocin)”. This can positively affect rapport and engagement, thus help children and young people be ready to learn. Self-regulation can improve via immediate behavioural feedback, for example the dog’s potent nose smells cortisol, predicts arousal states and alerts the dog handler who is also the interventionist. In addition, improved social skills and relational repair can take place via the establishment of deeper connections especially mirror neurons. Roz and Flash have worked with a wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary students. They enquire and are happily briefed by education leaders and staff about the needs of the students/young people on a particular day.   The dogs are visually appealing, calming and entertaining to watch. Non gendered care giving is encouraged for example boys and young men can gently stroke the dog. The dogs can have a beneficial school wide effect on staff, parents, caregivers and friends through the students’ storytelling (positive reminiscences). Early evidence suggests that as a result of the Canine Assisted Education and Savouring there is an increase in cognitive development through stamina for learning, improved empathy (for self and others) and increased sociability through increased eye contact, greetings, improved tone of voice, use of praise and encouragement, and frustration tolerance. www.livewithzest.com.au

Dr. Heidi Douglass is an American trained Clinical Psychologist with 35 years of experience in the field of Psychology. She is also certified in Plant Based Nutrition by the T. Colin Campbell Institute of Cornell University. Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Obesity, & Binge Eating / Bulimia are her primary clinical specialties. Dr. Heidi helps clients resolve mental health concerns without the use of medications.

Dr. Heidi also provides professional supervision & mentoring to a wide range of professionals who seek clarity on issues such as professional advancement, work/life balance, or effective skills and strategies for better managing stress or relationships.

Dr. Heidi established, and is the lead trainer of, the Mindful Eating Program for "Mindfulness Works"; the largest provider of Mindfulness training courses in Australasia. Dr. Heidi is a dynamic and engaging public speaker & workshop presenter.  Providing training & lectures on Mindfulness is a primary passion.

At age 50, Dr. Heidi became a certified Yoga teacher (RYT500) and has completed over 540 hours of Yoga teacher training in New Zealand, Bali and the USA. She is one of the only Psychologists in New Zealand whom ACC has paid to provide Yoga classes to their clients with a history of trauma. Research suggests that Yoga can help over weight clients keep lost weight off and improve body image. Yoga decreases symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and improves sleep. In studies done at Harvard, Yoga resolved even symptoms of chronic, treatment resistant PTSD. Dr. Heidi's Yoga classes are offered in addition to her traditional office consultations and are optional.

Email: [email protected].

Website: https://www.drheididouglass.co.nz

Centre for mindful eating : https://thecenterformindfuleating.org

Book recommendation: https://www.amazon.com.au/Joy-Half-Cookie-Mindfulness-Struggle-ebook/dp/B00SI02AT8