Matt Hopcraft @matt_hopcraft

Mental Health Month Day 1 - Stigma

October is Mental Health Month, which provides a perfect opportunity to start a conversation about
mental health and wellbeing. Today I’m going to talk about stigma.
Stigma is defined as ‘a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have
about something’ and can be seen in strong feelings of disapproval or worse. People view others in
a negative way based on a stereotype, which can lead to discrimination.
Stigma exists at a number of levels:

 Self-stigma or internalised stigma – how you perceive yourself

 Public stigma –negative beliefs held by society
 Professional stigma –negative beliefs towards patients
 Institutional stigma –policies or culture of an organisation

All of these can lead to isolation, rejection, marginalisation and discrimination. Negative attitudes
and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are all too common and can be
extremely damaging.
1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental illness this year. Given what we know in our profession,
that’s likely to be much higher. We are not immune. We are not invulnerable. Those affected are
our family, friends, colleagues and loved ones.
And sadly, we know that 60% of people with a mental illness will not seek help. That’s the power
of stigma. The view that mental illness is a sign of weakness. That it’s not a real disease. So people
suffering with a mental illness feel ashamed. They hide their symptoms. They don’t talk about it.
And most importantly, they don’t get the help or treatment they need. We know the consequences
of delayed treatment in dentistry. The consequences can be more severe with mental illness.
So it’s important that we speak up against these stigmas. We need to have open and honest
conversations about mental health so that people will seek help when they need it.

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Mental Health Month Day 2 – Sleep

There are three important pillars to wellbeing – sleep, exercise and healthy eating. Think of these
as wellbeing nutrients – things that you need to do to ensure that your wellbeing flourishes. Neglect
any one of these, and your wellbeing will suffer. Today I’m going to focus on sleep (and hopefully
learn something myself whilst writing it, because it’s something that I struggle with).
Why is sleep important? When we sleep, it gives both our mind and body the chance to recharge
and repair. Without enough sleep our brains cannot function properly, particularly impairing things
like concentration, decision making and memory. Parents (and anyone who’s served in the military)
will understand well why sleep deprivation is used for torture and interrogation purposes. So good
sleep is critical to our physical and emotional wellbeing.
Here are some tips for good sleep:
 Have a regular sleep routine – try and go to sleep and wake-up at the same time each day
and try to avoid excessive sleeping in on days off.
 Have a wind-down routine – no surprises here, get off your devices an hour before bed,
switch off the TV and read a book or do something to relax and unwind.
 Improve your sleep environment – make your bedroom conducive to sleeping (not too
warm, reasonably dark and quiet)
 A bed has (mostly) only one purpose – if you can, make sure the bedroom is considered a
sleep only area. Try to avoid having a desk in your bedroom, and particularly avoid working
from your bed.
 Exercise and eat well
 Avoid stimulants like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before you go to sleep. They will interrupt
sleep and increase tiredness and fatigue.
 Get some sunlight – circadian rhythms are important in regulating sleep and waking, so
getting out into the morning sun is important.
Above all, rethink the way you think about sleep – not just as something that you do at the end of
the day, but something that is an important part of your wellbeing.

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Mental Health Month Day 3 – Healthy eating

Yesterday we talked about the importance of sleep as one of the three pillars of wellbeing. Today
I’m going to talk about healthy eating. There are probably two ways to think about this – healthy
eating to improve mood and wellbeing, and unhealthy eating as a response to mood.
Eating well:

 Gives you more energy

 Helps you to sleep better
 Improves concentration
 Reduces stress
 Helps maintain mental health and wellbeing

One of the keys to regulating sleep and

appetite, mediating mood and inhibiting
pain is serotonin, which is mostly produced
in the GI tract and is therefore highly
influenced by the gut microbiome. This is
just one of the mechanisms where a poor
diet can influence mental health. In addition,
fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, lean red
meats and olive oils are rich in important
nutrients such as folate, magnesium,
vitamins and zinc which are important for
brain functions such as mood regulation
We like to think of our body and mind like a
fine-tuned expensive car, but we don’t
always treat it with the same love and
attention. Most people with a luxury car
don’t hesitate in using premium fuel, knowing that the engine will run better, and won’t risk the
problems associated with cheap fuel. Our body and mind are no different – fuel it with junk, and it
won’t perform at its peak.
So what should you do? Diets can be a pretty controversial topic, and what works for one person
doesn’t for someone else. Overlay personal preferences and dietary allergies and intolerances, and
it makes it hard. But there are some simple things you can do to improve your diet and therefore
improve your mental health:

 Reduce sugar - diets high in refined sugar can lead to impaired brain function and worsen
symptoms of mood disorders such as depression.
 Stay hydrated - most people don’t consume enough fluid throughout the day.
 Whole foods – try to eat more whole foods, and less processed food, especially fresh
vegetables and fruit

You don’t need to be a MasterChef to cook and eat well. You just need to put in a little effort, and
focus on that idea that great fuel drives great performance and enhances wellbeing.

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Mental Health Month Day 4 - Exercise

The third pillar of wellness is physical exercise, and this one is particularly important for dental
practitioners, given that our normal workday involves extended periods of sitting and has some
ergonomic challenges too. And even if you feel that your work is physically demanding, regular
exercise outside of work hours is important.
The evidence tells us that running for just 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour can reduce the
risk of major depression by 26 per cent. Furthermore, exercise promotes positive changes in the
brain, increases energy levels, improves your sleep, and enhances your memory.
What do the National Physical Activity Guidelines say?

 At least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week - a brisk walk
that increases your breathing and heart rate
 Or 30 minutes of vigorous activity 3–4 times a week - jogging, cycling, swimming or interval
training

Motivation is often a barrier to exercise, so here are some simple tips for keeping on track with
exercise:

 Make it a routine: Put it in your calendar

each week or set a reminder in your phone.
This will keep you accountable to your
fitness goals.
 Set and track your goals: Gamification
works, so set a goal and track it. Whether it’s
walking 10,000 steps a day or using fitness
apps like Strava, tracking progress helps you
hit the target.
 Start small and work your way up: If 30mins
of exercise isn’t feasible, think about
breaking it into three 10min blocks
throughout the day.
 Forgive yourself: Although routine is
important, don’t be too hard on yourself if
you miss a session.
 Make it fun: This helps with motivation and routine. Exercise with a friend, take the
opportunity to listen to music or a podcast, or enjoy nature by exercising outdoors – try and
catch sunrise or sunset.
 Compromise: If you’ve only got 15 minutes, a 15-minute walk is better than nothing at all.
Remember, perfect is the enemy of the good, so battle those perfectionist tendencies and
do what you can, when you can.
 Get advice: Sometimes it pays to get professional advice – whether it’s your GP or
physiotherapist, or an exercise coach. Particularly if you have health issues.

I’m going to give a shout out to parkrun (www.parkrun.com.au/) – a free community based 5km
walk/run event that’s held in 448 (and counting) locations around Australia every Saturday morning.
It’s a fun welcoming and inclusive experience with no time limit and where no-one finishes last. It’s
a great way to start (or progress) your exercise journey. It helps with routine and motivation, tracking
goals and starting small.
Remember, healthy body, healthy mind.

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Mental Health Month Day 5 - Wellbeing

The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing as, a state in which every individual realises his or
her potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to
make a contribution to his or her community.
At it’s core, wellbeing is your ability to feel good and function effectively.
Some people think about wellbeing as a permanent state that can be achieved by adopting certain
practices – for example through mindfulness, exercising, healthy eating and by eliminating
stressors from our lives. Indeed, the WHO definition makes us believe that it’s a state of equilibrium
that we can achieve.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that our wellbeing ebbs and flows. Some days
are great. Others less so. Understanding that is important for our mental health. Accepting that is
even more important. It’s how we deal with the challenges that life throws up that is important. It's
not possible to maintain perfect levels of wellbeing, but it's important to look at how you understand
your own feelings of wellbeing to help overcome the challenges that life presents.
So think about what wellbeing means to you.

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Mental Health Month Day 6 – Workplace wellbeing & psychological safety

We all spend a large portion of our waking hours in the workplace, and we spend more time with
work colleagues than our friends or family. So it’s not surprising that what happens in the workplace
plays a big role in our mental health wellbeing. A good work environment is conducive to good
mental health, and a toxic work environment can contribute to poor mental health. And it’s a two-
way street – mentally healthy workers are more productive and less likely to take time off work.
Mental illness is now the leading cause of sickness absence and long-term work incapacity in Australia.
The workplace has an important role to play in promoting and maintaining mental health, and
leaders have a responsibility to build psychological safety and ensure staff wellbeing. But equally
there is an obligation on all workers to engage in creating a mentally safe workplace too.
What is psychological safety?
At its core, psychological safety is the belief that you won’t be punished when you make a mistake.
It’s being able to speak up without fear of humiliation. There’s a misconception that creating
psychological safety is about being soft, or cocooning people from the harsh realities of the
workplace.
“Psychological safety is not about being nice, it’s about creating the space where honesty is truly
possible.” Amy Edmondson
What are the keys to a psychologically healthy workplace?

 Open and honest leadership

 Fair and respectful culture
 Inclusion and influence
 Good job design
 Prioritising mental health
 Work/life balance
 Employee development
 Workload management
 Mental health support

Does your workplace have these things? If not, what steps can you take toward building them into
the workplace culture. Creating a workplace where people watch out for each other, where
managers and staff understand mental health and can talk openly about it, where there are
opportunities to build resilience and staff can seek help early for mental health concerns will
improve staff wellbeing and satisfaction.
It provides the opportunity for staff to take risks, make mistakes, be creative, learn and grow, which
in turn improves team performance. Which drives better relationships in the workplace and
enhances meaning and engagement. All keys to wellbeing.

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Mental Health Month Day 7 – Work-life balance

TIME + ENERGY + RESOURCES = WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE

This is a simple model for productivity. For any given task to get done, we need sufficient inputs of
time, energy and resources. If any of those are out of balance – if we don’t have enough time to
complete a task – then that can be a cause of stress. Now think about all of the things that need to
get done at home too. Relationships. Children. Cooking. Cleaning. Relaxation. Exercise. Travel. They
all require your time, energy and resources too.
It should come as no surprise that all of those inputs are finite. There are only 24 hours in a day. We
don’t have unlimited energy and resources. There comes a time when all of the competing
demands of work and life become too much, and we start to experience stress, which as we know
impacts on our mental health and wellbeing.
Our research into the mental health of
dental practitioners found that one third
of dentists and one quarter of other
dental practitioners worked more than
40 hours per week. Because health
professionals have a tendency to define
themselves by their work, and their work
provides them meaning, it becomes
easy to slip into a pattern of long
working hours. The problem is that it is
not sustainable. Because that work
drains our time, energy and resources,
and leaves very little for our life. And it’s
what we do away from work that is important in re-charging and re-energising our batteries.
People often talk about work-life balance as having interests outside of work. And to a certain extent
this is true. But the essence is making sure that your time, energy and resources are spread across
your work and life. It’s not just about adding more life activities on top of already overburdened
work hours. There are some keys to work-life balance:
 Recognise that there is an imbalance between work and life
 Prioritise what is important to you. Ask yourself: What am I willing to sacrifice, and for how
long? If I have been prioritising work over family, why do I feel that it is important? Is it really
necessary? Is it really inevitable? Do I have any regrets about the time I allocate to my life?
What will I regret if I continue along my current path?
 Most importantly, prioritise your health. If your work and life is out of balance, then the
inevitable outcome is that your health will suffer.
 Make time for yourself and your loved ones. Spend more time with family and friends.
 Play the long game. No matter how important some aspect of work seems to you now, it’s
important to put into perspective that you will likely be in the workforce for 40 years (or
more). Is whatever you are doing now so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow? Or next
week? Or next year? Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
 Set boundaries at work, and make your expectations clear. It’s not a sign of weakness to
work fewer hours. Nor is it a badge of honour to always be the last one at work.
 Think about the fundamentals of wellbeing – sleep, exercise and healthy eating.

No-one at the end of their life ever wishes that they had spent more time at work. So don’t.
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Mental Health Month Day 8 – Fear of failure

Fear of failure drives many people with perfectionist tendencies. I can be a powerful motivator for
success. But fear of failure can also be the curse of perfectionism, sometimes driving people to a
state of distress or even paralysis. We need to challenge our perception of failure and what it says
about us.
Firstly, it’s important to recognise that failure provides us with then opportunity to learn and grow,
and we should embrace that. Why did we fail? How can we make sure that we don’t fail like that
again? Looking at failure with a growth mindset is important in making sure that we don’t make the
same mistakes again.
One thing that is important to remember is that it is almost impossible to come up with the perfect
solution to a problem the first time, so in many respects failure should be expected. But maybe we
should redefine what we mean (or what we think we mean) by failure. Because implicit in our
perception of failure is negativity. Failure is the opposite of success. And success is winning, so
failure must be losing. Which impacts on our self-worth. Society idolizes winners, so being seen as
a failure can trigger feelings of embarrassment, shame and anger, and be devastating for our self-
esteem.
But if we reframe failure as simply a step along the pathway to success, then it changes the way
that we feel about failure. It removes the negative emotion.
Another fallacy that we have about success and failure is the presumption that if someone has
succeeded, it must be because they are brilliant, and if they have failed, then they didn’t try hard
enough, which further impacts on our self-worth.
Behavioural science tells us that the anticipation or fear of failure is far worse that the pain you
experience if things don’t go right.
To become a great musician, first you must play a lot of bad music. To become a great tennis player,
first you have to hit a lot of balls into the net. There are no shortcuts to success.

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Mental Health Month Day 9 - Resilience

Resilience is often defined as 'the ability to bounce back from negative events.' Resilience depends
on our ability to return to a state of equilibrium after a period of adversity or stress.
We will all face struggles throughout out lives. It’s unavoidable. How we deal with those struggles
is key to our wellbeing. When we go through a period of adversity, when our stress increases, it’s
normal to experience feelings of anger, hurt, sadness or pain. Resilience is about how we keep
functioning through these periods of struggle. It’s not about putting on a brave face, or putting up
with adversity and just fighting through.
It's also important to recognise that being resilient doesn’t mean you don’t experience stress,
discomfort or suffering. Resilient people still have struggles. But resilient people are able to work
through the emotional impacts of their struggles.
Reaching out for support is a key part of resilience – knowing that we don’t have to face struggles
on our own. It requires vulnerability, and a psychologically safe environment.
There is a perception that resilience is an inherent trait – we are either born with it or not. But the
research is pretty clear that’s not the case. In fact, one of the most important factors in shaping
resilience is the quality of close personal relationships, particularly with parents and primary
caregivers.
“How loved you felt as a child is a great predictor of how you manage all kinds of difficult situations
later in life.” Professor Bessel van der Kolk
Resilience is a set of skills that can be
learned, and it’s important to know that you
can build your resilience and grow over time.
One aspect is to learn to accept what you
can’t about a situation, and what is in your
control to change. If you constantly feel like
you are banging your head up against a wall
about things that you can’t change, then the
feelings of worry and stress that result will
reduce your ability to cope.
In our research into the mental health and
wellbeing of dental practitioners, we found
that round 1/3 reported low levels of
resilience, and people who reported low resilience had higher levels of burnout and psychological
distress, and were more likely to have thoughts of suicide.
What can you do to build resilience?

 Have a positive and realistic outlook

 Don’t dwell on negative information
 Tune your moral compass – resilient people tend to have a good sense of right and wrong
which helps to guide their decision making
 Be altruistic. Think about your meaning and purpose. Focus on what you can do for others.
 Build your social networks – resilient people rarely go it alone

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Mental Health Month Day 10 – World Mental Health Day

It’s OK to not be OK
Looking after your mental health has never been more important.
If you are struggling, you are not alone.
It’s OK to ask for help.

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Mental Health Month Day 11 – Be kind to yourself

Too often we focus our measures of success on external things or focus on external validation. The
perfectionism inherent in the dental profession plays a role, because validation is a factor in striving
for perfection. Social media has a role to play here too, as we compare ourselves to the heavily
curated version of others that we might aspire to emulate. But this can have a negative impact on
our wellbeing.
“Your worth is not defined by what you achieve or acquire. It’s a question of who you become and how
you contribute to others. Self-esteem should come from character, not success or status. The highest
accomplishment is to be a person of generosity, curiosity, and integrity.” Adam Grant
Be kind to yourself. Run your own race.
Don’t let others define what success looks like for you.

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Mental Health Month Day 12 – Supporting colleagues in the workplace

Our research shows that mental health issues are more common in the dental profession than the
general community, and it’s likely that we work with colleagues who might be struggling with their
mental health. One thing that we can all do is strive to creating a supportive and mentally healthy
workplace in order to support our colleagues. It also helps to support our own mental wellbeing.
How do you know if one of your colleagues is experiencing poor mental health? Some of the
common signs might be:

 Changes in behaviour or mood

 Struggles meeting the demands of their job
 Signs of self-doubt
 Constant absenteeism, or turning up late for work
 Looking tired or unkempt
 Avoiding others

What can you do to help? The first thing to do is start a conversation with them. It’s not always easy
to do, and probably makes you feel uncomfortable too. But it’s much better than ignoring what is
going on.

 Try and find a quiet time to have a conversation, away from others. Don’t make it a 30 sec
chat between patients.
 Talk about the changes that you have noticed, and mention something positive in the
observation – ‘I noticed you’ve been turning up late for work a lot lately, you’re usually always
very punctual.’
 Use open-ended questions (Tell me how you are feeling) – rather than closed-ended
questions (Are you feeling OK?) to given them more of an opportunity to open up.
 Listen, don’t talk. And don’t interrupt. Allow them to share what they are feeling or
experiencing, and reflect back what you have heard to show that you understand.

Many people are reluctant to talk, and that is

often linked to stigma or shame, and the
psychological safety of the workplace. You
might need to give them time to feel
comfortable speaking with you. But you also
might suggest that they speak to someone
else for support – a family member or friend,
their GP or a mental health professional. Or
one of the many confidential support services
that are available.
Most importantly, check-in with them at a later
date, to provide them with ongoing support
and so that they know that someone cares.

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Mental Health Month Day 13 – Negativity bias

Do you ever wonder where the phrase “Curiosity killed the cat” came from? Our brains are hardwired
for negativity. It’s a natural evolutionary process honed over thousands of years to keep us alive.
Our ancestors were constantly exposed to life-threatening events. In past times, curiosity really did
kill the cat. So people who were more risk averse survived. And passed those risk averse genes
down. People who were curious, who took the time to be curious, well they didn’t always make it.
Of course, we like to think that we are rational human beings. That our decision making is based on
hard facts and indisputable logic. But the fact that our brains are hardwired for negativity means
that we have an in-built tendency to focus on the negative in any given situation, rather than paying
attention to positive events or experiences. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes,
and as a consequence we make decisions based on negative more so than positive information.
This is referred to a negativity bias.
This negativity bias affects our motivation and ability to complete tasks. This is through a
phenomenon known as loss aversion, which is another cognitive bias.
We are more motivated to
finish a task to avoid a loss or
negative outcome, than we are
to gain something. The ‘pain’ of
losing is psychologically more
powerful than the ‘pleasure’ of
winning. Think about your
motivation to do something
positive like eating well or
doing more exercise (or for
patients to floss), compared
with your motivation not to fail
at something. Whether
something is framed in a
positive or negative way can
influence how motivated we are to complete a task.
The problem with negativity bias is that it becomes a feedback loop. We feel and react to negative
events more strongly than positive ones. Negativity drives our action, and we focus on negativity at
the expense of positivity. And that impacts on our wellbeing. We need to make a conscious action
to focus on positive events and savour the emotions that come from that positivity. The power of
positive thinking. It’s important to fully engage in the positive emotions at the time, but also to be
able to reflect on them later. That’s because negative emotions are so powerful they are quickly
stored in our long-term memory, but we must work harder to lock away those positive emotions.
So take the time to really savour the great moments when they happen.
Finally, when we find ourselves in a negative frame of mind, try to look for opportunities to reframe
the situation in a more positive light. Don’t focus on mistakes that can’t be changed. There is always
a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Mental Health Month Day 14 – Barriers to seeking mental health care

One barrier that is often raised by health care workers regarding help seeking behaviour is the
concern about mandatory notification from the treating health practitioner (such as a GP,
psychiatrist or psychologist) to Ahpra. It is important to understand that the threshold for making a
mandatory notification as a treatment health practitioner is higher than it is for other notifier groups.
The reason for this higher threshold is to give practitioners confidence to seek help without the fear
of mandatory notification.
What does this mean in practice? A treating practitioner must form a reasonable belief that their
patient is practising with an impairment and they are placing the public at substantial risk of harm.
They need to take into account:

 the nature, extent and severity of the impairment

 what steps a practitioner-patient is taking, or willing to take, to manage the impairment
 how well the impairment can be managed with treatment, and
 any other matter relevant to the risk the impairment poses.

An impairment is an illness or condition that is likely to have an impact on the way a healthcare
worker provides care to patients. It would need to be severe and not being managed adequately in
order to pose a risk to patients.
Not all impairments need to be reported. A healthcare worker may have an impairment that has an
impact on their capacity to practise, but if it doesn’t pose a substantial risk of harm to patients, then
it would not trigger a mandatory notification.
The confusion for many healthcare workers is the belief that a mental health diagnosis, such as
depression, anxiety disorder or burnout, would automatically lead to a mandatory notification. A
mental health condition is not the same as an impairment.
Recent changes to the legislation regarding mandatory notification to increase the threshold for
reporting were designed to encourage practitioners to seek health care, and to clarify the difference
between a health condition and an impairment. The key is to seek care for mental health problems
early, before they have the opportunity to become an impairment.
If you are experiencing struggles, it is important that you seek professional help for your mental
health. Mandatory notification should not be a barrier, but if you are concerned, speak with your
treating practitioner about your concerns.

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Mental Health Month Day 15 – Does money buy happiness?

Seems like a strange question to ask, but it’s an important one to consider when we think about
wellbeing. People work hard to earn money. They work harder and longer hours to earn more
money. There is an assumption that more money will make them happier. But that’s not always the
case. Now it’s true that many people work harder in the pursuit of things other than money, and for
healthcare workers many find meaning in their work helping others.
The evidence is actually a bit equivocal. On average, wealthier people are happier, and that makes
sense. Think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – if you have job security that provides for housing and
food security, then it is easier to focus on higher order needs that may bring joy, rather than
struggling to ensure those basis needs are met. But making more money doesn’t inevitably boost
your happiness. And some research suggests that beyond a certain income threshold, life
satisfaction doesn’t really increase at all.
There are probably two reasons for this. One has to do with materialism and how you spend your
money. But the other important factor is time. Time is one factor that is critical to our happiness and
wellbeing, but it is often a key part of the trade-off to earning more money. Working longer hours
to earn more. Often being time poor is the trade-off for greater wealth. But we are robbing Peter to
pay Paul.
Happiness is a key part of our wellbeing, and an important factor in our ability to flourish. More
money isn’t always the solution. But more time often is.

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Mental Health Month Day 16 – A multi-dimensional approach to wellbeing

Professor Martin Seligman, a pioneer or positive psychology, posits that there are five main factors
that contribute to human flourishing - Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and
Accomplishment. Often a sixth factor, Health, is added to create the acronym PERMAH.
Positive emotion – the feelings of pleasure, happiness, satisfaction, comfort. We can cultivate
happiness and gratitude by taking responsibility for our feelings.
Engagement –being connected to activities and engaged in life.
Relationships – connections to other people and relationships give us support, meaning and
purpose in life, and these positive relationships are extremely important to our wellbeing.
Meaning – being part of something bigger than just yourself, whether through work, sporting or
social organisations, religion or spirituality.
Accomplishment – the sense of accomplishment by pursuing and achieving success can improve
self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Health – our physical health is a core component of our wellbeing, and measures to improve our
physical health can have a positive impact wellbeing.
In order to enhance wellbeing, it is important to try and maximise all of the elements, and working
on each of them can help us to flourish.

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Mental Health Month Day 17 – Positive emotions

‘We don’t laugh because we are happy, we’re happy because we laugh.’ William James
When we experience positive emotions like gratitude, joy, pride, hope, love or inspiration, we can
become more resilient, optimistic, open and accepting. Our wellbeing isn’t static, it ebbs and flows
over time. But sometimes our negative emotions can put us in a downward spiral, making us feel
overwhelmed or helpless. The good news is that an injection of positivity can help us to break out
of that downward spiral.
Dial up the positivity - take time to celebrate the little wins when they occur, either by yourself or
share with others, and try to connect with nature – take a walk at lunchtime or watch the sunrise to
help boost your positivity
Dial down the negativity - knowing that we have a bias to negativity, taking steps to dial down the
negativity is important for our positive emotions. It is important to learn from negative experiences,
but not to continually dwell on them.
'Positivity is a choice we need to make, again and again, day after day.' Professor Barbara Fredrickson

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Mental Health Month Day 18 - Engagement

‘Your strengths represent how your brain is wired to perform at its best.’ Donald Clifton
Strengths are things that we are good at and enjoy doing. Using strengths is important because it
leaves us feeling satisfied and energised. Our strengths reflect our interests, resources, skills,
talents and personality. They are shaped by our genetics and our upbringing. Despite the benefits
of using our strengths, many people focus more of their time trying to fix their weaknesses rather
than boosting their strengths. Or they tend to underplay their strengths rather than letting them
shine.
One of the best ways to boost your engagement – being connected to activities and engaged in
life – is to build on your strengths and use them more.
Research shows that there are 24 strengths that fall under six broad categories:
Wisdom – creativity, curiosity, judgement, love of learning, perspective
Courage - bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest
Humanity – love, kindness, social intelligence
Citizenship – teamwork, leadership, fairness
Temperance – forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation
Transcendence – appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humour, spirituality
There are lots of ways that you can build
your strengths. For example, if you want to
build your curiosity, try to read and learn
something new each day. To boost your
judgement strength, read or listen to
something that takes a different point of
view to one that you normally hold. Look
for ways to help a colleague at work who is
struggling to boost your fairness. In the
same way that we can improve our
physical health with regular exercise, we
can boost our wellbeing by regularly
exercising our strengths.

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Mental Health Month Day 19 - Relationships

‘Our relationships with other people matter, and matter more than anything else in the world.’ George
Vaillant
Humans are a social species, and social interaction is important to enable us survive and thrive.
Conversely, social disconnection impairs brain function, leading to loneliness, anxiety, and
impulsive behaviours. Relationships with others sustain us through tough times and support from a
close network is an important antidote when we are feeling down. Our connection with others is
often the spark that drives us. Think about how we celebrate our successes – it’s not alone and in
isolation. We share the joy of our success with our family, friends or co-workers.
The link between wellbeing and relationships is a symbiotic one. Strong relationships build our
wellbeing and resilience, and wellbeing strengthens our relationships, because happy, healthy
people are generally better friends, family and co-workers. Research shows that performing acts
of kindness for others produces an increase in our own wellbeing.
‘It’s only by focusing on others that we build belonging for both ourselves and for them.’ Emily Esfahani
Smith
Strong and positive relationships are important because they:

 Help you to feel valued and accepted

 Build self-worth
 Create a sense of belonging
 Provide emotional support to you and others
 Provide an opportunity to share life experiences

Sometimes relationships can

struggle because we often
overestimate our ability to infer the
motives and emotions of others,
which leads to interpersonal
misunderstandings, social friction
and missed opportunities.
So what can you do to build and
strengthen relationships? Strong
relationships are about quality, not
quantity, so taking 10-15 minutes to
really engage and be present is
important. Take the time to savour
moments of connection with others.
Disconnect from devices and
technology, and connect with your
close network.

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Mental Health Month Day 20 - Meaning

‘Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.’ Aristotle
Why am I here? We all know that the meaning of life is 42. But what about meaning IN life? Aristotle
said that happiness is the meaning and purpose of life. But is seeking happiness enough, or is there
something more?
According to Laura King, ‘lives may be experienced as meaningful when they are felt to have a
significance beyond the trivial or momentary, to have purpose, or to have a coherence that transcends
chaos.’ The three key elements here are purpose, significance and coherence.

 Purpose is having goals and direction in life.

 Significance is the degree to which someone believes their life has value, importance or
worth.
 Coherence is the sense that life has predictability and routine.

It is important to recognise that people interpret meaning or purpose in different ways. Some
people find meaning in their work, achieving goals and pursuing success. Others find meaning in
their relationships with family or friends, volunteering or being involved in their community. There
is no right or wrong way to approach meaning.
What the research tells us is that pursuing meaning instead of pleasure or happiness boosts
psychological health and wellbeing, with people likely to be more satisfied, less depressed and
anxious, and more committed to work and their community.
Whilst meaning is important to wellbeing, there is
also a risk of overdoing it. If our work becomes an
obsession and it consumes all of our time, energy
and resources, it can impact negatively on wellbeing.
It is important to take regular breaks, not only on a
daily basis, but also throughout the year. Try to
delineate work from home, by leaving work at work.
Don’t overcommit yourself, and learn to set
boundaries. Saying no is as important as saying yes.
It is often said that there is more to life than money
and material things in the pursuit of happiness. That
‘something more’ is meaning and purpose. Directing
our activities to enhance our sense of meaning is
likely to be more beneficial to achieving the
happiness that Aristotle was talking about.

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Mental Health Month Day 21 - Accomplishment

‘I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways the light bulb didn’t work.’ Thomas Edison
Setting and achieving goals provides a sense of accomplishment which helps to build self-esteem
and self-belief. We bask in the accolades that come from success, and that boosts our wellbeing.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we should become completely outcome focused, with an eye on
the prize as the key driver to accomplishment and wellbeing. That’s because although part of
achievement is tied to the outcome, it is also important to recognise that the effort that goes into
reaching a goal in and of itself creates a sense of satisfaction.
Research suggests that achieving intrinsic goals such as connection and growth have a greater
impact on wellbeing than chasing external goals like money, fame or status. We flourish when we
work towards something just for the sake of the pursuit and self-improvement involved in the
journey to achieve a goal that is driven by internal self-motivation. It is the perseverance and passion
that provides this reward.
This links to the concept of a growth
mindset articulated by Carol Dweck.
People with a growth mindset not only
value the outcome, but also the learning
and effort involved in reaching that
outcome. Not only does this help them to
meet the inevitable challenges along the
way, but it also helps to lower stress and
anxiety, because they understand that
set-backs and failure are steps along the
way to success. By contrast, people with
a fixed mindset focus on the outcome as
the ultimate measure of success, because
of their perception that people are born
with a fixed set of attributes such as
intelligence. Our fear of failure comes from fixed mindset, where failure signals that we have
reached the limits of our fixed potential and there is no room for learning or growth.
Because achievement is linked with failure, there is a tendency to focus on self-criticism when we
don’t accomplish the goal that we set for ourselves. This is where it is important to focus on self-
compassion – owning mistakes rather than beating yourself up, seeking help rather than refusing
because it might be a sign of weakness, or using the disappointment of a set-back to get curious
and learn rather than feeling frustrated or embarrassed.
Finally, we often think of achievements as big things – graduating from university, a promotion at
work, completing a major project. But accomplishments can be small things too, and anything
where we have made an effort to achieve something should be celebrated. And that means it’s
important to savour the small wins along the journey, and not just focus on the end result.

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Mental Health Month Day 22 - Health

The final pillar of the PERMAH model of wellbeing is Health. We’ve previously talked about sleep
(Day 2), healthy eating (Day 3) and physical exercise (Day 4), and these are important components
of the health pillar. Not only is our physical health important for our wellbeing, but sleep/rest,
nutrition and exercise are critical for maintaining our energy levels, which provide us with the ability
to work on the other five pillars.
Here are some tips to help you boost your health:
Sleeping well: try to avoid big sleep-ins, to help maintain your sleep schedule
Eating well: minimise junk food and binge eating, and plan for nutritious snacks to keep you
energised.
Drinking well: stay well hydrated and try to minimise alcohol consumption.
Moving well: get up and move around every 60-90min, particularly if you are mostly seated during
the day.
Resting well: use mediation or mindfulness, or just take time to be in the moment.

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Mental Health Month Day 23 - Mindfulness

Our research into the mental wellbeing of dental practitioners found that around 60% reported
significant psychological distress. Spending to much time worrying, catastrophising about the
future or thinking negative thoughts is emotionally draining and can contribute to anxiety and stress.
Mindfulness is a type of mediation that some people may find useful as a way to relax and help to
reduce that stress by directing attention away from negative thinking and helping to engage more
positively with the world around you. Mindfulness can help to reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing
and energy levels, assist with insomnia, and improve resilience.
Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as: “Paying attention; on purpose, in the present moment, and
non-judgmentally.”
The key to practising mindfulness is to focus on the moment, and being aware of what you're
sensing and feeling without interpretation or judgment.
Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax
the body and mind and help reduce stress. For example:

 Pay attention: we are all busy, and sometimes it’s hard to slow down. Take some time to
stop and smell the roses – figuratively and literally. Pay attention to your morning coffee –
the smell, taste and texture. Take time to savour it and truly enjoy it.
 Find joy in simple pleasures: sometimes we let the little things pass us by. Take the time to
stop, take in and enjoy the moment.
 Be accepting of yourself: too often we are our harshest critic, and we let our negative
thoughts dictate our actions. Treat yourself the way you treat your partner or best friend.
 Focus on your breathing: if you are experiencing negative thoughts, take time to control
your breathing. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and focus as your breath moves in and
out of your body.

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be time consuming or onerous. It can be practised anywhere at any
time. Think about how you might be able to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine.

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Mental Health Month Day 24 – Future You

‘Why do we make decisions that our future selves so often regret?’ Daniel Gilbert
The one constant in our lives is change. Look around at the world we live in now, and observe how
different it is from the world of our childhood. The change our external environment is easy to see.
Sometimes it’s harder to see the changes in ourselves. Gilbert argues that time is a powerful force
that transforms our preferences, reshapes our values and alters our personalities, but we only
recognise this in retrospect, not looking forward. This is because of the ease of remembering versus
the difficulty of imagining – we can remember who we were 10 years ago, but we find it hard to
imagine who we will be in 10 years. Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they
are finished at this point in the present. Gilbert calls this the ‘end of history illusion’ – our present self
is the culmination of all of our personal growth, and we have peaked in our personal development,
no matter where we are in our lives.
Why is this important? Most people plan for the future, but in a way that focuses on financial stability
and material things, but not necessarily on personal growth and wellbeing. We invest, put money
into superannuation and build a nest egg to secure our retirement. We might even invest in further
education, to increase our chance of promotion or increase our earning capacity. But do we invest
in our future selves? In our future wellbeing? Because we will all be different people 10 years from
now. We’re just not good at imagining what that looks like.

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Mental Health Month Day 25 - Holidays

It’s hard to believe that it is only 61 days until Christmas, and it’s time for many people to start
planning a well-earned break. But we know that many people will continue to work through much
of the Christmas and New Year period, and won’t have a sufficient holiday.
Our research into the mental health and wellbeing of dental practitioners found that 44.8% hadn’t
taken a holiday in the past year, and for 18.6% their last holiday was more than 2 years ago. Now we
have been living through a pandemic which has made taking a holiday difficult, but that is even
more reason to prioritise time off now.
There are important and immediate benefits of taking time off work in terms of reducing stress.
Although this is often only transient, with stress levels rising on return to work, this points to the
need for regular breaks throughout the year. But taking a week or two off work is enough to
recharge your batteries and experience a boost of positive emotions.
There are also reported benefits for employers when staff take leave, including increased
productivity and reduced sick leave.
Holidays don’t need to be expensive. You don’t even need to travel. The key is to switch off from
work and take the time to relax.

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Mental Health Month Day 26 - Men

Men. We have a tendency to bottle things up, or downplay things. Hospital emergency departments
know that if a farmer turns up, things must be really serious. According to Beyond Blue, one in eight
men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their
lives, and men make up seven out of every nine suicides every single day in Australia. Nearly twice
as many men die of suicide in Australia every year than the national road toll.
It’s complicated by stigma and concepts of masculinity. The idea that help-seeking or talking about
problems and feelings is a sign of weakness. Perpetuating these thoughts is not only harming men’s
health, it is literally killing people. And it needs to stop.
Society has traditionally shaped boys from a young age, implicitly and explicitly reinforcing
masculine traits of self-reliance, independence, strength and stoicism. Now these are all positive
traits that are useful in many parts of life, but they can be problematic when thinking about how we
care for our mental health. Masculinity teaches men to ‘suck it up’ and ‘tough it out’ when they are
experiencing pain, and this applies even more so to emotional pain.
That farmer might draw on those traits of self-reliance, independence and strength in the face of
droughts and floods, but there is a point when he needs to be vulnerable and be able to talk about
his feelings to help manage the many stressors he is facing. Being a ‘bloke’ in all situations is a
barrier to help-seeking and looking after mental wellbeing. It pushes many men to unhelpful coping
strategies such as alcohol or substance use. Not surprisingly, men who are more likely to conform
to these masculine norms tend to report worse mental health outcomes than those who don’t.
Encouraging healthy conversations about mental health and being more vulnerable are important
steps in helping to overcome some of these barriers to improving men’s mental health and
wellbeing.

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Mental Health Month Day 27 - Gratitude

We all know that receiving praise makes us feel good. But did you know that expressing gratitude
to another person can improve your mood and wellbeing? When we express our gratitude for
something, we get a boost of dopamine and serotonin, giving us those positive feelings of pleasure
and happiness and improving our mood. Think about how you feel when you give someone a gift –
sometimes you experience more positive emotions seeing their response than when you receive a
gift yourself.
Being grateful shifts our focus from the negative (what is lacking) to the positive (what is present
and good). When you are nice to others, your emotional mood becomes more positive, which tends
to make your more optimistic and less anxious. Some research also suggests that gratitude lessens
stress, anxiety and depression.
What can you do? Think about how you can incorporate gratitude into your day. Expressing
gratitude is a choice.

 Make someone feel special – thank them and tell them how much you appreciate them
 Write a thank-you note
 Try to be less transactional – really thank the barista for your morning coffee, don’t just pay
for your coffee and leave.
 Self-appreciation – don’t forget to take time to give gratitude to the most important person
in the world – you!
 Keep a gratitude journal and write down one thing you are grateful for each day.

And just remember – you are amazing!

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Mental Health Month Day 28 – Social Media

Social media is playing an increasingly larger and important role in our lives, and it is something we
are becoming more reliant on. I’m sharing this post on social platforms to maximise the reach to
people who I might never have been able to reach otherwise, making it a very powerful tool. But
we need to be mindful of some of the downsides associated with social media too, because
research shows that spending too much time on social media is associated with higher levels of
anxiety, depression and psychological distress.
Humans a social beings by nature, and social connections and strong relationships are important to
our wellbeing and to ensure we are able to thrive. Social media provides an opportunity to connect
with others, but it doesn’t replace the real world in-person contact that is important. For some
people, social media may actually increase feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Social media is an important tool in the dental profession. The opportunity
to expand professional networks, connect with a global community and
learn is profound. Sharing cases of high quality treatment outcomes can be
a source of inspiration for other clinicians, helping them to learn and
improve. This is particularly so with the use of images and videos to share
tips and techniques that guide learning. Peer review and peer learning are
also important for professional growth.
However there are some risks that we must be aware of. Promotion of poor-
quality evidence to guide practice can be a problem, with anecdote raised
to a higher level of evidence, and self-proclaimed experts becoming
influential. It is important to apply the same critical thinking to evaluating evidence and advice on
social media that we would apply to any form of continuing professional education.
One aspect of social media that is of concern in the dental profession is the unrealistic expectations
that are created, particularly for younger dentists. We know more broadly that social media can
contribute to feelings of inadequacy when comparing to often manipulated and carefully curated
images and stories. But we see this in dentistry too – a virtual gallery of high-quality dental
outcomes that raise the bar about what acceptable clinical outcomes look like.
What is often forgotten is that practitioners may only share their successful outcomes, and never
post the failures, or the less than perfect cases. It isn’t a representation of what ‘everyday’ dentistry
really looks like, and it creates the impression that every case has that outcome. For many, this
feeds into their perfectionist tendencies which can be problematic. It also fails to recognise that it
take time for clinicians to develop their clinical skills to the level that is often reflected in social
media, putting further pressure on younger practitioners who are still developing their clinical skills.
Another problem that is apparent in some social media fora is one that exists across the spectrum
of social media and has a significant impact on mental health – bullying. Professionalism,
compassion, ethics, empathy and kindness are essential attributes for health professionals, and this
should be as true in our use of social media as it is in our in-person interactions. Sadly that is not
always the case, and that becomes a barrier for many people in accessing the benefits of peer-
learning and education that social media can offer. Online discussions often lack the respect, civility
and kindness that are important for effective communication. Sometimes this is because we don’t
really ‘know’ the person on the other end of the virtual conversation in the way that we do with real
in-person interactions, with a tendency to type things that we would likely not say to someone face-
to-face. Or it could be ego.
For many people, social media can be a toxic environment that is more detrimental than beneficial.
So whilst it can be a valuable tool for dental professionals, it is important to be mindful of some of
the pitfalls, particularly in the way that it can impact on our mental health.

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Mental Health Month Day 29 – Mental Health Check-up

How often do you have a mental health check-up? What do you do if you are experiencing
struggles?
The Black Dog Institute TEN Digital Mental Check-up is a useful online tool to check in on your
mental health. It’s completely anonymous, takes a few minutes and provides an assessment report
identifying symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and burnout that you might be
experiencing. It will give you some insight into any symptoms you might be experiencing, and some
tips and options for treatment and support, including a range of digital resources and information.
Importantly, it can also link you to the TEN telehealth consultation service, which offers up to five
private sessions with one of their clinical team who have expertise helping health professionals.
We are always recommending to patients that they have a regular dental check-up – it’s just as
important for us to have a regular mental health check-up too. Ask me how I know
https://tenonlineclinic.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

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Mental Health Month Day 30 – Just Say No

Whoever said sorry seems to be the hardest word got it wrong.* The hardest word is actually NO.
We are conditioned to say YES, because we want to be accepted, and saying NO is a sure fire way
to get rejected. But the inability to say NO is likely to increase our workload and create a sense that
we have lost some autonomy, contributing to burnout.
‘Saying no is not letting others down. It’s standing up for yourself. Setting boundaries isn’t a display of
disrespect. It’s an expression of self-respect.’ Adam Grant
Sometimes we just have to say YES. The task is critical to our work, we have the time and resources
to do it and the request is fair. But think about the times that there is a request to drop everything
for an inconsequential task when you don’t have the time, and the person making the request is not
likely to truly appreciate your efforts.
Research suggests that most people overestimate the negative consequences of saying NO, when
the reality is that people generally don’t hold it against you. The best person to assess your current
capacity and ability to complete an additional task is you. So exercise that judgement a little more,
and set boundaries to protect your wellbeing. Sometimes you just have to say NO.
* For those playing along, it was Elton John.

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Mental Health Month Day 31 - Emotions

“How are you feeling?” How many times has someone asked you that question? Or you’ve asked
someone else?
Some of the problems that we have with emotions relate to the language we use. Firstly, many
people struggle to adequately describe their emotions. We all experience a wide range of
emotions, and each group of emotions exists on a spectrum. So the emotion ‘angry’ encompasses
emotions of frustrated, annoyed, defensive, spiteful, impatient, disgusted, offended or irritated. And
‘happy’ encompasses thankful, comfortable, content, excited, relieved, elated, confident or elated.
We have a tendency to leap to basic descriptors like ‘angry’ or ‘happy’ even when our feelings may
be less extreme. Next time you experience a strong emotion, take a moment to consider what it is.
Once you have identified it, try to come up with 1-2 more words that describe exactly how you are
feeling, to give more breadth to your emotions. You might even uncover a deeper emotion buried
beneath the more obvious one.
Secondly, most people label themselves as the emotion. So they might say things like I am sad, or I
am angry. In doing so, you become invested in being that emotion, because you are that emotion.
That makes it harder for you to come away from those feelings. You are much better to
describe how you are feeling – I am feeling sad, or I am feeling angry. That way you are defining
the emotion that you feel, rather than becoming the emotion itself.
Thirdly, how we frame our emotional response can dictate
how we respond in a situation. When I was a contestant on
MasterChef, we were filming an episode with legendary
chef Marco Pierre White, who has a certain bad-boy
reputation. He has a formidable persona and fiery temper
and is famous for making Gordon Ramsay cry. We were
filming an episode and Marco was barking at contestants,
towering over them, and generally had everyone running
scared - shaking in their boots scared. Now it’s only a TV
show, not real life. And the worst thing that was going to
happen was that I was likely to embarrass myself on
national TV and getting eliminated from the show. Which
is pretty much what I had signed up for anyway.
Nonetheless emotions were still running high, and the pressure felt pretty real. Eventually, and
inevitably, it was my turn to face Marco’s wrath for some blunder or another. And something
interesting happened. He asked me why I seemed scared.
‘You’re a very intimidating person,’ I said.
‘I don’t intimidate you, Matthew,’ he replied. ‘You intimidate yourself.’
I had to think about it for a while. But Marco was right. I had let myself be intimidated by him, or at
least by the persona that he projects. My emotional response was fear, and that in turn led me to
feeling intimidated. How I felt in that situation was entirely up to me. It was a high-pressure
environment, and I was letting him get to me. Get under my skin. And that affected my performance.
But I had the choice not feel intimidated. To improve my performance. It was a turning point for me,
not just on the show, but in real life too. Now when I’m faced with tough or challenging situations,
or difficult people who make things uncomfortable, I think of that moment. And I make a conscious
choice to not be intimidated. The emotional response is still there, but how I respond has changed.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy to do. It takes practice.
The reason I tell this story is to help explain the role of emotions. Emotions aren’t good or bad—they
just are. They are an automatic response to a given situation, and we don’t really have the ability to
control our emotions. But we do have the ability to control how we respond to our emotions.
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Mental Health Month – Suicide and suicidal ideation

Warning: this post contains content that is sensitive and confronting and may cause some people
distress. I have listed some support services at the end if reading this raises issues or concerns for you.
It is often reported that dentists have a high rate of suicide, and this is often linked to the stress of
working in dental practice. Some research in the 1960s and 1920s reported higher rates of suicide
in American dentists compared with the other professions and the general population, and this has
led to the narrative that dentistry is a profession at higher risk of suicide.
Suicide continues to be a significant issue in Australia, with 3,139 deaths by suicide (2,384 males and
755 females) in 2020 representing 1.9% of all deaths, making it the fifteenth leading cause of death.
The suicide rate has increased from 10.2 per 100,000 people in 2006 to 12.1 per 100,000 in 2020. The
greatest proportion of deaths by suicide occurred during mid-life, with more than half of all suicides
in 2020 occurring in people aged 30-59 years, however the highest suicide rate for males was in
those aged 85 or older.
Research conducted by the Black Dog Institute has identified people working in the veterinary,
dental, medical and legal professions at higher risk of suicide. Our research in dental practitioners
found that around 1 in 6 reported thoughts of suicide in the previous 12 months, nearly 1 in 3 had
thoughts of suicide prior to the previous 12 months and 5.6% had ever made an attempt to take their
own life. These are rates higher than reported in the large Beyond Blue study of Australian medical
practitioners in 2013.
Stigma continues to be a significant issue with mental health – health professionals feel like they
have to be invulnerable and cannot show weakness. It prevents people from seeking care. It
prevents people talking about their mental health in the same way they might about their physical
health. As a profession we need to be more open to talking about mental health, to help ourselves
and our colleagues.
One of the reasons that I started this research into dental practitioner mental health was knowing
that we didn’t know the scale of the problem. Now we know, it’s building on this research to help
support practitioners. Part of that is working with the experts at the Black Dog Institute who focus
particularly on suicide prevention and translating research into action.
There are plenty of confidential services that are available to help and support – please make sure
that if you are experiencing any issues of anxiety, depression, burnout or thoughts of suicide, that
you seek professional help:
Black Dog Institute - https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/the-essential-network/
Beyond Blue - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/or 1300 224 636
Lifeline - https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 13 11 14

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