The “mental load” is something many people carry, but actually struggle to name. It’s the invisible work of planning, organising, anticipating and worrying that sits behind everything we do, both at work and at home. And while it affects everyone, it’s not experienced equally.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Leah Ruppanner, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, Director of the Future of Work Lab and author of her new book, "Drained". Leah’s research sits at the intersection of work design, gender equity and wellbeing - asking whether the way we work today is truly sustainable for people, families and organisations.

Together, we unpack what the mental load really is, why it matters in today’s workplaces and what leaders can do to better recognise (and reduce!) the invisible demands placed on their people.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the mental load actually is and why it’s often hard to see or measure

• The invisible labour behind keeping work and life running smoothly

• Why the mental load is unevenly distributed, particularly across gender

• The impact on wellbeing, energy and sustainable performance

• How current ways of working can amplify (or reduce) this load

• Practical ways leaders can better support their teams and design healthier work environments

Why it matters:

Mental load isn’t just a personal challenge, it’s a workplace issue. When the invisible effort behind work isn’t recognised, it can quietly drain energy, impact performance and contribute to burnout. Addressing it is key to building healthier, more sustainable and more equitable workplaces

Resources

Dr Leah Ruppanner: https://www.leahruppanner.com

Book: Drained: Reduce Your Mental Load to Do Less and Be More: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762972/drained-by-leah-ruppanner-phd/

Miss Perceived Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/missperceived/id1744434731

Connect with Dr Leah Ruppanner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-ruppanner-1657a417/

In this episode, Tom sits down with Sasha D’Arcy (Medibank) to go inside the Healthiest Workplace Index — and what the data is revealing about work right now. 

In this episode: 

• What the Healthiest Workplace Index measures and why Medibank built it 

• The biggest drivers of workplace health (and what’s getting in the way) 

• The critical role of leaders in shaping wellbeing 

• What organisations are learning from experiments like the 4-day work week 

• Why wellbeing works best when programs, leadership and job design align 

Key insight 

As Sasha puts it:  You can’t solve workplace stress without understanding what’s driving it. 

The Index helps organisations move beyond surface-level metrics and focus on the factors that actually influence how people experience work. 

 What stood out 

• Health-oriented leadership behaviour has one of the strongest impacts on employee health has one of the strongest impacts on employee health 

• Flexibility and initiatives like the 4-day work week only work when supported by how work is designed 

• Recovery (not just productivity) is a critical and often a lever for wellbeing 

References
Medibank Healthiest Workplace Index
Research Partnership with Health at Work Research Unit at Macquarie University 
Medibank named Australia’s best place to work | AFR BOSS 2026 | Medibank Newsroom: https://www.medibank.com.au/livebetter/newsroom/post/medibank-named-australias-best-place-to-work-or-afr-boss-2026

In this episode, Ruth Kent shares insightful strategies on managing stress, improving sleep hygiene and cultivating self-compassion for leaders, managers and employees navigating high-pressure workplaces. Learn practical tips and frameworks to foster resilience and mental health at work. Main topics:

• The rising stress patterns in workplaces pre- and post-pandemic
• The bi-directional relationship between sleep and stress
• Practical sleep hygiene tips for busy professionals
• The importance of self-awareness and self-compassion in leadership
• How mindfulness fosters better decision-making and emotional regulation
• Strategies for integrating behavioural change through long-term programs

Connect with Ruth

Sunrise Well: https://www.sunrisewell.com.au/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthkentsunrisewell/

Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to workplace wellbeing and mental health focus01:08 - Trends in stress levels in workplaces over recent years02:45 - The impact of social media and digitalization on stress03:15 - Stress reactivity and its effects on relationships and decision-making03:59 - Challenges faced by middle and upper management during stressful times04:32 - Sleep disruption and its effect on focus and regulation05:02 - The sleep-stress feedback loop and neural responses06:32 - The importance of deep sleep for emotional and cognitive health07:32 - Risks of sleep deprivation in organizational decision-making08:01 - Moving away from the "badge of honor" culture around sleep10:30 - Practical tips for improving sleep quality and routine11:44 - The significance of consistency in wake and sleep times12:30 - Managing light exposure for circadian rhythm regulation13:00 - The role of light and dark in sleep hygiene14:29 - Nutritional influences like caffeine, alcohol, and mealtime on sleep16:05 - Environmental factors such as room temperature17:11 - The influence of stress and self-critical tendencies on sleep17:57 - Self-compassion as a leadership and self-care skill20:55 - The difference between empathy and compassion, and the need for action22:28 - The components of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness23:58 - The concept of fierce self-compassion and boundary setting25:28 - Using mindfulness and self-awareness to manage workplace conflicts26:44 - Strengthening relationships through self-compassion and boundaries27:20 - The role of mindfulness in leadership and decision-making28:26 - How mindfulness practices strengthen neural capacity for rational responses30:26 - Recognising and understanding thoughts during mindfulness31:24 - The importance of gentle self-awareness and compassion32:25 - Neuroscientific evidence of mindfulness effects on the brain33:50 - Practical experiences with mindfulness and leadership clarity34:50 - Tips for implementing sustained behavioral change programs36:30 - Starting small with mindfulness practice for lasting impact37:00 - Reinforcing habits through feedback and routine38:16 - The value of long-term programs integrating behaviour change39:14 - How organisations can develop lasting wellbeing strategies41:45 - Closing thoughts on integrating wellbeing into workplace culture

In this episode, we explore how social health influences workplace wellbeing and productivity. Dr Ali Walker shares actionable frameworks to foster genuine connection, reduce loneliness and enhance psychosocial safety at work - critical components for healthy, high-performing teams.

Key Topics:

• The four levels of social health: belonging to self, one-on-one, group and collective community
• The four types of loneliness: intimate partner, social, situational, and existential
• Practical strategies for managers to schedule meaningful social interactions
• How social connection acts as a protective factor against psychosocial risks
• Building psychologically safe environments through meeting interaction patterns
• Using the SBI (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) model for constructive feedback
• Leading micro-moments of connection to foster genuine belonging

Resources & Links

Connect with Ali Walker on LinkedIn

• Ali Walker - LinkedIn
• AlityLife
• We Are Lonely Podcast by Medibank

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to social health and its importance in workplaces
02:09 - The four levels of social health explained
05:45 - The importance of scheduling social connection intentionally
06:40 - Deep dive into the four types of loneliness and their workplace expressions
08:47 - The nuanced understanding of loneliness with real-life examples
13:30 - Personalized social connection frameworks based on individual needs
14:24 - The role of social connection in reducing psychosocial risks
16:20 - The concept of psychological safety and its link to connection intensity
19:41 - Leading interaction patterns to build genuine belonging in teams
23:21 - Strategies for addressing relationship mismatches and team conflict
32:39 - Using the SBI feedback model for performance conversations
36:09 - Curiosity, hesitant tones, and authentic conversations as leadership tools
39:30 - Prioritizing social connection as a proactive approach to psychosocial safety
43:13 - Implementing incidental social experiences and shared meals at work
44:23 - Final thoughts: Building functional teams through social health

Mark Jones shares his inspiring journey from a health crisis to becoming a champion of mental fitness through The Story Code framework.

Key Topics:

• Mark’s personal health awakening in 2019 after a panic attack during a routine shopping trip to Bunnings
• The impact of internal stories, limiting beliefs and the inner critic on mental health and performance
• The narrative therapy approach: rewriting your story and becoming your own hero
• How internal stories influence workplace leadership and influence, especially during roles transitions
• The role of self-talk in reinforcing health routines and overcoming burnout
• The future of work and the importance of human skills, emotional intelligence and organisational culture

~

Connect with Mark Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhjonesimpact/

Mark's Podcast: The Story Code for Leaders: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-story-code-mark-jones/id1767729340?i=1000733031804

~

Resources:

⁠The Story Code - Mark Jones⁠

⁠James Clear's Atomic Habits⁠

⁠Stephen Covey's Circles of Control⁠

Welcoming back, Hussein Hamka, performance coach and author. This conversation looks at a familiar challenge for many leaders and teams right now: Work feeling busy, reactive and fragmented.

Huss shares a practical way to cut through that noise. His approach centres on clarity, energy and simple behavioural systems that help people perform well without burning out. A key idea he returns to is that energy is the real asset at work, not time.

Tom and Huss explore the habits that move people from chaos to control. Weekly and daily planning, using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix, batching similar tasks and protecting time for deep work all play a role.

They also talk about why motivation fades quickly, while identity and systems tend to stick. The conversation finishes with the foundations that support sustainable performance every day. Sleep, movement, nutrition, managing stress, taking short recovery breaks and the role leaders play in setting the tone for healthy ways of working.

~

Resources:

Connect with Hussein Hamka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/husseinhamka/

https://www.husfit.co/

Plan to Peak Perform Book: https://www.husfit.co/plantopeakperformbook

The Eisenhower Matrix: https://asana.com/resources/eisenhower-matrix

In today's episode, we welcome Aron Mercer, a researcher and practitioner focused on neurodiversity at work whose doctoral research examines lived experiences of autistic, dyslexic, and ADHD employees and how disclosure and workplace culture affect belonging, wellbeing and performance.

Aron explains neurodiversity as a strengths-based concept coined by Judy Singer, notes it affects an estimated 15–20% of people, and discusses differences in presentations for women and girls. He describes common workplace barriers including stigma, lack of manager confidence, masking, burnout and return-to-office tensions, and why disclosure is complex across the employee lifecycle.

The conversation highlights strengths (pattern recognition, integrity, creativity, crisis clarity, visual thinking), critiques overemphasis on “generalists,” and outlines practices like clear expectations, focus-friendly environments, inclusive assessments, normalisation, and better use of employee resource groups and universal design.

~

Resources:

Connect with Aron Mercer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aron-mercer-0718197/

Xceptional Academy: https://xceptionalacademy.org.au/

Dr Judy Singer: https://provost.harvard.edu/people/judith-d-singer

In this episode, Poppy Griffiths, director and founder of UnlimitU High Performance Coaching, shares her extensive experience and expertise in helping people, leaders and teams achieve sustainable high performance.

Poppy discusses the importance of aligning passion with boundaries, the impact of the Performance Fit System (Purpose Fit, Mind Fit, Body Fit and Relationship Fit) and the cultural habits that prevent burnout while enhancing team performance.

She explains how leaders can create meaningful connections and celebrate progress to foster a healthy work environment.

This episode offers valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their personal and team performance while maintaining wellbeing.

~

Resources:

Connect with Poppy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poppy-griffiths-23b65b31/

UnlimitU High Performance Coaching: https://unlimitu.com.au/

In this episode, Tom Bosna speaks with Tracy Hall, author, keynote speaker and senior marketing executive, in a powerful conversation about trust, deception and resilience.

Tracy shares her experience as the final victim of one of Australia’s most notorious con artists, Hamish McLaren.

She reflects on how the truth unfolded, the emotional and financial impact of the scam and the psychology that sits behind why scams work. Tracy explores how scams are evolving alongside technology and AI, why capable professionals remain vulnerable and what it really takes to rebuild trust.

This episode highlights the growing need for stronger financial literacy, smarter compliance education and more human storytelling in organisations. It offers practical insights to help individuals and workplaces better recognise, prevent and respond to scams in an increasingly complex digital world.

~

References:

Tracy Hall: https://tracyhall.com.au/

Who the Hell is Hamish Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ci/podcast/who-the-hell-is-hamish/id1451470931

Tracy's Book, The Last Victim: https://tracyhall.com.au/the-last-victim

This conversation delves into the challenges and insights surrounding shift work, highlighting the importance of employee wellbeing, the role of technology in workforce management and the emerging trend of poly employment.

Emma Seymour, the CFO of Deputy, shares valuable insights from the Shift Pulse Report, emphasising the need for clarity, control and support for shift workers. The discussion also touches on the future of work, the impact of AI and the specific challenges faced by industries like healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• Shift work is a critical aspect of the global workforce.

• The Shift Pulse Report reveals significant stress among shift workers.
• Lack of control over schedules is a major source of stress.
• Poly employment is becoming increasingly common among workers.

• Healthcare workers face unique challenges and high burnout rates.
• The future of work will likely involve more flexibility and technology integration.

Resources

Deputy: https://www.deputy.com/auShift Pulse Report: https://www.deputy.com/au/insights/shift-pulse-report-2025Connect with Emma Seymour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-seymour-375131116/