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Mental Health

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health - it impacts every aspect of our life Whether you’d like to get a better understanding of a mental health condition, learn about self-care tips or even how to improve your social and emotional wellbeing, we’re here to help.

Suicide awareness - How to help yourself or a loved one

Suicide awareness - How to help yourself or a loved one

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Sadly, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 441. Suicide impacts not only the person who has taken their life, but all of those they’ve left behind—family members, friends, neighbours, classmates and coworkers. And it’s heartbreaking to know that with the right support, it is preventable.
Category:Mental Health, Depression, Grief and Loss, Mental Health Navigator
Food and Mood - The Role of Diet in Depression and Low Mood

Food and Mood - The Role of Diet in Depression and Low Mood

Jaime Rose Chambers
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Many factors are involved and can contribute to depression or low mood, some out of our control. Research has confirmed there is a strong link between what we eat and our risk of depression. There isn’t necessarily a ‘diet’ for mental health, rather a dietary pattern that involves eating more foods associated with a decreased risk of depression and eating less foods associated with an increased risk of depression. The dietary pattern most commonly associated with reducing the risk of depression is the Mediterranean Diet. 
Category:Nutrition, Mental Health
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Hospital Cover

No one wants to go to hospital, but if the worst happens, having Hospital cover can make a stressful experience easier and more comfortable. You may be thinking, “But why do I need private health insurance when we can have the public health system, Medicare?” Well, there’s a number of reasons why private hospital insurance is a better option than relying solely on the public system – one of the most important one being that your policy allows you to choose your own hospital and treating doctor. Plus, you’ll typically have a much shorter wait time for any elective surgeries that you may need in the future.

Find out more

Coping With a Loss

Coping With a Loss

Dr. Happy
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When you suffer a loss whether it’s the (hopefully) occasional loss of a loved one; or the (typically) more frequent loss of an opportunity experienced as a minor disappointment, the emotions can be overwhelming and something with which we will all be faced and something we all need to learn how to manage. According to our mental health expert, Dr. Tim Sharp, The good news is that we can cope with loss. As humans, we are remarkably strong most of the time. Knowing loss and disappointment will come at some stage, knowing what to expect and having some idea about what you can do to actively ameliorate the distressing emotions, are all important components of living a healthy and resilient life." In this article Tim provides his advice on how to help us understand our emotions, take care ourselves, seek support, and look to a positive future.
Category:Mental Health, Grief and Loss
June 23 – Let it Go Day

June 23 – Let it Go Day

Dr. Happy
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Did you know that June 23 marks "Let It Go Day"? Let it Go Day was established with the intent of encouraging people to let go of their regrets and to forgive themselves for actions taken in the past. After all, the past cannot be changed and only the present and the future are within our control. So how can one deal with regret and move forward? If this is a question you’ve asked or are asking, then you might find these practical strategies from Mental Health Expert, Dr. Happy very helpful. 
Category:Mental Health
How To Deal With Social Anxiety

How To Deal With Social Anxiety

Dr. Happy
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Do you fear that you will be judged by others in social situations? Do your fears cause you to avoid groups of people or group events because you think you might embarrass yourself? If you answered yes to these questions, then you're probably experiencing social anxiety. According to mental health expert and psychologist, Dr. Happy, "The most common example of social anxiety is a fear of public speaking; but it can also be experienced as extreme anxiety associated with eating or drinking in public, signing one’s name under scrutiny, and even using public toilet facilities. At the heart of social anxiety for everyone, however, is a fear of negative evaluation." The good news is that treatments for social anxiety are relatively effective for most people, most of the time, and relatively quickly. In this article, Dr. Happy discusses social phobia and provides his advice on how to manage these fears.  

Category:Mental Health, Stress and Anxiety
How to Cope With the Anxiety of Leaving Your Pet When You Go Away

How to Cope With the Anxiety of Leaving Your Pet When You Go Away

Dr. Happy
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Do you ever experience that feeling of guilt and anxiety about leaving pet behind while you go on holiday? You've probably even organised a spot for your beloved fur-kid at the best boarding facility in town or even your trusting relatives or friends have offered to take care of them. But, despite knowing your pet is in the best possible hands, you still can't shake that anxious feeling. Well HIF mental health blogger Dr. Happy is on hand with his expert tips on how to cope with the anxiety of leaving your pets when you go away.
Category:Mental Health, Stress and Anxiety
How Therapy Dogs Help to Improve the Lives of People with Mental Illness

How Therapy Dogs Help to Improve the Lives of People with Mental Illness

Dr. Happy
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Did you know that just patting or stroking an animal can help to reduce stress and increase “feel good” hormones? According to Mental Health professional, Dr. Happy, "There are some “common” or “generic” factors that have been found to be associated with improvements in mental health and wellbeing; these are, enhancing the relationships and/or sense of connectedness in someone’s life, providing the individual with something to care for, and guiding the person to develop a sense of purpose in their life; or quite simply, helping them find a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Notably, each of these life-enhancing factors can be found in or attributed to “therapy dogs”. In his latest article for HIF, Dr. happy discusses how therapy dogs can provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with a range of health and mental-health diagnoses."
Category:Mental Health
How to Recognise Signs of Mental Health Problems in Your Child

How to Recognise Signs of Mental Health Problems in Your Child

Dr. Happy
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The so called “negative emotions”, such as depression and anxiety, anger and frustration, are perfectly normal for both children and adults. At the same time, however, there’s a point when “normal” becomes unhealthy; when the intensity or duration of the distress begins to impact on that person’s ability to function or enjoy life, when it impairs their work or schooling or social interactions. So how do we determine when the line’s been crossed? In this article mental health professional, Dr. Happy offers his advice on the practical strategies we can implement if our children are showing signs that they're experiencing a number of mental health issues. 
Category:Mental Health, Raising Children
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Dr. Happy
By

As we say goodbye to the heat of summer, and begin to ease in to the colder and darker months of winter, some of you might be wondering why your mood is lower or why, in the past, you’ve felt sad and/or lethargic during this time of year. According to our resident mental health blogger, Dr. Happy, "The answer might be that you’ve had Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known by its strangely descriptive acronym, SAD) this, in very simple terms, is a form of depression. More specifically, it’s a form of depression that’s related to seasonal changes.The reality is, that in Australia where our seasons are not really that extreme, there’s limited evidence for SAD. Nonetheless, there’s no doubt some people experience lower moods through the winter months" In this article, Dr. Happy describes the signs and symptoms to look out for and provides the best strategies you can follow to help improve your mood. 

Category:Mental Health
How to Stop Stressing About Your Finances

How to Stop Stressing About Your Finances

HIF Australia
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Financial stress - according to Money and Insurance Expert, Bessie Hassan from finder.com.au, “It’s never pleasant to feel the pressures that go hand-in-hand with financial strain. Thankfully though, there is a wide range of resources available to help us address our finances accordingly and prevent us from feeling overwhelmed.” In her latest article for HIF, Bessie offers her advice on how to manage these pressures effectively and highlights her top online tools to utilise.

Category:Mental Health, Stress and Anxiety
How Your Pet Can Improve Your Mental Health

How Your Pet Can Improve Your Mental Health

Dr. Happy
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We're pretty sure that every pet owner will tell you that their pets make their lives better, but did you know that owning a pet actually comes with heaps of health benefits as well? According to mental health professional, Dr. Happy, "Flourishing and thriving in life require having a sense of meaning and purpose, being reasonably healthy physically, feeling connected to others and having fun. On the other hand, a few of the more significant contributors to mental ill-health are being sick and tired, and feeling lonely and isolated. Interestingly, owning a pet can address all these issues in a positive way." In this article, Dr. Happy focuses on how having a pet can boost our happiness and wellbeing. 
Category:Mental Health
World Health Day focuses on Depression – what can YOU do to improve your mood?

World Health Day focuses on Depression – what can YOU do to improve your mood?

Dr. Happy
By
Did you know that today is World Health Day? This year the World Health Organisation have determined that the focus of this fantastic initiative will be on depression. According to mental health expert Dr. Happy, "Latest estimates state that more than 300 million people are currently living with depression, an increase of almost 20% since 2005. Due to factors such as stigma and lack of support, many of these people are quite simply not getting the help they need to live healthy and productive lives." With these alarming statistics, we caught up with Dr. Happy to get his advice on a simple, practical strategy that we can apply (or help someone you love to apply) improve our moods, our lives and our overall mental health.
Category:Mental Health, Depression
Exercise – Why It’s So Much More than “Physical” and How It’s Good for Your Mental Health

Exercise – Why It’s So Much More than “Physical” and How It’s Good for Your Mental Health

Dr. Happy
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Did you know that exercise is one of the most commonly used and one of the most effective “stress busters” and antidepressants there is, as well as being one of the simplest, cheapest and most powerful happiness boosters! According to mental health professional, Dr. Happy, "Happy people tend to be healthier, they get sick less often and if they do get sick they recover more quickly; controlling for other variables happy people actually live longer! So, it’s generally not all that hard to convince people that exercise is good for them but given this, it’s disappointing when we look at the research and see how few people do it often enough." With this in mind, we chatted to Dr. Happy to get his top tips that will enhance your motivation and help you get moving and get happy.

Category:Mental Health, Fitness, Healthy Living
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