The brain naturally prefers what feels familiar. That is why trying something new can feel uncomfortable, even when it is good for wellbeing. The good news is that this isn't where the story ends. In the previous blog, Why Does Your Brain Resist Change?, we looked at why the brain often resists change. This follow-up explores what can help. Training your...
Wanting to change is rarely the hard part. Sticking with it is. New habits, new routines, even good ones, tend to meet resistance from somewhere deep and automatic — and that resistance has more to do with wiring than willpower. Why Does Your Brain Resist Change? The brain is designed to keep people safe because it is biologically wired to prioritise survival...
A sudden bang. A firework goes off without warning. A door slamming without warning. Or thunder rolls in through a quiet moment. The body jolts. The heart races. These experiences can make the body tense instantly, even before there is time to think. For most people, they manage to shake it off after a few seconds. But for others, those...
Someone at the next table is chewing their lunch. For some this is just something that happens in the background, but for someone with misophonia, it can trigger an immediate surge of emotion. They might need to leave the room. This is not because they are being too sensitive. It is a condition that affects the brain. Misophonia is a condition...
Big moments in life rarely come with simple distinct emotions. A long-awaited achievement can elicit immense pride as well as intense self-doubt too. Turbulent endings once arrived, can often result in tremendous relief and loss at the same time. Even the happiest celebrations leave a faint echo of something missing when they’re over. It’s no wonder people often ask themselves:...
By the time December arrives, many people notice the same pattern. Your calendar fills up. Your thoughts speed up. And your mind feels louder than usual even when you’re trying to rest. You might find yourself lying awake running through lists. Or feeling irritated by small things. Or wondering why, at a time that’s meant to feel joyful, you mostly feel...
We love to tell a single story about new motherhood—the glowing joy, the instant bonding, the effortless intuition that supposedly switches on the moment a baby arrives. But like all single stories, it’s incomplete. And for many women, it’s untrue. Perinatal depression—which includes depression during pregnancy and in the year after birth—often lives behind a carefully practiced smile. It’s quiet, it’s...
When dealing with mental health challenges day-to-day, spotting personal progress can be difficult. Changes tend to happen gradually, making them easy to miss. The focus often stays on what still feels hard rather than noticing what has shifted. There's often an expectation that mental health progress means feeling happy or calm most of the time. That's not quite how it works....
When we think about improving our mental health, it’s easy to picture big changes—quitting a stressful job, moving to a new city, starting therapy, or completely overhauling our daily routine. And while those steps can sometimes help, they’re not always feasible—or even necessary. More often than not, it’s the small shifts that make the biggest difference. I like to think of it...
Most people know what it feels like to lie awake at night worrying about money. The quiet dread of checking the bank balance after an unexpected expense or standing in the grocery aisle worrying about the cost of groceries. Thinking about money can stir up a mix of emotions, and it’s more than just numbers. In Australia and across the...
