Elizabeth Bachrad

🧠🛡 Neuroscience of Resilience time! Today we look at the Default Mode Network and how it helps us when supporting others. Particularly since often there is problem-solving involved when we want to help. But how do we actually use the DMN effectively, or even help someone else active theirs so they can come up with their own solutions? I've put together an overview of the DMN, it's functions, neuroanatomy, as well as 4 key ways we can use this in a peer support setting. Useful info from a Resilience First Aid perspective! Read here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gQNrkW5j #resilience #resiliencefirstaid #driven

17

#feedbackfriday Well done to Paul Scallan and Karli Gibson who have been working hard to develop these assessments at #TeamBespoke. For more information about FCEs, check out our website - https://lnkd.in/ez_VE7Yr #FunctionalCapacity #FCE #OccupationalHealth #ReasonableAdjustments #ReturntoWork #HumanResources #HR

13

The Importance of Resilience I’ve known about, and taught for many years, the importance of psychological resilience in both mental and physical health, as well as living longer and more happily. And now the BMJ have published the results of a huge survey showing that in older people who were the most resilient, the risk of death from ALL CAUSES was significantly reduced. Significantly, in this case, was a HUGE fifty-three percent! The entire study (https://lnkd.in/eXceRj_h) followed 10,569 adults aged fifty and over for around twelve years or until they died (whichever happened first) so it was a pretty comprehensive study. Not only did the resilient ones live longer, they were overall healthier. It’s not really a surprise when you think about it; the individual who is psychologically resilient ‘bounces back’ quickly from any setback. So, they are less likely to experience body wrecking processes such as chronic anxiety or depression, than those who dwell far too long on the unfixable. There are two especially harmful situations which will play havoc with your body’s hormones and enzymes as well as your cardio-vascular system and other organs: * Getting stuck in a whirlwind of anxiety about unfixable stuff. * Descending ever deeper into a welter of depression over something that happened. In both cases, the resilient one will say something like ‘Okay, I can’t change that, so I’ll find a way to deal with the fallout and move on.’ The one who is less resilient will focus on the unfairness, inconvenience or whatever, with stuff like ‘Why does this happen to me?’ or ‘This has ruined everything.’ They may even compound it by posting about their misfortune on social media stating how bad/miserable/useless they feel. And then when people reply about how terrible it is and how sorry they are, it makes them feel even worse. It’s unhealthy and unnecessary. Resilience is better! The resilient one often doesn’t even bother to tell others, just busies themselves finding a way past the issue and getting on with enjoying life instead. The good news is that resilience is not one of those things you are either born with or without. It’s often based on life experience and the example of others, and it is a fact that you can ACTUALLY LEARN to be a highly resilient person. In fact, any member of the Terence Watts BWRT Institute has the training to help you do just that and far more quickly and easily than you might think. So, get resilient, get happy, and live longer! ©Terence Watts, 2024 #resilience #BWRT #stress #anxiety #depression

13

Are we considering allostatic load effects? Higher levels of inflammation and entropy (impairment of internal-external predictability) and struggles with interoceptive awareness? Are we considering the biopsychosocial-nutritional aspects that impact cognitive loads including inherent bio-neurotypes from various temperament, personality and cognitive priority differences reflected in hormone and neurotransmitter variation and diversity? Do we know if neurosocial bio-neurotypes progress to psychosis differently or through different pathways and loads than neuroperipheral bio-neurotypes? If we view the brain as "energy allocation" vehicle for the body and various bio-neurotypes as having higher loads to contend with because of their processing inclinations and sensitivities, would this be why those with these particular patterns and needs manifest physical struggles along with cognitive loads?

2

This research underscores the importance of empowering caregivers to provide safe, responsive care. This can be achieved by investing in education. psychosocial interventions, community-based programs and public health policies Such investments have the potential to yield significant long-term benefits for children's mental and physical well-being. #preventionisbetterthancure #mentalhealth #caregiving #connection Kath Lawson Mike Armiger

5

4 Comments

How AI voice and AI therapy is helping people deal with the voices in their heads. The digital animations are created by people with psychosis to fit the voices they hear. They then role-play with the avatar under the guidance of a therapist, learning to push back against their tormentor. A study by clinical psychologists at Kings College London (KCL) shows just a few sessions of avatar therapy reduces both the distress and frequency of the voices. Do have a watch of this video it’s great to have a positive news story around what’s helping people manage mental illhealth. https://lnkd.in/e-57x6uX #psychosis #healthcare #mentalhealth

1

Very cool to be mentioned by The London Standard alongside Neko Health as one of the 'high tech scans' ushering in the new future of wellness! As mentioned by Louise P., the NHS estimates around 4 in 10 cases of dementia could be prevented by future-proofing health, and luckily the main levers we have to future-proof our health are all easily accessible. When it comes to brain and mental health, my family and friends are tired of me preaching about the 3 pillars of brain health: nutrition, sleep and exercise. But it's something we see every day with our scans - these 3 pillars make an obvious and quantifiable impact on the functional brain age measure in our reports. As mentioned by Louise, prevention is better than a cure, so check out the article below for some great and easily accessible lifestyle suggestions 👇 https://lnkd.in/emAxAkQd For those who do want to keep track of their functional brain age with our 'brain MOT', you can book a MYndspan scan on our website (https://myndspan.com). Our scans aim to make it easier to know when you need a lifestyle intervention, ideally long before before you have cognitive decline or irreversible structural damage. 🧠 💪

36

3 Comments

Explore how neurotraits—adaptive traits shaped by evolution—enhance energy stability and complexity. Join the discussion on framing neurodiversity within the Evolutionary-Stress Framework. Read and collaborate insights are welcomed!

3

Folks always ask me what exactly I mean when I talk about psychological safety. Here's a crystal clear explanation right from the source. Don't overthink it; just do it! #psychologicalsafety #leadership #redteaming #redteamthinking

39

Day Two of the Programme: people and planet and the wellbeing economy  I’m struck how much it will be on the frontline and the changes in mindset required to transition to a wellbeing economy. https://lnkd.in/dDf9Vay9

6

I am absolutely delighted to announce that we finally have the results published for the Pivotal Pilot Study. This has been a real labour of love and has taken much, much longer than we’d anticipated. Primarily due to my ignorance around the slow wheels of academia! But finally, we’ve made it. One of the challenges in terms of timing is that Pivotal is a 60 day course and because inevitably, not everyone on the study could commit to 60 consecutive days, we allowed longer for completion. So following our initial feasibility study which we completed back in Autumn 2022 we then began the lengthy process of applying for ethical approval for our main pilot study which was completed in October 2023. Writing up and analysing the results, and getting the paper peer reviewed and published has taken another 12 months – phew!! Please do have a look at the paper. There are some very interesting results that we weren’t expecting. Firstly in our access survey, the link to potential offending was much higher than we anticipated. Co-occurring depression and anxiety was also higher than I’d thought and significant impact on relationships. The good news was that the results showed a significant (82% of participants) reduction in risk of offending and significant improvements in both anxiety and depression. Furthermore, a full 100% of participants saw a reduction in their unwanted behaviours, with 53% saying the reduction was complete or significant. I was also delighted to see that the course content of Pivotal was seen as ‘very relevant’ and regression analysis was able to directly correlate both emotional and behaviour change with the content of the course. Please do take a look yourself and share as widely as possible. And if you’re a not-for-profit and are interested in partnering with Pivotal, please do get in touch. https://lnkd.in/eAgXYzem

53

8 Comments

This excellent Article (link below) demonstrates that the majority of corporate Well-Being programs fail because they offer shallow solutions rather than addressing deep structural issues. The Article identifies several key points, including: High Investment: Companies spend an average of $10.5 million annually on wellness programs. Increasing Burnout: Despite investments, employee stress and burnout rates are rising. Misplaced Focus: Programs often burden employees rather than addressing workplace structure issues. Leadership Role: Effective wellness programs require C-suite involvement. Leadership Competency: Improving well-being requires leaders with empathy, clear communication, and the ability to foster psychological safety. Outdated Systems: Workers save time managing obsolete technology. Work Design Impact: The design of work significantly affects employee well-being. Always-On Culture: Virtual work has exacerbated the expectation of constant availability. As I've stated previously your LEADERS impact well-being and if you want to improve the performance and overall well-being of your people START with your LEADERS Are your leaders negatively impacting your performance and well-being? #humanresources#learninganddevelopment#leadership#leadercoaching Full Article available here https://lnkd.in/g2yAYnaJ

20

6 Comments

Research shows a strong correlation between loneliness and technology use, with a Harvard study finding that over 50% of surveyed teenagers hadn't spoken to anyone (in person or online) within the previous hour, despite being active on social media. Three main tech behaviors are linked to increased loneliness: 1. Making unfavorable social comparisons on platforms like Instagram 2. Over-relying on text messaging instead of richer forms of communication like calls or video chats 3. Using streaming/scrolling content as a coping mechanism, leading to isolation According to the Times article, an intriguing emerging trend is teenagers turning to AI chatbots for companionship, with some reporting they prefer these interactions because "that robot actually listens to me — people are mean and judge you, but gen A.I. tools don't," raising new questions about the future impact of AI on social connection and loneliness. https://lnkd.in/e_aRmGMs #genai #technology #loneliness #mentalhealth

10

Nice summary. Essential knowledge in our day and age. Here's the direct download link for the poster ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e2bdTthV

6

I recently had the privilege of working on a large-scale evidence review, exploring what works to support wellbeing within a niche, high-performance organisation. The commissioners were keen to understand which interventions would be most effective in addressing the specific wellbeing needs of their staff, and use these insights to inform their organisational strategy.   This project was not only a brilliant experience but also an incredible learning opportunity. I was able to spend lots of time diving into high-quality studies, detailing strategies that genuinely seem to make a difference in workplace wellbeing.   One thing that stood out was the wealth of evidence demonstrating effectiveness of Acceptance, Committed Action, and Mindfulness techniques across a wide variety of different contexts   I think that there are a few reasons why Acceptance and Commitment techniques (ACT) consistently show effectiveness in intervention studies:   Theory: ACT is grounded in a clear theoretical framework which provides a solid foundation for creating and testing ideas.   Measurable Outcomes: One of the aims of ACT is to help people develop the skill of psychological flexibility—being present and acting according to one’s values even in the face of challenges. Because it has a clear mechanism of action, it's easier to measure the impact of ACT techniques   Strong Evidence: ACT has a wealth of research backing its effectiveness across various clinical and non-clinical populations. This means we can build upon previous work to design robust interventions.   Strong Research Methods: Because ACT is based on a clear framework, it lends itself well to the design of robust intervention protocols. This in turn means that it can be effectively tested using rigorous research designs, like randomised controlled trials, which help to strengthen the evidence for ACT’s effectiveness.   If you're a coach that would like to learn more about the research behind ACT and learn some of the well-evidenced techniques behind it, you might be interested in joining my upcoming course. https://payhip.com/b/VusX7   And if you’re an organisation looking to bring an evidence based approach to your wellbeing strategy, drop me a note. I’d love to meet for a virtual coffee and talk all things research and wellbeing!

9

It's finally out! The book that Carol Lotter (Ph.D) and I spent nearly every weekend of 2023 writing! A Palgrave book on Music Listening for Health and Wellbeing Professionals. It's a book about music listening for professionals in fields such as allied health, education, community work, pastoral care and more. We leveraged our position as music therapists to comprehensively review wide-ranging research describing the uses of music listening for health and wellbeing outcomes. We intentionally included the work of diverse professionals from around the globe. Then we generated engaging illustrations of using music with people in practice, combined with recommendations based on our combined decades of applied practice in hospitals, schools, community organisations, and universities as music therapists, researchers and educators. We created chapter for professionals in each of the following areas who could use music listening for: *Flourishing *During Life Transitions *For Stress in Everyday Life *Ongoing Distress and Trauma *Acute Hospital Settings *Neurocognitive Impairment *Rehabilitation and Special Education *Optimising Performance *In Groups BEYOND excited. Please share with your networks of colleagues who may find this useful. Book launch to come

149

20 Comments

In our latest episode from the archives, we continue our exploration of the psychological motivations that shape our interactions. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing meaningful relationships and breaking free from harmful patterns. We also discuss insights from Transactional Analysis, and the influential work of Eric Berne. This episode is a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their personal and professional relationships. So! Stay informed by reading our #newsletter (don't forget to subscribe!) and tune into the podcast here on #spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen: https://conta.cc/4eTPxjl Read: https://conta.cc/3BSZkIl #Psychology #TransactionalAnalysis #Relationships #PersonalDevelopment #Growth #Relationshipdynamics #Roleplay #Mindset #TheSelfHelpAntidotePodcast

1

Looking back, there's been so much work we've put into the Certified Resilience Coach (CReC) training over the years. This has been a huge collaboration with our practitioners around the world to see what's useful and provide tools and resources to uplift their ability to build resilience in the people they support. Here are some of what we've built into the CReC program through the years: ✅ Pathways - New specialist instructor pathways such as Resilience First Aid, High Adversity Resilience Training, and RFAST ✅ CReW - A new recognition program and free 1-day Certified Resilient Workplace Partner program with loads of guidance and resources ✅ Toolkit - The PR6 Toolkit with over 500 slides of adaptable resilience workshop content to make workshops easy ✅ Programs - New Programs area to easily manage workshops and assessments ✅ Listings - The ability to list your practice publicly on our Find a Coach feature to be discoverable ✅ Assessments - New assessments like the PR6+50, JSECC, and coming MHPSQ survey ✅ Reporting - New Data Studio to extract and manage scores and participant information ✅ Courses - New courses in the Driven app like Financial Resilience, Rewire, mental health and personality assessments Meanwhile, we keep publishing new research that shows the value of resilience as a primary prevention approach to make a real difference in mental health. Thanks everyone for collaborating with us on this to make CReC a really awesome resilience program! 🎉 It's been great reflecting on this as I've been putting a new brochure together that shows everything included by now. Check it out - https://lnkd.in/gBpgAf6b

16

4 Comments