Nobody doubts the benefits of exercise for physical health. What isn’t as widely known or discussed is how essential moderate exercise is to our mental wellbeing.  I created an online survey which sought to find out what health strategies helped people who have experienced an episode of depression or anxiety to bounce back from setbacks. I took a holistic approach, and asked people to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies such as exercise, good rest, good nutrition, emotional support from family, friends, and support groups, fulfilling work, hobbies, charity work, as well as traditional approaches like psychological counselling and medication. In all, over 60 strategies were evaluated, and 4080 respondents were asked to rate those they had tried. Exercise was in the top three.

Research shows that a 30 minute brisk walk (or equivalent) significantly improves your mood after 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours compared to those that don’t exercise (Mayo Clinic 2008). Exercise also boosts energy, confidence, and sexual desirability (American Fitness, 19 (6), 32-36).

We can’t control the slings and arrows that come our way on a daily basis, but we can control our daily habits. Incorporating moderate exercise into our day can inoculate us from the prolonged effects of a setback.

Why don’t people exercise?

People typically nominate two main reasons:

· I don’t feel like it – this is particularly applicable to people who are discouraged and/or depressed.

· I don’t have the time – our relentless 24/7 life usually means there are a thousand things to say “yes” to. An essential element of a thriving life is saying “no” to the trivial many, so that you can say “yes” to the vital few. Exercise is definitely in the latter category.

Principles to make exercise central to your life

Find something you enjoy – To sustain regular exercise, it is important to do something that you find pleasant. The traffic in gyms are 30-50% higher in January than other times of the year, as people are suddenly inspired to get fit and lose weight. By March, they have returned to normal levels. It’s not wise to sign up for a gym if you hate them!

I like walking because it allows me to get amongst nature, it’s free, and you can do it anyplace and anytime. Some people keep a walking journal so that they can write down the new things they see, hear, and smell each day. This keeps you present. If you prefer swimming, dancing, cycling, boot camps, or hiring a personal trainer, then do that. To experience the mood enhancement qualities of exercise it is recommended to do 30 minutes, 6 days per week. Although people with depression often don’t feel like exercising, it is important to go against that inclination.

Have modest goals – many people believe that to get the benefits of exercise you have to spend 2 hours in the gym or run a marathon. As highlighted above, this is simply not true. If you have been doing no exercise, start with 15 minutes per day. If you are catatonic and spending all day in bed, just getting out to the letter box each day is a good start that you can build on. Build activity gradually.

Introduce rituals – As highlighted with the gym traffic trends above, changing behaviour requires more than intention. To make it stick, it is essential to introduce daily rituals that prompt the behaviour. For example, rituals could include:

· Laying your clothes out each night when you go to bed so that when you wake up you can dress without thinking and head off.

· As you brush your teeth each morning, put on a pedometer. When you brush at night, take it off and record the steps taken.

· Set a regular time to walk with a friend or work colleagues. Consider walking meetings.

· Consider using a free smart phone app like FitnessPal, which allows you to monitor your exercise and your calorie consumption.

Begin it now.

Graeme Cowan is the author of BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping your loved one overcome depression, which was SANE Australia’s 2009 Book of the Year – www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com . He went through a 5 year episode of depression which his psychiatrist described as the worst he had ever treated. He now speaks and consults about how to inspire the discouraged to bounce back and thrive. Over 40 free resources can be found at www.Facebook.com/BackFromTheBrink

Tags: back from the brink, Bounce Back, depression treatments, graeme cowan, mood enhancers, natural depression treatments, robust mental health, thrive

For mental health week I think it is essential to celebrate our uniqueness. I am convinced that honouring our uniqueness in the key to a thriving life. At conception, we won the race from 500 million other sperm. It was the ultimate survival of the fittest. The more we strive to understand the unique elements of our DNA: our strengths, values and passions, and live them, the more effortless our lives become. There is an Indian proverb that says:

Relaxation is who I am; tension is who I think I should be

If we have a predisposition to depression, bipolar, or anxiety it should not define who we are. Sure we have to learn to manage it and be aware of our early warning signs, but there is no reason why that should define us or limit our contribution. Our strengths if developed and celebrated will always outweigh any weakness.

Discover and celebrate your strengths

If you haven’t discovered your top 5 strengths out of a possible 24 strengths, I can’t think of a better time to do it than for Mental Health Week. Martin Seligman and positive psychology movement have made a free assessment available to discover you strengths. They have shown that those people that use and constantly develop their strengths will have a much more fulfilling life than those who don’t. Discover yours now.

Brisbane seminar this Saturday - 7 essential strategies to beat depression for good

I have been often asked when I am presenting interstate. I do travel a lot but unfortunately it is usually for private conferences – not open to the public.

This Saturday October 15 from 2-5pm I will be presenting at the Relaxation Centre in Brisbane. For more information and to register.

In an endeavour to share what I have learnt for those who aren’t able to attend my seminars I have created the following:

BACK FROM THE BRINK Facebook Page

The BACK FROM THE BRINK Facebook Page allows me to share my thoughts on how to bounce back from depression and adversity to live a meaningful life. I have shared over 40 free downloadable resources under these categories:

· Anxiety

· Bipolar

· Carers

· Clinician Resources

· Diagnosis

· Facts

· Lifestyle treatments

· Old people

· Medical Treatments

· Wellbeing

Click the link. Click “LIKE”. Click “Free Stuff”

Let me know if you have any questions/comments/suggestions.

Strive2Thrive YouTube Channel

I have also created this channel to share some insights. Some of the videos on there include:

· Finding a GP that can help with depression

· What if you partner has depression

· Rituals for behaviour change

· Guiding principles to build resilience

· Depression treatments that really, REALLY work

Click here to check them out and subscribe to be advised of new additions. If you have a question you would like me to cover, please let me know.

RUOK?Day 2011

As a Director of RUOK?Day I was delighted with the coverage and impact we achieved this year. I will share more details of this in my next post, but we were delighted to learn that awareness of the day increased from 28% in 2010 to 68% this year. Over 2500 organisations participated in the RUOK?atWork program this year compared to 700 in 2010. More information soon.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: Bounce Back, depression treatments, mental health, natural depression treatments, overcoming depression, resilience

In the lead up to ANZAC  Day this year I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of veterans – one from WWII and one from the conflict in Afghanistan. Both confirmed that they had experienced a lot of stress when returning to Australia yet both said they found it very hard to talk with their colleagues about their anxiety.  Although I have never been into battle, I could closely relate to their apprehension of admitting a “weakness”.

While my wife slept beside me, and my young daughter was in the next room, I made the incredible decision to choose death. I didn’t even know what clinical depression was the first time I tried to take my own life. I was 31 years old and by all appearances had a successful life. I was married and had a one year old child and had recently moved into a new home. I had a successful career in sales and marketing but had just taken a career fork, moving into recruitment. Whilst I was enjoying my new role, I really hadn’t had enough time to excel at it, and I was accustomed to doing well at that to which I applied myself.

The uncertainty I was feeling about my career filled me with anxiety. I had continuous tension in my back that wouldn’t go away. Worse than the physical symptoms were the dark thoughts that wouldn’t go away. I saw myself as a failure and my self esteem plummeted. I would be wide awake at 3.30am, staring at the ceiling. I don’t know why I couldn’t reach out and tell someone how bad I was feeling – but I couldn’t. I felt that a man should be on top of life and vainly tried to think positive thoughts – but nothing changed. The early morning waking would leave me drained and hardly capable of working a full day, but I forced myself to keep going and the cycle of decline continued.

Since that momentous night 21 years ago, I have often reflected on why men find it so difficult to ask for help when they are experiencing tough times.

A lot has happened since then  – I’ve had other severe depressive episodes, been divorced, lost my job, written a book - BACK FROM THE BRINK, and now speak regularly on how people can bounce back and thrive from challenging times.  I’m now very grateful to lead a fulfilling and very happy life.

One of the most common questions that is asked at my seminars is “How do I get my husband/boyfriend/male to seek help when he so obviously needs it?”

The numbers don’t lie

Australian men have a life expectancy of 79 years versus 84 years for women.  They account for 78% of suicides, 77% of accidental drowning, 75% of motor vehicle accident deaths, and 67% of melanoma deaths, 67% of lung related deaths, 62% deaths due to cancerous tumours, and 61% of deaths due to heart disease. In the last year 25% of men haven’t seen a doctor compared with 10% of women.

Why is this so?

 It is clear that women are healthier than men, but why this is so is not clear. One of the most credited theories is that men have been socialized to self sufficient and encouraged by our culture to be tough. Many men believe that complaining of feeling ill or visiting the doctor is a threat to their masculinity or a waste of time, unless they are sick or injured.

In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive of 1,100 men for the American Academy of Family Physicians, 58% of men said they were reluctant to see a doctor. When asked why the two main reasons were:

·         I only go to the doctor if I am extremely sick: 36%

·         I am healthy, I have no reason to go to a doctor: 23%

The problem with this philosophy is that little problems have the habit of turning into big problems if they are ignored.

Of the men, nearly 80% said their spouse/significant other influences their decision to go to the doctor.

How do we start to influence males to visit their doctors more frequently?

Guiding Principles

Be sensitive to the male ego. I remember my wife being totally perplexed and wondering why I had not discussed my absolute despair with her prior to making an attempt on my life. Accept that for many men it is very hard to talk about emotions and feelings of doubt and inadequacy. It is best to talk about behaviour rather than threaten his self-esteem.

Try multiple choice. If a man has difficulty discussing feelings, he may respond better to multiple choice. For example, ‘Are you feeling worried, sad or angry right now?’

Affirm his competence. Again, remember the male ego. You could say, ‘I have always been impressed with how well you have managed so many things’.

Structuring the conversation

Break the ice

Discuss the weather, friends, family etc in a private place – walking outside is ideal.

Non Judgemental Questions

For example, you could say, ‘I’m concerned about you waking up at 4 am and not being able to get back to sleep. What are the things that are causing you to lose sleep? Why does that worry you so much? What do you think can be done about it? Have you considered asking someone else for help/advice?’ If they are struggling to come up with answers, then this might be the time to suggest strategies or someone they could talk to.

Encourage Action

Remember that nothing happens until someone moves. If you have a regular GP you should offer to make an appointment for them (and accompany them if they are willing).If they strongly resist going to the GP you could suggest they do an anonymous online depression test at www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

Subscribe to the Strive2ThriveTV YouTube Channel

I have established a YouTube Channel that provides some further background to my research.

Some of the videos include:

1.       Resilience Guiding Principle One – The Moodometer

2.       Resilience Guiding Principle Two – Strive2Thrive Roadmap

3.       Resilience Guiding Principle Three – Taking Action

4.       Resilience Guiding Principle Four – Problem Solving

5.       What depression treatments really REALLY work

View Strive2ThriveTV

Join the BACK FROM THE BRINK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

At this page you will find free downloadable pdf resources (over 40 available), videos and a community that is happy to share ideas and resources to bounce back and thrive from adversity and depression. Ask me any questions.

Join the Facebook Page

When Adversity Strikes, What Do You Do?

This Harvard Business Review article by Paul Soltz, tells how our core stories are about what happens when human beings and adversity collide. From those moments tragedies unravel and greatness is spawned. Adversity both destroys and elevates. It both strangles and sparks life.

What is your relationship with adversity? What role has it played in becoming who you are, in forging your essential character and mindset? How has it influenced your optimism, energy, opportunities, relationships, health, performance, capacity, and leaps of faith? Can you think of any force that has been more profoundly formative? Read More

 As always, if you have a comment about any of these topics please respond to the blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Graeme Cowan is an International Speaker and award winning Author of the BACK FROM THE BRINK book series who educates people on how to bounce back from challenging times.  www.GraemeCowan.com.au

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, mental health speaker, overcoming depression, resilience speaker, work stress

I think most of us who have struggled with depression or anxiety have experienced the dilemma of whether to disclose our illness to our work colleagues or not. Whilst it makes sense to discuss what we are living with, many of us are fearful that if we are honest, it could jeopardise our career prospects.

I believe that most of this fear stems from the people not be able to have sensible conversations about depression and anxiety in the workplace. This is ironical as it is the biggest contributor of lost productivity.

Whether you work for small company or a large employer, I would like to propose something that we all can do to make a difference. Ask your boss if your work team can start conversations that could change lives on October 7^th by participating in RU OK? At Work. Whilst we all recognize that things won’t change over night – we have to start somewhere. If you don’t feel like pushing it – suggest it to someone else in your team.

RU OK? at Work is the workplace component of RU OK? Day. All workplace posters and guides can be found by going to RU OK? at Work and registering.

R U OK? Day, now in its second year, is the first national initiative of its kind. On R U OK? Day on October 7, all Australians will be encouraged to use the time they take to have their coffee to connect with their friends, loved ones and colleagues by reaching out to anyone doing it tough and having a conversation that could change a life.

Simply ask: “Are you okay?” and help stop little problems from turning into big problems.

Why start a conversation? Because a lack of connection can have a critical impact on someone’s social and emotional well-bring and, at times, this feeling of disconnection can place people at risk of taking their own lives.

That’s why R U OK? Day on October 7^th will bring Australians together in a bid to help prevent risk factors contributing to suicide. It will also promote awareness of help and support services available by raising the profile of existing organisations that provide such services to those who need support.

More information on RUOK? Day  and resources for how to have an effective conversation and where to get help can be found at www.ruokday.com.au.

What are your suggestions, questions, comments about RU OK? at Work? Please reply to this post.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: adversity, anxiety, depression treatments, ruok, work stress, workplace stress

I was recently approached by Susan White, a researcher and writer, who asked if she could write a guest blog. When I looked at some of her articles, I was impressed with how she had found some excellent resources on the net for the subjects she was researching.

For regular readers of this blog you’ll know that I am a strong advocate of regular exercise for anyone, but particularly if you have been living with a mood disorder. The evidence is overwhelming; exercise is the best self help strategy for those of us that are susceptible to depression. I decided to challenge Susan to find some helpful websites to stay with a regular exercise program. So without further introduction, here they are.

10 Websites That Can Help You Stick to Your Exercise Program

Along with a sensible diet, it is probably the most important contributor to good health, and without exercise to substantiate and augment your choice of healthy food, you’re not doing the best you can to promote your health. A good diet provides you with energy and nutrients to get on with life, and exercise improves your wellness quotient by augmenting your physical and mental health, improving bone and muscle strength, boosting blood circulation, and keeping you fit and strong. The problem with exercise is that most people have trouble sticking to their routine; laziness sets in or work takes priority, and sooner or later, working out is relegated to the wayside. If you want some inspiration and motivation to help you stick to your exercise program, look no further than these websites:

1.      Everyday Health: This is a great place for people whose busy schedules don’t allow them to follow strict and time-bound exercise programs. It teaches you how to take advantage of everyday activities to boost your health and get your daily dose of exercise.

2.      Mayo Clinic: Get information from a trusted online source on why exercise is important for you and why it must form a part of your life.

3.      Mama’s Health: This site has a comprehensive yet precise overview of the various dangers caused by the lack of exercise. When you don’t work out, you tend to become overweight and even obese, and this could cause significant health issues.

4.      Living Health: If you’re worried about accidental injuries when working out, check out this site for safety tips when working out – find out the best ways to exercise without causing harm to your body.

5.      About Exercise: If you’re on vacation and worried about gaining weight because of all the good food you’re eating and the visible lack of exercise, this site offers great tips and tricks on how to work in a workout into your vacation.

6.      Essortment: If you’re stuck at home with no access to a gym or park, find out how you can continue working out at home with these great exercise programs.

7.      Medicine Net: Sidelined by an injury and worried you’re going to gain weight because you cannot exercise? Check out this site for safe ways to work out when you’re incapacitated by illness or injury.

8.      Web MD: Pregnant and worried about unnecessary weight gain and the wellbeing of your unborn child? Go here to find out how you can exercise safely when you’re expecting and stay healthy in the process.

9.      Workout Mommy: The best way for new moms to lose weight is to start exercising as soon as your doctor says it’s ok to start working out; and if you’re looking for ideas and tips on the fastest and safest ways to lose weight, this site offers great advice.

10.  Senior Fitness Suite: As you age, it becomes harder to maintain the intensity of your workout program; you’re worried about your safety and fitness. Continue to work out with no worries with tips and advice on senior fitness from this website.

Exercise is an integral aspect to a healthy life, so ensure that you stick to your workout routine without providing room for excuses.

By-line:

This article is contributed by Susan White, who regularly writes on the subject of surgical technician schools. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: susan.white33@gmail.com.

I’ve checked out the websites and they do all have a great perspective on different elements of maintaining exercise.

I also wanted to add two sites myself:

SparkPeople.com is a free online diet and healthy living community with over 3 million members who provide support and motivation to each other. I first saw an article on this in Fortune Magazine described as the “Facebook for dieters”. It boasts some very impressive results and is entirely free. There is a lot of social support to help you achieve your goals.

FitDay Another free site which I have heard very good things about. A friend of mine is writing a weight loss book and she rates this very highly.

Navigating a meaningful life

I truly believe that we all have wonderful strengths and gifts, and by using these for the benefit of others (and ourselves), we can have a wonderful life. I am presenting two seminars about how I believe this is possible for everyone – unfortunately only in the Sydney area – but if there is enough interest we may look at presenting it in a webinar format. It is hosted by my friends the Brahma Kumaris – there is no set cost – you are invited to make a donation.

Saturday September 11, 10.30am- 4pm Wilton – a beautiful retreat about 1 hour south west from Sydney CBD. Register here

Wednesday September 15, 6.00pm- 8.00pm – East Sydney – City Fringe Meditation Space

Register at  eastsydney@au.bkwsu.org

If you have tried any of the exercise sites or ideas above please let us know how you found them. Likewise, if you have found something that works for you, please let us know by responding to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: back from the brink, depression anxiety, depression help, depression research, depression treatments, exercise and depression, graeme cowan, self help

For it’s first year, 2009’s RUOK? Day had many highlights including 650,000 Australian’s reaching out to someone they were concerned about and asking “RUOK?” - but we want your help to make it better.

Just prior to a recent presentation I did regarding mental health in the workplace, I surveyed the HR Managers and CEO’s who attended and asked them, what were the biggest concerns they had about asking someone who appeared to be struggling “Are you OK?”.

These were there top 3 concerns:

·         How do you broach the subject with them?

·         How do you best support people managers who are trying to help them?

·         What do you tell other team members?

If you have at one time struggled in the workplace with depression, stress, or anxiety, I’d like to ask your help in recommending an approach which is good for the employee, the team, and the organisation.

Last year for RUOK? Day we produced a form to help individuals feel  more comfortable approaching  the person they were concerned about.

This is the approach we recommended:

Put yourself in their shoes

The reason most people don’t ask RUOK? to someone they care about, is that they don’t know what to say, or are afraid of “opening a can of worms”.

If you were the one struggling and had lost hope, would you want someone you cared about to ask RUOK? What would you like them to say?

The “Golden Rule” is an ethical code that is shared across most major religions and cultures that states “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Many Australians have embraced this idea during tough times; think of the Victorian bushfires, when millions of Australians reached out to help each other. RUOK? is another day where we challenge Australians to treat one another as you’d like to be treated. 

After the event last year we surveyed a sample of employers to ask them how they found effective  they found this resource - 73% rated it effective or very effective, and 27% somewhat effective.

 I would like to ask the experts, the ones who have struggled with a mood disorder in the workplace, is there anything you would suggest to improve this approach – given that it has to be no more that a page long.

Please respond to this blog and answer these 3 questions:

1.       Can you suggest any improvements to this approach?

2.       If you had the opportunity to give your boss advice on how best to handle the situation, what would you suggest?

3.       What are your thoughts about informing other team members that you are working with a mood disorder?

Many thanks for helping us continue to improve our approach.

Regards

Graeme

If you think your organisation (or another) may be interested in having me as a speaker, please refer them to: www.GraemeCowan.com.au or call my office on +61 2 8014 8867.

“Graeme delivered an exceptional presentation to our client group consisting of CEOs and Human Resources Managers on the topic of “Best Practice in managing mental health in the workplace”. Everyone was riveted to Graeme’s personal experience as well as the incredibly powerful suggestions for handling employees (and personal contacts) suffering from stress and depression. The suggestions were practical and simple and relevant to workplace situations. His style is so genuine and open that the majority of client feedback said it is one of the most compelling presentations they had seen in many years. Graeme has done some amazing research, both locally and internationally, on various aspects of mental health. He was also able to effectively demonstrate the corporate savings and the business case for addressing employee mental health and productivity. Given Graeme’s corporate background and his personal experiences I couldn’t recommend him more highly in either a consulting or speaking capacity. He is an inspirational speaker.” June 9, 2010 Diane Humphries, Managing Director Cameron Recruitment

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, mental health speaker, resilience speaker, work stress

The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. –Cindy Gallop

For some time now, I have been helping to organise RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo. I believe these two events could make a big difference in how people who are struggling with adversity are treated in the workplace and the community. Below is an outline of RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo and at the bottom is brief 100 word summary that could be used to describe RUOK?Arvo in a newsletter. If you have any suggestions about helping us to be successful in our quest please respond to the blog below.

RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo

Chances are that you know someone who is going through divorce, has lost a loved one, has a serious illness, is facing financial hardship, been retrenched, or having trouble with their children. For some people these crises can cause anxiety and a flat mood. For some it can progress into full blown clinical depression or an anxiety disorder.

Most of us would like to help, but we often opt out because we don’t know how to start the discussion, or are a little fearful that we could open a “can of worms”. The government recently announced that Medicare rebates for psychological counselling have increased 54% for 2009 over 2008. This is a problem that won’t go away unless we all take action.

This was the reason that RUOK?Day was created. We believe that a conversation can change a life and invite you to participate on Sunday Nov 29^th, 2009. Expert advice and videos can be found at www.RUOKDay.com.au

Action you could take

1.       Visit www.RUOKDay.com.au and review resources.

2.       Put Sunday Nov 29 in your diary and promise to make contact with one person you think could be struggling.

IF YOU WORK CONSIDER THIS

A 2007 Medicare Private study showed that by far the largest contributor to lost productivity in the Australian economy was caused by depression and anxiety.  Since 2007, Davidson Trahaire, by far Australia’s largest workplace counselling group, has seen client sessions for stress and anxiety increase 76% and 68% respectively.

This is why www.RUOKArvo.com.au has been created on Friday November 27 – the Friday afternoon before RUOK?Day. On this afternoon participating companies will invite all employees to reach out to one person – either a loved one or a work colleague – and ask RUOK?

At www.RUOKArvo.com.au you will find:

1.       Simple instructions on how your team or company can register and participate in RUOK?Arvo

2.       A downloadable  “How to ask RUOK? and support guide” and related video – for those concerned – see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

3.       A downloadable “I’m not OK and support guide” and related video – for those struggling

4.       A downloadable “Team Leaders Meeting Guide” and related video plus RUOK?Arvo Poster – on how to present RUOK?Arvo and engage the team

The organisations below have between 30 and 25,000 employees and have decided that these issues are so universal, that they will invite all their employees to ask RUOK? on Friday November 27.

FOUNDING SUPPORTERS OF RUOK?ARVO

Alexion, APN  Media, AT Kearney, Australian Human Resources Institute, Black Dog Institute, CareerOne, Cbus Super, Cochlear, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych, DLA Phillips Fox, Freehills, Inspire Foundation, Investment and Financial Services Association, Lifeline, Lundbeck, Mental Health Association of NSW, News Limited, Ramsay Healthcare, Reach Out, SANE Australia, Sex Discrimination Commission, Simon & Schuster, STW Group, Talent2,  The Next Step, Toll Holdings, University of Western Sydney, Zurich Financial Services

Action you could take:

1.       Discuss RUOK?Arvo with 2 work colleagues and your team leader. If you decide you would like to participate as a team why not register at:  www.ruokarvo.com.au

Turn your good intentions into action by asking RUOK? - nothing changes until someone acts.

100 word summary

Do you know someone who is struggling?

RUOK?Arvo  - a conversation could change a life

November 27, 2009

Do you know someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety but don’t know how to open a conversation with them.  Organisations with between 20 and 25000 employees have already agreed to invite everyone to ask RUOK?  to a loved one or work colleague on November 27. For a 3 minute video on how to ask RUOK? see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

 To register and find full resources and support to help you start a conversation that could change a life, please go to www.ruokarvo.com.au 

 As I mentioned before, please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions by responding to the blog below.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, work stress

For some time now, I have been emailing you with advice about how to overcome depression. I would now like you to tell me what you find most effective. But first some background……

UNDERSTANDING WHAT REALLY WORKS

I get very irate when I hear “experts” in the media saying that there are only 2 evidence based treatments for depression, antidepressants and psychological counselling…. What utter baloney. Don’t get me wrong – I still take antidepressants and have benefitted from psychological counselling, but I also know that there are many, many, other factors that contribute to our mental health. Things such as exercise, emotional support from loved ones, fulfilling work, relaxation and nutrition to name a few.

WE THAT LIVE WITH DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR ARE THE REAL EXPERTS ON WHAT WORKS

Some of you who read my first book, BACK FROM THE BRINK, would know that I included the results of two surveys: one done for the book by Ultrafeedback in 2007 and one undertaken by the Black Dog Institute(BDI) in the previous year. The results from those surveys certainly challenged traditional approaches towards depression treatments.

Well it is now 2009 and I’ve decided to revisit this issue again with a survey that looks at the effectiveness of a broad range of strategies. It really combines the best features of the Ultrafeedback and BDI survey.  Through my association with www.DBSAlliance.org in the US, I am having people with depression from across North America also completing the survey, and hopefully other depression websites from around the world will help make this a truly global one.

I NEED YOUR HELP

I would love you to spend 10 minutes completing this survey and I will share the results for free on www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com  once the analysis has been completed – the survey will close on December 11, 2009. To access the survey please go to:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XI_2bk_2f_2fgIwvYmsvuAz2UBlQ_3d_3d

I really appreciate you taking the time to complete the 10 minute survey and I look forward to sharing the results with you.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INVITE OTHERS WITH DEPRESSION TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY

The more that complete this survey the better so please feel free to forward this on to anyone you know who has experienced depression.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XI_2bk_2f_2fgIwvYmsvuAz2UBlQ_3d_3d

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression, depression survey, depression treatment survey, depression treatments, effective depression treatments, holistic depression treatments

This is the first of a 2 part article for Lawyers Weekly magazine. Although there are some aspects relating to the legal area, the message is applicable to all workplaces

Feeling like you are treading water in a whirlpool? Are you struggling with continued interruptions that leave your mind always cloudy? Finding it difficult to switch off from work and sleep properly? Wound up like a spring?

Rest assured, you are not alone.

In 2007 Medibank Private commissioned a study by Econtech which found the cost to the Australian economy of absenteeism was $ 7 billion and presenteeism amounted to a staggering $26 billion. The report concluded that by far the biggest contributor to this productivity loss was depression and anxiety disorders.

Stress has ballooned in the last year

Since the GFC, the strain has been building rapidly with the number of people seeking Medicare rebates for psychological services growing by a staggering 54% from March 2008 to March 2009. Australia’s largest workplace counselling provider, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych reported that sessions related to stress, anxiety and depression were up 62% from last year.

What makes this even more concerning is that in research undertaken for my book BACK FROM THE BRINK only 9% of people living with depression and anxiety disorders in Australia felt comfortable discussing it with their work colleagues.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that managers are very reluctant to initiate a discussion with someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety as they fear they “may open a can of worms”. This avoidance strategy couldn’t be more wrong with clinicians unanimously agreeing that the earlier an episode is addressed the better the outcome for the employee and the organisation.

The high rate of depression and substance abuse by lawyers is well documented. In the recent survey conducted for the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, 35% of law students recorded High to Very High Kessler-10 Distress, solicitors scored 31%, barristers 17%, versus a general population of 13%.

It is beyond the scope of this article to propose long term solutions to this complex problem, but I would like to contribute some short and medium term strategies that can significantly improve people’s mood and performance in the workplace. Before discussing these recommendations however, I need to discuss levels of distress.

The moodometer

I find people can relate to the concept of a moodometer. A moodometer is marked from 0 - 10 where 10= when you are physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually thriving, 5= is when you are stressed. You probably aren’t sleeping well, are having headaches or digestive problems but are still hopeful of getting better, 0 = suicidal - you are relying on drugs to get through the day and have lost hope of improving. For the purpose of qualifying advice, 0-4 is red zone, 4-6 amber zone, and 6-10 green zone.

What happens when faced with adversity

Most people’s response to adversity is to slide down the moodometer. This is understandable, but our fulfilment and success in life is ultimately determined by how quickly we can bounce back from these challenges. The focus of my recommendations is for individuals in the red and amber zones (63% of solicitors versus 37% for general population).

I have been at the lowest levels of the red zone and it is a place of great despair. What makes it particularly dangerous is that when I was there, I had given up hope of getting better, and couldn’t remember being mentally healthy. My mind was cloudy and I had difficulty in making decisions as quickly as I once did. I mention this for those that may be feeling this way, because after some changes in my lifestyle, I now live my life almost entirely in the green zone. I firmly believe that you can not only bounce back to where you were before, but if you are open to the lessons presented in these challenges, you may come out the other side thriving. You have no choice but to act now – no one deserves to dread each day.

Rarely do things improve by themselves

For those in the amber zone, you may be tempted to keep hanging in there hoping that things will turn around by themselves – they probably won’t. You can’t keep doing the same thing and be hopeful of getting a different result. You are in survival mode and probably can’t see options available that may help improve your life.

No matter what you know intellectually, when you are going through hard times there is a strong tendency to believe that you are the only one going through it. I know I felt this way. Since I have told my story of battling depression in the work place so publicly, I have found that every person I meet has someone close to them with a similar experience. Believe me – you are not alone.

Short term action

If you have been feeling in the red or amber zone every day for two weeks, the first thing you should do is to see your GP, a psychologist, or counsellor from your EAP provider (if you have one). If you are reluctant to do that you should at least consider an anonymous self test for depression at www.BlackDogInstitue.org.au  If the test suggests you need to speak to a mental health professional then organise an appointment immediately.

Exercise is essential

The second thing you should commit to doing is at least 30 minutes exercise each day. This doesn’t have to be a marathon – a 30 minute brisk walk in a park amongst nature at lunch time is enough. When you walk try to be in the moment and observe the plants, birds, animals and insects along the way. If you prefer swimming, cycling, aerobics, or dancing, do that. Research by the Black Dog Institute has shown exercise to be the most effective strategy (with no negative side effects) for improving depressive symptoms.

Emotional support 

Your third strategy should be to share you situation with someone you trust. This could be your spouse or partner, family member, or a friend. If your low mood is impacting your productivity at work, I would also strongly recommend talking to your manager. They have mostly likely already noticed the changes and it is better that they are aware of the real issue and don’t dismiss it as just a performance problem. Besides, you will need their support and approval if you are required to take time off to see doctors and to exercise.

Follow guidance

It is important in the next 4 weeks that you follow your doctors advice, exercise 30 minutes per day 6 days per week, and plan to meet with loved ones at least 2-3 times per week. I found it helpful to sit down on a Sunday and plan when I was going to schedule these activities in my diary for the week ahead. If you don’t plan for it in advance – it won’t happen. You need to do these things even if you don’t FEEL like it. The opposite of resilience is rigidity.

Next week

In the next issue I will be covering the remaining 4 essential strategies for bouncing back from adversity and specifically focusing on medium term action plans. I will also be outlining what managers, team mates and organisations can do to assist someone who is struggling.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you have any comments or questions about what has been outlined above please reply to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which isn’t made public) to register.

I look forward to your input.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: adversity, anxiety, depression treatments, work stress, workplace stress

From personal experience I know how hard it is to exercise when you are struggling with depression. On some days I was struggling to get out of bed and the thought of getting dressed and out the front door seemed like an impossibility.

I now know that having regular exercise is the most effective depression treatment

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that exercise is the only strategy to pursue - just the most important. It is not just me saying that - over 3000 people from both the Ultrafeedback and the Blackdog Institute survey results said the same thing. For a free copy of the most effective depression treatments research report please go to:

http://www.iambackfromthebrink.com/landing4.html

We don’t know exactly why this is so, but I have a hypothesis that it comes down to two main factors:

1. Exercise stimulates the feel good endorphins in the brain and also gets you out of the rut of being inside all the time.
2. Completing some task each day provides a sense of achievement.

It doesn’t really matter why it makes you feel better - just do what works.

So how do we start doing something so good for us that we don’t feel like doing?

Feelings aren’t facts is a www.grow.net.au saying and when we are depressed we often have to go against those lethargic and hopeless feelings.

It’s not a simple process, but let me share what I have found after talking with hundreds of people on this topic. I know there is something substantial in this as some pharmaceutical companies are already seeking to duplicate the effect exercise has on the body by creating a new pill to take!!!!!!!!!

7 thoughts on getting started

1. Find something you (or used to) enjoy doing - quite frankly it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you pursue - walking, jogging, dancing, cycling, rollerblading, swimming, treadmill, exercising the dog, cross country skiing etc - to be regular it is important to do something you enjoy.
2. Start small - a big mistake many people make is the belief they have to exercise for two hours each day to make a difference. When you are depressed you want “whisker goals” not “stretch goals”. If you are stuck in bed or watching TV all day - for the first week decide to put on your walking shoes and just get out to the letter box. Once you’re there you may decide to walk further but you don’t have to - all you have to do is get out to front gate. Alternatively, if you are stuck in front of the TV decide to put on a timer for 5 minutes and walk up and down on the spot until the timer goes off - you get the idea. If you are not as incapacitated by your depression set yourself a “just right” goal - not too hard not too easy. I started walking 15 minutes per day and then over a period of 4 weeks built it up to 40 minutes per day.
3. Just start - believe me just starting the exercise is 70% of the effort.
4. Resolve to exercise everyday but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t I started off exercising every second day but often couldn’t remember if I had done it the previous day or not. Believe it or not I found it easier to exercise 6 days a week and give myself Sunday off - what a pleasure it was to sleep in on those days. If you don’t make it everyday - don’t beat yourself up - we do far too much of that when we are depressed any way - just accept it and resolve to recommence tomorrow.
5. Consider exercising with a loved one or group Many people find it hard to exercise themselves but find it really difficult to let a friend or family member down. For some reason there is a greater commitment when it is with loved ones. The other benefit of exercising with others is that it also becomes a social activity which can help the problem of isolation.
6. Try to be in the moment when you exercise - observe flowers, plants, insects, birds, animals, noises, smells, etc when you are walking. Some people keep a walking journal and describe being relatively free of rumination when they are concentrating on what they are going to be writing about when they return.
7. Don’t be afraid to mix and match if you get sick of walking for example don’t be afraid to try something else like learn a martial art, or join a gym. Some people utilise a trainer to help provide the variety.

Be gentle on yourself - It is not how many times we stumble but how many times we get up and keep trying that will determine our fulfillment and sense of well being.

What has been your experience?

We have a wealth of wisdom amongst our members. What has been your experience with exercise? What have you found helpful to get over that lethargic feeling and start? How do you keep going when you get bored or don’t feel like it? Please share it by responding to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which won’t be published).

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression help, depression treatments, exercise for depression, how to start exercising, most effective depression treatments