Clear the air

• 32: Taming the Havoc Hormones Have on Your Mental Health with Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich

  Hormonal fluctuations are a normal part of a woman’s life—but for many, they can wreak havoc on our mood, cognition, and overall mental wellbeing. Despite the profound impact hormones can have on our psychological state, the conversation is often overlooked or misunderstood in the workplace.In this episode, we're joined by Caroline Gurvich to explore the powerful connection between hormones and mental health across the lifespan. From PMS to menopause, Caroline will unpack how our biology affects our brain function, emotional regulation, and mental resilience.Caroline’s biography:Caroline Gurvich is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University. She is also the Deputy Director of HER Centre Australia, Head of the “Cognition and Hormones Group" and Chair of the Victorian College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. Caroline has over 120 publications that have contributed to a better understanding of cognition in mental health and mental illness.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions.0:00 - Intro02:45 - Caroline’s journey to become a clinical neuropsychologist03:45 - What are hormones and how do they affect the brain05:30 - What happened when hormones cause havoc on our bodies10:20 - Are the symptoms of hormone fluctuations the same in normal physiology and when things go wrong12:00 - The impact of contraceptive pills on our mental health14:30 - Do men experience similar effects from hormone fluctuations16:00 - How does menopause impact women in the workplace19:00 - What can women do to navigate the menopause transition more easily25:00 - what can workplace do to support the employee26:00 - how can a male manager support female employees28:32 - how does hormones impact pregnant employees or new mum.33:15 - what is the role of hormone replacement therapy36:45 - what is the role of diet and supplements to improve brain health38:45 - The evidence behind mindfulness and therapy to improve cognition46:00 - Can Menopause have a positive impact on women48:30 - Does hormone fluctuations impact neurodiverse individual differently53:30 - Are individuals with mental illness more vulnerable to menopause55:40 - What is the first step if you are concerned about hormones impacting your mental health58:10 - What is Caroline’s one wellbeing practice

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• 31: Embracing the discomfort of change with Anne Bonney

  Change is inevitable and universal. Whether you’re moving countries, going through a breakup, experiencing a restructure at work, or living with grief, one thing is for certain: making big leaps can be daunting and anxiety-inducing if we aren’t ready to face them. However, it’s also important to recognise that change can also be huge opportunity to bring positivity into our lives, alongside hope, new experiences, and personal growth. In this episode, we are joined by change leadership expert Anne Bonney, who will share with us how we can embrace the discomfort of change and push through towards bigger and brighter opportunities.Anne Bonney is a two-time author and host of the hit podcast Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, to help overwhelmed professionals build resilience in the discomfort of change. After 20 years of crushing it in corporate and nonprofit leadership positions, she now uses her hard-earned experience in the workplace and fiery passion to help leaders tackle tough conversations, and lead with emotional intelligence.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions. 0:00 - Intro 01:55 - Anne’s journey to becoming a champion for change 03:15 - Why do we find change uncomfortable? 04:00 - How do we override our risk-adverseness to change 05:25 - How do you develop confidence to try something new 07:45 - How do you shift from a pessimistic to an optimistic mindset 10:55 - How to use gratitude as a tool for working through our discomfort to change 12:40 - What are the 4 pillars to becoming mentally tough 14:55 - What are the common characteristics of resilient people 17:30 - How do you work through the sunk cost fallacy 19:35 - What is the 3 step process to manage change when it happens to you rather than when you initiated it 25:03 - Why is it important to be careful who you ask help from 26:25 - How do you make life decisions that is not overly influenced by social pressures 28:55 - What’s your advice for HR or managers to help employees cope with a restructure 30:50 - What did Anne learn as an early employee at Under Armour during a period of massive change 33:50 - How do you build trust with your employees before a change in the workplace happens 36:05 - What are tips for leaders to provide constructive feedback that employees can be receptive to rather than feeling defensive about 39:20 - How do leaders build employee trust when there is a low trust environment 42:00 - How can our communication styles unwittingly lose an employee’s trust 45:25 - What is authentic and open communication 46:35 - How do you manage employee expectations without creating false hope 49:50 - How being vulnerable builds employee trust in an environment of uncertainty 52:25 - How do you support those who’s mental health are more likely to be negatively impacted to change 54:24 - What is the definition of an emotionally intelligent leader 57:10 - How to develop self-awareness on whether you are risk adverse to change 58:25 - What is Anne’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 30: Discover your relationship attachment style with Serafin Upton

  As the saying goes, “Love is a verb,” and healthy relationships require intention, attention, time, and care. However, from our Clearhead data, we can see out of all of the people on our platform who said they were struggling with mental health challenges due to personal reasons, “General Relationship Struggles,” “Family Difficulties,” and “Partner Difficulties” were the top 3 issues people were dealing with. To help us grasp a greater understanding of what a fulfilling relationship should look like, how we can find them, and more importantly how to maintain them, our expert guest today is Serafin Upton.Serafin’s biography:Serafin Upton has worked in New Zealand and Australia as a family, couples' and sex therapist for over 20 years. On top of her extensive experience and qualifications, she has also trained under world-renowned sex and relationship therapists Esther Perel and Terry Real.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:00:00 - Intro01:55 - Serafin’s journey to becoming a couples, child, family, and sex therapist03:25 - What is the common fear that everyone has regardless of their stage of life04:40 - What are the skills you need to develop to have healthy relationships06:20 - What is one thing you can do to become more attuned to someone you care about08:30 - How can you stay present for your romantic partner when you are really busy10:40 - How reflecting back and following up with your partner is key12:30 - Can your attachment style change depending on the relationship?14:05 - How to develop a secure attachment style if you have an avoidant attachment style16:15 - How to develop a secure attachment style if you have an anxious attachment style17:45 - How does emotional intimacy vs physical intimacy change over time in long term relationships22:20 - Tips on how to create space for romance and connection in long term relationships24:05 - Should making time for fun in a relationship be scheduled or spontaneous 26:10 - Advice for developing connection for people who are single27:35 - How to deal with rejection in online dating such as ‘ghosting’29:15 - Are we meant to be single or in relationships33:15 - Is there a difference between being lonely vs being alone35:45 - How your fear of being judged or misunderstood prevents you from developing meaningful relationships37:05 - How to build your tolerance to being vulnerable when sharing in a relationship38:45 - Tips on conflict management in relationships43:30 - Do the type of fights you see in movies happen in real life45:20 - How do you get someone who is conflict avoidant to express their needs47:30 - When is the best time to raise issues you have with your partner49:00 - How do you not get defensive when someone raises an issue with you50:50 - Why is it important to let someone know if you think they are in an abusive or toxic relationship53:40 - How does Serafin assess if someone is in an abusive relationship55:35 - What are examples of psychological violence in a relationship57:00 - What are the red flags that signal you should leave an abusive relationship58:25 - What is the impact of relationship on our mental health59:50 - What is Serafin’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Serafin: https://serafinupton.co.nz Learn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 29: Get the best sleep of your life with Dr. Michael Breus

  Sleep is at the very centre of our wellbeing. Getting a good night's rest is crucial for both the body and mind, allowing us to repair, reset, and be ready for whatever the day throws at us. In this session, we'll be joined by sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus to learn about the relationship between sleep and mental health and unpack how to set ourselves up to have a good night's sleep, every night.Michael’s biography:Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sleep Specialist who has been in private practice for 23 years. He is the founder of sleepdoctor.com, and for over 14 years he served as the Sleep Expert for WebMD. Recently, he was named the Top Sleep Specialist by Reader’s Digest. His expertise lies in the science of sleep and peak performance as well as treating sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and more.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions0:00 - Intro1:50 - Michael’s journey to becoming a sleep specialist 6:30 - Why 75% of insomnia is caused by poor mental health7:45 - How CBT (therapy) is used to cure insomnia15:15 - How do you know whether you have a good quality sleep or not16:30 - How should we interpret sleep metrics17:30 - What are common disruptors of sleep17:50 - Understanding REM and NREM sleep19:15 - What test can you do when you have a poor quality of sleep21:45 - Should you take supplements to improve your sleep22:40 - What is the recommended quantity (hours) of sleep24:15 - What can you do when you wake up at night and can’t go back to sleep29:00 - What is a breathing technique to calm down and fall asleep33:30 - Should you get up or try to fall back asleep35:30 - Should you take a nap before your normal bedtime when you are tired37:00 - What can you do if you are a light sleeper or have trouble falling asleep38:15 - When should you seek professional help if you have insomnia39:45 - Do sleeping pills provide you a good quality of sleep41:45 - What can you do to get better sleep if you are a shift worker or are jet-lagged44:50 - When is the best time to be intimate if you have a different chronotype to your partner48:30 - How can understanding your family member’s chronotype lead to positive interactions50:00 - What is the role of sleep hygiene and the negative impact of alcohol52:00 - What is a normal amount of time we need to fall asleep54:00 - What is the connection between sleep and peak performance54:50 - What is Michael’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Michael Breushttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thesleepdoctorLearn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 28: Understanding Mental Health Disorders and Neurodivergence with Professor Marie Bismark

  The human brain is an incredibly complex organ. We are all wired to process emotions, thoughts, and behaviours differently due to a range of factors, including our genetics and the environment. Sometimes, individuals develop serious mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, or are considered neurodivergent, with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism or ADHD. Learning how to understand the way that these experiences shape us is crucial to our overall wellbeing, which is why we are joined by our expert guest, Marie Bismark, to unpack all the nuances behind diagnosing mental health disorders and the best ways to manage them. Marie’s biography: Professor Marie Bismark is a psychiatrist, public health physician, and health lawyer. She divides her time between New Zealand and Australia. In addition to her clinical work, Marie leads a research team at the University of Melbourne, focusing on the interface between patient safety and clinician wellbeing. She serves as a Director of several health sector organisations including the Royal Women’s Hospital and Summerset aged care. Marie completed a Harkness Fellowship at Harvard and her research has influenced regulatory policy in Australia and internationally. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:0:00 - Intro 2:35 - What is the definition of a mental health disorder?3:40 - What is bipolar disorder?7:35 - What is schizophrenia?9:55 - What is the role of medication and therapy in mental health treatment?12:40 - What is the role of the social determinants of health in developing mental health illness?14:00 - What are the causes of mental health disorders?15:55 - Why is developing self-awareness is the first step towards treatment?19:40 - Are there tests that can be done to confirm a mental health diagnosis?22:10 - How to determine the severity of a mental illness?26:10 - The role of family in supporting mentally unwell individuals28:05 - How should we be supporting caregivers?29:45 - What are the challenges and strengths of being neurodiverse? (Autism and ADHD)33:25 - What can workplaces do to support neurodiverse individuals?35:00 - How to best manage your ADHD to optimise functioning37:25 - How to best manage your Autism to optimise functioning38:50 - What happens if you are misdiagnosed42:05 - Why neurodiverse individuals often also have mental illness45:35 - The over-medicalisation of normal emotional responses48:30 - Why Marie decided to become a psychiatrist50:45 - What are the consequences of untreated mental health illness54:35 - What workplaces can do to support employees’ mental wellbeing and resilience 56:40 - What is Marie’s one wellbeing practice?57:20 - What is the role of nutrition and lifestyle changes to maintain mental wellbeing?Learn more about Marie:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-bismark-2397831b/Learn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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