WEBVTT - How to stop feeling so stressed 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.720 Okay a, welcome to Healthy Ish. Thanks for joining us 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:05.240 on the podcast from Body and Soul. I am your 0:00:05.240 --> 0:00:09.080 host for listening, Haley, get this. A third of Ossie's 0:00:09.160 --> 0:00:13.400 feel stressed or anxious on a weekly basis, according to 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:18.159 our recent Health of the Nation report. Is this you do? 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:21.520 You fall into this group right now? Well, this is 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:24.520 the episode for you. I'm joined by a psychiatrist and author, 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:28.920 doctor Kieran Kennedy, and we're chatting all things stress, of course, 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:33.519 what is healthy stress versus unhealthy stress, How to actually 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:38.520 practice mental fitness habits rather than just thinking about them 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:40.400 as many of us do, and whether we should turn 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.680 to AI for help with our mental health. Kieren is 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:46.960 going to help us make sense of all of the above, 0:01:01.600 --> 0:01:03.480 Doctor Kieren, welcome back. 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:05.920 Hello, thank you for having me. It's so so nice 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:06.280 to be back. 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:09.520 As always, you're a regular now I think this is 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:11.920 a friend of the pod as you as. 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:14.840 You say, yeah, it's been a few times now, so 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:17.400 it's so nice coming in and love having a chat 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:19.960 with you guys. So thanks for you know, my key 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:21.800 accent can't be too bad if you've had me back 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:23.040 a few times now, So thank you. 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:25.920 Well, I still forgive it, but then how are you 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:27.119 staying healthy this year? 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:31.200 Very good Christian. Lots of swims lately, which. 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:34.440 Is just the time swimmer or an ocean swimmer. 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:39.240 Ocean swimmer and definitely not like a ocean swim swoman, 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:42.880 but you know, jumping in and you know, jumping off 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:46.440 the wharf and stuff like that. Just yeah, down near 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:49.800 Rose Bay and things. It's morning swims. It's just sets 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.440 me up for an amazing day. So been loving that. 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:57.280 It's amazing. How just refreshing and inspiring a swim in 0:01:57.320 --> 0:01:59.080 the morning, and you say, go down to well, that's 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:01.960 the harbour side in the Sydney at Rose Bay and 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.880 sometimes we have a pool and sometimes I'm jumping the 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.040 pool with my kids, and I mean, I'd much prefer 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:10.800 the ocean, but it's just so refreshing and such a 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:12.239 great way to kick start your day. 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:14.480 Yeah, and you know that plus. 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:18.040 A coffee yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:19.840 It's a perfect start. So I think that's been like 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.160 a really nice little gratitude point for my staying healthy 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:24.799 ish so far this Yeah, I like it. 0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:29.080 It's pretty impressive. Now let's talk about well some stats 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:31.960 out of body and Soul's recent Health of the Nation report, 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:36.680 one in four Australians are experiencing mental health challenges, with 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:40.840 the mental health of those suffering getting worse. What are 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:43.840 some of the common reasons you hear, you know, with 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.720 your patients and just people around you. I mean you're 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:47.960 in this space. 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:50.840 Yeah, I mean a lot of varied ones, you know. 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.280 I think important for people to know there can be 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:56.000 so many reasons why we feel we're struggling. And I think, 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:59.280 especially with society at the moment and the weight of 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:01.360 the world in some ways at the moment, there's a 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:05.320 lot going on to impact them into mouth potentially, you know. 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:09.760 I think the busyness of modern life now is a 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:12.840 big one that I hear, especially lately with my own patients, 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:17.600 And I think it's juggling financial strains and work and 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:21.880 families and kids and partners, and I think it's the 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:25.160 sense often that we're left with very little time at 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.920 the end of the day to actually maybe sometimes even 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.520 stop and think about our mental health. So I think 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:36.240 that kind of busy, chaotic convey about type way that 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:38.520 modern life can feel at the moment, I think is 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:39.480 a big contributor. 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:41.800 I think that, I mean, I feel like that is 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.960 just on point from what I'm hearing, you know, from listeners, 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:49.320 from friends, from family members, like you just can't find 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:52.400 the time to stop and drink that coffee. Yeah, you're 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.840 like doing it while you're doing everything. And I often 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.320 I've started to just notice that I'm always living in 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.280 the future. So I'm always like, Okay, what am I 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:04.160 doing tomorrow? What am I doing the next day? What's happening? 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:07.119 And I'm like, I am failing to live right now. 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:10.120 And I think that, I mean, it can affect your 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.920 mental health. Another thing. Let's talk a bit about finances. 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:16.760 One of the main reasons in the survey what people said, 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:20.120 we're financial, Yeah that are you finding that more and 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:22.599 moral or how does this plant your mental health? 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:26.960 Absolutely? You know, and I think obviously the financial strains 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:30.240 in terms of the prices, costs of things, someone suddenly 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:33.040 get hit with an increase in their rent, you know, 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:37.360 all of these things are significant parts of our lives 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:40.239 in terms of you know, staying financially followed and managing 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.960 our finances and things. And I think there's just more 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:45.800 and more of the pointing into that for a lot 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.840 of people in terms of that being a real stressful 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:53.320 anxiety provoking, you know, difficult part of life, and it 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:56.440 is something that can profoundly affect our mental health, I think, 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:59.200 especially if we're talking about stress levels and anxiety, so 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:01.600 that a big one, you know, and I've had more 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.440 people talking about that, especially lately with inflation and everything, 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:06.360 so it's a lot. 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.760 Yeah, a third of Aussie's responded to saying they feel 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:13.560 stressed or anxious on a weekly basis. This was interesting, 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:16.520 And what I want to ask you is talk to 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:20.799 us about healthy stress versus unhealthy stress, because I feel 0:05:20.800 --> 0:05:24.360 like there's a thin line and often you can think 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:27.200 I'm really stressed, But am I to the point of 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:29.599 where it is actually a concern or is it just 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.280 normal because we should be stressed at some point. 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:34.359 Which is totally yeah, and it can be you know, 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:36.760 I think we can it's easy to gaslight ourselves a 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:39.200 little bit in terms of like, well, am I any 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:43.800 more stressed than the average person is? Or I'm stressed, 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:47.560 but actually I've got half of the mental load that 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:50.360 my neighbor does next door or my best friend does, 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:53.000 and it can be really hard to kind of quantify 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:55.200 that in our mind. And I guess it's just as 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.640 you say, it's to point out that's some level of 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.360 stress and anxiety, which can be closely related, is normal. 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.800 It's adaptive, it's healthy in a way, whereas it can 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:07.520 tick away and cross a line where it starts to 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.640 become I guess what we call maladaptive and potentially negatively 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:15.000 impawerful to our health and the line can you know, 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.719 very doctorly response can look different for everyone, But I 0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:22.040 think in general, if we think about adaptive or healthy 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.720 levels of stress in our day to day lives, there 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:28.440 are a few key features. So normal or adaptive stress 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:33.640 is often triggered to a specific situation or setting, and 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:36.960 it's in keeping with the level of that situation. So 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:41.839 if I miss the bus, I might feel stressed. But 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.359 if I miss the bus, but then that flips me 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:46.919 into having a panic attack and not being able to 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:48.800 wind down for the rest of the day, that might 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.440 be an example of something that's above sort of a 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:54.920 justified trigger level for that stressor I guess the other 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.839 place stress can become not so adaptive is when it's 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:04.000 not short lived or contained to that stressful situation or 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.599 that trigger point. So I think if people are finding 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:11.320 that their stress and general anxiety levels are persistent or 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:15.440 becoming maybe nearly constant, regardless of what's going on around them. 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.640 If it feels like it's much higher, then maybe the 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:23.560 setting or situation might call for adaptively, or if it's 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:26.840 just starting to negatively impact things like our sleep, our 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.960 mental health, our physical health, our relationships. Those are kind 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:34.000 of key points to say, well, maybe this isn't an adaptive, 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:35.680 helpful level of stress. 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:38.280 That's a great example that the bus one. Yeah, like 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:40.760 it's such a simple one, but you know, we can 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:42.840 probably all identify a time in our lives where of 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:46.200 just let it go and we're fine in a manner 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.840 of half an hour whatever. But then other times in 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:50.480 our life where that sets. 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:52.040 Us off for the whole day, absolutely and just. 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:53.720 Piles on top of everything else that's going on. 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:56.600 Definitely, And I think when our general lives are a 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:59.560 lot busier, we are more stressed in general, it can 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.960 actually be easy for those levels of stress and triggering 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:07.000 to start to really you know, snowball that way. You know, 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:09.480 I think if everything's going well and we're well slept, 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:12.520 and we're feeling motivated and happy and things are going well, 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.320 if we miss the bus, we might be more prone 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.160 to be like, well, that's annoying and I'm a bit 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:18.240 stress because I'm going to miss the meeting, but fine, 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.240 Whereas this is what it is generally juggling a lot 0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:24.560 in our lives, what's around us is more stressful, triggering, 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:28.320 we're not coping so well understandably. That's where something like 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:31.200 missing the bus can then start a bit of an 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:33.560 avalanche for the rest of the day being really pretty 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:34.840 stressful and difficult. 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:38.520 The other thing I suppose in mine experience is that 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:44.120 I often realize that I'm stressed in hindsight, so oh 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.120 really yeah, Like even I'm sitting here right now, in 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.280 the end of last year, I was very stressed, and 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:51.840 I probably didn't appreciate that at the time, and then 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:53.840 when I look back, I mean, my body reacts. I 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:57.280 get z risis when I'm stressed. And how can we 0:08:57.320 --> 0:08:59.640 get better at realizing when we're in the moment rather 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:01.280 than going, oh, yeah, the end of last year was 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:02.199 actually really stressed. 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.480 It was actually a full long time exactly. I mean 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.160 it's tricky, because isn't it often It again comes down 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:10.240 to that fact that we don't actually get a whole 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.160 lot of moments in our day to day life for 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:17.520 our week or our year to maybe actually stop and, 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:20.760 you know, even if it sounds slightly naff or cliche, 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.280 check in on ourselves, you know. So I think it's 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.240 very easy to just sort of habituate to this level 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:30.199 of feeling a certain way, stress included, and not actually 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.360 having a moment to sort of stop and reflect and 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:37.240 consider how am I feeling? Am I feeling quite stressed? 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:41.120 Have I been really anxious this week? So little pockets 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:43.760 of time to do that or to really check in 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:47.920 with ourselves is an important part of managing stress and anxiety, 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:51.240 because otherwise it's so easy to just kind of get 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:53.840 whipped up into that snowball and to not even realize 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:55.520 it's kind of rolling and getting pretty better. 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.880 I like that idea of asking questions, asking yourself questions, 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:03.000 always putting yourself, coming out of your body and asking yourself, 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:06.080 you know. Am I like this where having those kind 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:07.679 of a list of questions that you ask. 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.920 Yourself absolutely, you know, And a lot about that with 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:12.800 a lot of mental health and a lot of work 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:16.520 with patients and things, whether it's struggling to focus because 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.920 of ADHD or it's struggling with mood, its struggling with stress. 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:23.840 That's often a key part of any aspect of supporting 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:26.840 our mental health is first learning to kind of check 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:30.840 in and almost be our own therapist in the opposite chair, 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:34.319 to say, well, how am I actually doing in regard 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.200 how am I feeling today? What has this week been like? 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.240 Because it is very very easy. So don't worry if 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:43.360 you're sitting there listening to this thinking, God, I need 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:47.280 you do that. I try to, but you I understand. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.960 I have to be honest. I'm absolutely not perfect, and 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:54.319 I also know what it feels like to have some 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.079 weeks where it's just it feels chaotic and you're flying 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:59.240 by the city of Pants and it's busy, and we 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:00.600 get to the end of the word, we can thank 0:11:00.679 --> 0:11:03.719 God that I even stop and check in on how 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.640 I'm feeling or doing this week. So it's I think 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.040 it's normal. And it's also very easy, as we said, 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.200 with the way modern life is at the moment, to 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:12.959 fall into that. 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:19.679 We back after this short break with more from Kieran. Now. Interestingly, 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:23.280 the ways we safeguard our mental health according to the 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:27.280 Health and Nation, weren't that surprising to me. Forty four 0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:30.920 percent of people will exercise thirty nine percent health focus 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:34.400 on healthy eating. What I want to talk about, which 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.640 I really like is thirty five percent. I suppose focus 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:42.200 or do their hobbies and interests. I feel like, let's 0:11:42.200 --> 0:11:44.080 talk a bit bit about hobbies and interests. Is I 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:46.600 feel like we don't actually focus about Yeah, focus on 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:49.360 these enough and the importance of the way in which 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:50.920 they can boost your mental well being. 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:53.720 Yeah. I really loved this too, and I loved that 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.720 the survey. You know, the Body and Soul team included 0:11:56.720 --> 0:11:59.480 the specifically in the survey because it is really important. 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:02.800 And I agree we don't think about it that much 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:06.640 when it comes to physical or mental health, but there 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:10.839 is a lot of research and evidence around hobbies or 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:16.720 activities or time just for the self and just being 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:20.440 something that we do for the pure pleasure and enjoyment 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.200 of it. There's a lot of research around those things 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:27.000 being very protective when it comes to our mental health. 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:30.400 And interestingly, when I saw that in the survey, I 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.079 looked up what is the actual definition of a hobby? 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:35.480 Is what actually is a hobby? And it said it's 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:39.240 something that we regularly do in our own time that 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.320 brings us pleasure. So again, it's this very I think 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:47.960 at least empowering, protective way of thinking about making time 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:53.160 for something that is just for us, you know. And 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:59.760 I think hobbies, whether it's you know, painting, music, it's fitness, exercise, nature, 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:04.360 whatever it might be for you, it dovetails into so 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:08.079 many things that we know are so important and impactful 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:12.040 for mental health, like joy and gratitude. We talk about 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:14.160 flow states where we get lost and stuff. 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:16.600 I was just going to say that. I was just thinking, Yeah, 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:18.960 you're in when you're doing your hobby, whatever it is, 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.280 you just get lost, and the mental load or the 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.439 whatever you're stressing over it, and just over it just 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.479 kind of pauses one hundred where you enjoy that experience. 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:32.640 Yeah, and it's so powerful and potentially impactful for our 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:35.360 mental health. And the other thing that I really love 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:38.120 when it comes to hobbies is we know there are 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:42.600 things that so often connect to our hobby that are 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:45.360 also beneficial for our mental health. And so if we 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.559 think about hobbies as an example of a way to 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.000 protect our mental health, I think we can think of 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:52.440 it as a bit of a loading the table or 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:56.600 stacking the deck. So if our hobby happens to include 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:58.839 a social element. We know that that will be an 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:02.640 additive booster. If it includes being outdoors, or it's physical 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:06.720 with exercise, that's a booster. If it involves creativity, that 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.120 is a boost. So in a way, I think we 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:11.120 can think about hobbies as almost a way that we 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:14.199 can kind of supercharge, yeah, things that can really benefit 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:15.040 our mental health. 0:14:15.160 --> 0:14:17.240 Many of us are obviously aware of what we should 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:20.040 be doing for mental health and fitness, whether it's doing 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:22.040 our hobbies or going to the gym or whatever it is. 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:24.920 Yet we don't do it, you know, yet when we're 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:28.440 in that stress let's just call it the stress state, Yeah, 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:30.720 we don't do it. We don't take time out, we 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:32.880 just get caught up. Well a lot of the time 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:37.480 we're actually busy, Yeah, we don't have time. Yeah yeah, 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:39.800 But why do we struggle to do the things that 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:43.200 we know are going to help us help our mental health. 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:47.680 It's really fascinating because even for physical health, is decades, 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:51.440 if not centuries of evidence now that even if our doctor, 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.760 for example, gives us a treatment plan or a set 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.360 of clear things we should do to help this physical 0:14:56.440 --> 0:15:00.760 or mental health condition. As a species, you know, we're 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:05.200 actually pretty bad sometimes at actioning those things. So again, 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:07.280 we're all in the similar boat here, and it can 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:09.360 be really hard to action things that we know can 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:11.760 benefit our health. But I think when it comes to 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:15.040 mental health, there's a few things still stuck in the 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:16.880 back of our mind. I think, at least when it 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.200 comes to stereotypes and stigma, that makes it even more 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.400 hard to action. I think if we think about actioning 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:26.920 something to help our mental health because we're struggling, we 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:29.200 then also in some part of our mind need to 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:32.440 admit that we are stressed or struggling or not doing 0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:35.520 so well. And I think even subconsciously that's still quite 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.640 hard because a lot of the time we do equate 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.400 stress and struggling and mental health issues with not being 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:43.640 able to hold all the balls. You know. 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:46.640 I'm glad you point that out, because I feel like 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.800 we've come so far in the mental health conversation, but 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:52.200 there are but you still feel shame and like I 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:54.280 can't do it, I'm not good enough. You know. You 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:56.120 can go into this negative spiral one. 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.160 Hundred, you know, and even if we don't consciously believe 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.160 it or we know it's not true, there can still 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:04.360 be this underlying sense of well everyone else seems to 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:07.240 be coping and doing fine, and they're not freaking out 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:11.160 or stressed or struggling. So why should I have to 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:14.080 kind of meditate for ten minutes a day to help 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:17.040 me manage this or make sure I do my hobby 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:19.920 three times a week to help with my anxiety. So 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:22.760 I think there can be this very normal, understandable, kind 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:26.400 of even subconscious barrier to actioning some of these things, 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:29.560 because it means we first need to acknowledge how we're 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:31.720 feeling and that we might not be doing so well. 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.160 So when it comes to actioning things for our mental health, 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:39.400 that's quite powerful. And also, I think we've long had 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:42.280 this viewpoint that we can action things to improve our 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.160 physical health, like our diet, like going to the gym, 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.240 like going for a walk, and so we've grown up 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:52.200 with this understanding that we can change and influence our 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:55.960 physical health. But for a long time, mental health or 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:58.560 mental illness was seen as something that was kind of 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:01.560 you know, either had it or you didn't, or if 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.000 you struggled with it, it was because it must be 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:07.840 a personal kind of flaw or faith. We're very slowly 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:11.359 coming around to this idea of mental fitness being something 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.359 that we can actually action things in our day to 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:16.160 day lives to improve our mental. 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:18.440 Health because we put in it will idea, at least 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:20.560 put in the calendar what I'm going to do for 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:23.240 my physical health, and I yet still don't put in 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:24.760 the calendar what I'm going to do for my mental health. 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:26.560 But I absolutely should, and I know I should, but 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:27.879 I just I just don't. 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:31.840 Absolutely. It's still, unfortunately kind of a little bit lower 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:33.640 on the list for a lot of people. And when 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:37.280 we add just juggling stuff with work and the kids 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.760 and partners and all these other things, it's really easy 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.639 for health and especially mental health to kind of just 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:46.200 fall to the bottom of the list in terms of 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:48.040 I should do that, or I will do that, or 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.199 a meaning to do that. So it does take a 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.879 lot of kind of mph to really pull it to 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.640 the top of the list in then usual week. 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:59.600 What are your thoughts on turning to AI for help 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:00.600 with me to health? 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:03.080 Yeah, there's quite a lot out there at the moment 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:05.040 about this, which is super interesting. 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.199 You've been on chat GTPE and put something in I have. 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.880 Yeah, Yeah, you know, it's really interesting to ask it. 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.480 Questions just what's your thoughts I mean, I. 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:15.720 Think it's it's a bit of a double edged sword, 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.680 and I think it can be and is really helpful. 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:22.800 Dare I say it's probably slightly better than doctor Google 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:24.960 in terms of just typing in do I have a 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:28.240 brain tumor into Google? You know, I guess the AI 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:31.080 is able to draw information and give a bit of 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:35.760 a more nuanced specific answer. But again I think I 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.959 guess the concern around it for doctors potentially is that 0:18:40.280 --> 0:18:43.960 at the moment at least, it's kind of just filtering 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:45.840 a whole lot of them fo off the internet. It 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:49.639 might not be giving us specific answers to our health needs. 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.960 And also, as we know when we ask chat, GPT anything, 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:55.520 it depends on the way we ask it and how 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:58.520 we ask the question. So again I think if we're 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:02.560 asking for specific health mental health advice, it could be 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:05.800 very informative and potentially helpful, but we just have to 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:08.119 be aware that at the moment at least it's not 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:11.720 a replacement for if we have legitimate questions or concerns, 0:19:12.240 --> 0:19:16.240 you know, seeing your GP talk therapy. But even with 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:18.639 loneliness and stuff, it's really interesting, Yeah. 0:19:18.520 --> 0:19:22.240 Because one in four Australians are experiencing loneliness. 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.439 Yeah, which is I've seen even this week stuff about 0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:29.760 AI friends and AI partners and how that's filling a bit. 0:19:29.680 --> 0:19:32.760 Of a whole for loneliness, and again and what are 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:34.520 your thoughts on that, well, I mean. 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:36.920 I think positives and negatives in terms of I think 0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:41.359 if people are quite isolated, lonely, they struggle with real 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:44.240 world meetings, I think it could be incredibly helpful to 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:46.879 give a bit of a support point for people. But 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:49.720 it's again remembering that there are certain ways that it 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:52.480 might not be able to be the same. 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:55.359 As a human seem to watch it develop over the 0:19:55.440 --> 0:19:59.200 next five to ten years and how it will exist 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:01.239 and whether at the end of the day, you know, 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:05.359 as humans, we've thrived for millions of years because of 0:20:05.359 --> 0:20:08.080 connection and that's what we need. So will the AI 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:11.960 connection be able to well replace human connection? She knows 0:20:13.240 --> 0:20:16.960 what's space. We won't figure that out. 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.440 I need a little bit long to figure that out. Now. 0:20:19.560 --> 0:20:21.600 One other thing that came up was asking for help. 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:24.040 Seems to be a barrier in people when it comes 0:20:24.080 --> 0:20:27.400 to mental health. And this surprised me in some ways 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:29.560 because I feel like there's a lot out there that 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:32.160 you know, are you okay? Day? Like, there's a lot 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:35.119 out there now encouraging people to put the hand up, 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:37.600 but people are still struggling with this. How do we 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:41.200