This year the theme is “There’s more to say after R U OK?” referencing how important it is not just to ask someone if they’re OK, but how to listen to their answer in a way that feels validating, reassuring and helpful.

How do you know that what you’re experiencing isn’t a phase? How do you know that what you’re experiencing is something you need to pay attention to and get help for?

You’re tracking ok but can we last the distance? How do you know when things are starting to slip away? Read here for more on what signs to look out for to avoid relapse.

Living with chronic pain can be debilitating. Dr Miller shares her insights into the role of psychology in managing pain.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been constantly discussed in social conversations and published throughout the media. For some of us, the impact of social isolation and distancing has left us to frequently deal with our own thoughts. Rumination and catastrophising are two negative thinking styles which may develop when we struggle to manage intrusive thoughts that arise in consciousness. As a result of this pandemic, many of us have struggled to deal with our intrusive thoughts. It’d likely be difficult for us to be grateful for different aspects of our lives right now, such as our friends, family, jobs and hobbies. This may be problematic for us because if we’re feeling a lessened sense of gratitude, we may feel more withdrawn, lonely and disconnected.

Why do we feel like we have to do it all and all at once? I think we easily fall into the trap of feeling like we need to do it all, and all at once because of avenues like social media. Every time we see the “super mum” or “super dad” on Instagram or Facebook seemingly do it all, we start to compare and feel resentful. We think, “why can’t I do that?”, “what’s wrong with me?”, “why can’t my kids be so placid and calm like their kids?”, “I’m a failure as a parent”. See what happened here? We went from zero to hundred by saying: “why can’t I do that” and went to: “I’m a failure as a parent”. This type of comparison and black and white thinking is what gets us into trouble and feeling as though we need to do it all at once. But why?