June 2019

Meet The
Compassion Thief
This one single element
can rob you of much
needed compassion and
make you hard
Are You
Burnt-out? 15 Simple Tips To
With a cost of $190 Billion Be Healthy

ERIC
worldwide, it’s time to tackle 15 practical tips for
this 21st Century scourge healthy living for students
and the budget conscious

Kids, Social Media

and Anxiety

Behanzin
How social media is
making our kids hurt
themselves and have
thoughts of suicide
From crippling fear to world class confidence
 FROM
FROM THE CEO

H
How are you going? Are you ok? We are now mid year and
you are probably busy. Are you managing to live a little too? I
hope so, it’s good for your mental health.

At the Workplace Mental Health Institute we are painfully

aware of the impact of this modern daily life on people. Some
thrive. Many do well. Most ‘cope’ (whatever that means), and
seems like an ever increasing lot is experiencing stress. How
about you? How about your loved ones? Your colleagues?

We pay careful attention to this in our June Issue. The issue

this month is brilliant. But don’t just take my word for it:

• I have the best interview of my professional life with Eric

Behanzin, an interesting person you’ll be glad to meet in
this article
• We examine the epidemic of burnout that is plaguing our
global family
• Students need all the help they can get too, it’s hard to be
healthy on a budget and when you are so busy, we have an
article here specially for you
• We take a look at something that is making us less
compassionate and, hence, hurting our ability to empathise
• and some more...

I’m sure you’ll find something exquisite in this issue. I’m dying
of curiosity to know what that is, will you let me know please?

Enjoy and have a mentally healthy day!

Peter D
ia
CEO - z
Wor
Mentakl place
H
Instituteealth

2 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019

 ERIC
Behanzin
W
Lessons from 12 Days alone without food or water
When you meet Eric, the
time slows down. He doesn’t
have a phone, he’s quiet,
almost as if he were in a
constant meditative trance.
You can just tell he spends
a lot of time in his head.
Yet, when he greets you,
his smile fills the room and
you can just tell it’s from the
heart. It’s a nice balance. It’s
peaceful.
4 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019
It’s difficult to summarize
Eric Behanzin’s
accomplishments in just one
sentence. He’s a professional
singer and music producer.
He’s a business coach who
specialises in Explosive
Growth (he himself went
from 0 to 5.2 million USD
in sales in just 18 months),
and his company is in 21
cities around the world.
He’s a philanthropist whose
charity has founded schools
for hundred’s of orphans
in Togo. And yet none of
these credentials adequately
capture my friend, Eric.
I had the opportunity to
sit down with Eric in Paris
recently, and talk a little
about his life, and about the
journey which inspired his
Keep saying ‘yes’, taking on
activities which are outside your
comfort zone. Each time you
achieve something which is a little
scary, it builds your confidence –
even if you don’t do it very well.
The more times you do it, the
better you get at it, and the better
you get at facing your fears.
book ‘12 Days’. Eric wrote
the book while fasting in
a small French village for
12 days straight! That may
seem quite extreme, and he
definitely doesn’t recommend
that most people do it, but it
provided him with some very
interesting insights about
himself, business, health and
life in general.
It was a fascinating
conversation, which you can
watch here.
Our conversation left me
thinking about some of the
key themes from his story,
which also arise time and
time again in our work with
clients:
How a person can
overcome crippling
shyness to develop a
strong confidence.
Eric talks about how shy
he was as a teenager, and
yet he kept seeming to
take on projects which
seem completely at odds
with being a shy person –
telemarketing for example,
and then performing as a
singer in front of tens of
thousands of people.
Strategy: Keep saying ‘yes’,
taking on activities which
are outside your comfort
zone. Each time you achieve
something which is a little
scary, it builds your confidence
– even if you don’t do it very
well. The more times you do
it, the better you get at it, and
the better you get at facing
your fears.
We also spoke about how,
as a singer especially,
Eric’s passion overcame
the shyness. That’s really
important too. When our
‘WHY’ is really strong,
when we have a compelling
reason to do something, we
tend to do whatever it takes,
including stepping outside
of our shyness, to achieve it.
Strategy: Focus on WHY
you want to do something.
What will it give you or
others? Build up that
passion inside of you until
you simply HAVE to say yes.
And finally, Eric explains
that as he became more and
Focus on WHY you want to do
something. What will it give you
or others? Build up that passion
inside of you until you simply
HAVE to say yes.
more focussed on what he
could give to others – his
audiences, or his music
students, he became less
focussed on, and even
forgot his own shyness.
Psychologically speaking,
we know this is one of the
most effective strategies for
overcoming shyness. When
you get out of your own
head, and instead focus on
the other person, get curious,
ask questions about them,
the shyness disappears.
This is a great tip for public
speaking too, by the way.
Strategy: Remember that
most people are focussed
on themselves, not you.
Rather than thinking ‘what
will they think of me?’, ask
yourself ‘what can I give
to them?’,’ How can I make
them feel good?’, ‘What do
they need to know here?’.
Our human experiences
of lack and abundance
Fasting for 12 days straight,
you might be inclined to
think of that experience as
an experience of ‘lacking’,
and yet as Eric explains, he
actually discovered through
that process just how much
abundance there is, and that
there are more important
things for the body than
food. As Eric says “I am not
alive because I eat. I am
alive because someone is
breathing life inside of me.”
WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019 5
 Ask yourself ‘what am I really Fear of Death
afraid of here?’. Once we can really
identify what the fear is, often In Eric’s case, the fear of
death was quite literal, but
we see that it is very unlikely, or it is thought in existential
there are measures we can put in psychology that all
fears, all anxieties, are
place to prevent it in the unlikely ultimately a fear of death or
event it occurred, or that it really disappearing. Humans are
programmed for survival,
wouldn’t be that bad anyway. not happiness. And so our
mind works in ways that are
Similarly in life, how often And on the flip side, when aimed at protecting us and
do we feel like we are we are stressed about keeping us safe (and alive),
lacking in something, and something, we so often but not necessarily happy.
we become anxious and turn to consumption as a
stressed to get it (more way of placating the stress. For example, if you trace
money, a bigger better Whether that is a big bowl back any worry or fear,
house, the new gadget, toy, of ice-cream or comfort you can basically get to a
or outfit). And yet we have food, or whether that is as a concern for survival. What
houses full of clutter and consumer of retail therapy. if I am late on that deadline?
stuff. Perhaps we need to What if we were to deal with Well, I may get in trouble,
realise how much we truly our stress in a different way? and if that happens too
have already. often I may lose my job,
Strategy: When we are and then I won’t be able to
Strategy: Practice active, stressed, ask ourselves ‘how pay my mortgage, and then
daily, appreciation and important is this really?’ Do I I won’t have anywhere to
gratitude for what you have really need this to be happy, live, and I might not survive!
already, both material and or am I just trying to soothe Of course, we don’t always
non-material things. a part of me?” consciously think through
that whole process, but
the theorists say that that’s
what’s going on at the
subconscious level.

Strategy: Ask yourself ‘what

am I really afraid of here?’.
Once we can really identify
what the fear is, often we see
that it is very unlikely, or there
are measures we can put
in place to prevent it in the
unlikely event it occurred, or
that it really wouldn’t be that
bad anyway.

I can’t do our conversation

justice in a few short pages,
so I highly recommend you
do watch the interview
and see what you think
for yourself. For me, it was
definitely food for thought!

6 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019


BURNOUT IN
THE WORKPLACE
W
Working is good for mental well-
being, but a negative working
environment can lead to health
issues, both physical and mental.
According to the World Health
Organisation, occupational risks
to mental health include:
• inadequate health and
safety policies;
• poor communication and
management practices;
• limited participation in
decision-making or low
control over one’s area of
work;
• low levels of support for
employees;
• inflexible working hours;
and
• unclear tasks or
organizational objectives.
In May, the World Health
Organisation expanded the
details of its classification of
‘burnout’ in the International
Classification of Diseases
(11th Revision) as a syndrome,
specifically related to chronic
workplace stress that has not
been successfully managed.
The classification is QD85. See
more about the classification
system here.
The syndrome is characterised
by the following three factors;
• Feelings of energy depletion
or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance
from one’s job, or feelings
of negativism or cynicism
related to one’s job
• Reduced professional
efficacy.
And there’s a cost to the
burnout: Overwhelming stress
in the workplace contributes to
120,000 deaths each year and
cost U.S. businesses up to $190
billion in health care costs,
according to researchers at the
Harvard Business School and
Stanford University’s Graduate
School of Business (2016).
What can employers
and managers be doing
to address the risks of
burnout in the workplace?
• Create a sense of
purpose, vision, and
meaning for each role.
• Provide the resources
and training to ensure
that workers are able to
do their job effectively.
• Don’t contact
employees about
work outside of their
regular work hours.
One reason workers
may experience
this syndrome may
be the increasing
globalization and
technology use,
which compel 24/7
connectivity, creating
an environment in
which it is difficult to
disengage from work
and achieve a balance
of work, rest and play.
• Encourage workers
to take annual
leave. Recognise the
symptoms of burnout
(cynicism, exhaustion,
ineffectiveness), and
make reasonable
adjustments to allow
them to take time off
work if you can.
• Consider a change
in roles and
responsibilities.
WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019 7
 Tension
Prevention
can limiting screen time
make the difference?
Dr Lori Vann, a clinical psychologist based in the US state of Texas, believes
that social media is playing a role in both non-suicidal self-injury, and suicide
attempts in teens and young adults.

Vann, an authority in the prevention and treatment of self-injury, is

interested in the causes and impact of anxiety on the younger population.`

“Without a doubt, the number of cases of anxiety, in all its many forms, has
increased during the last ten plus years. There have been so many more cases
of students coming into my office with panic attacks, social anxiety disorders,
generalized anxiety disorders, perfectionism, insomnia, depression, suicidal
thoughts, and self-injury than I have seen in the beginning part of my 20-year
history as a clinician” says Vann.

8 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019

Dr Vann recognises the impact
of social modelling on the
development (or lack thereof)
of effective coping strategies
for anxiety, pointing to the
use of substances, inactivity,
or online gaming as common
means to “take the edge off”
after a stressful day at work.
“Care givers role model how
to respond to life and kids
are the sponges who absorb
every action or word. There is
a potential risk of generational
stress management issues,”
explains Vann.
Screen time may be playing a
significant part in the increase
in mental health conditions.
This year the World Health
Organisation decided to
include gaming disorder
in the 11th revision of the
International Classification of
Diseases.
A tendency towards narcissistic
engagement with social
media is identified by Vann
as a contributing factor to
the increase in anxiety and
unhealthy stress management
behaviours of adolescents and
young adults.
“The advent of iPhones, iTunes,
and iPods placed the focus on
an “I” or, more accurately, a
“me, me, me,” world mentality.
With easy access to post
every action or thought to a
somewhat imaginary audience
that we think is waiting with
bated breath for each post
we offer up, we soon find
disappointment in the lack-
lustre response that most posts
receive.”
Researchers, Professor Jean
Twenge and Professor Keith
Campbell from San Diego State
University and the University
of Georgia, say time spent on
smartphones is a serious but
avoidable cause of mental
health issues.
“Half of mental health problems
develop by adolescence. There
is a need to identify factors
linked to mental health issues
that are [able to be changed]
in this population, as most
are difficult or impossible to
influence. How children and
adolescents spend their leisure
time is [easier] to change.”
Twenge’s study, one of the
biggest of its kind, endorses a
screen time limit of one hour
per day for children aged two
to five – echoing guidelines
established by the American
Academy of Pediatrics’ – and
two hours for older children and
adolescents.
The study examined data
on more than 40,000 US
children aged two to 17 for a
nationwide health survey in
2016. The questionnaire used
in the study asked about the
children’s medical care, any
emotional, developmental or
behavioural issues, and their
daily screen time.
Adolescents spending more
than seven hours a day on
screens are twice as likely to
have been diagnosed with
anxiety or depression as those
who spent an hour. Published
in the journal Preventative
Medicine Reports, the
professors expressed particular
interest in links between screen
time and diagnoses of anxiety
and depression in youngsters,
which have not yet been
studied in great detail.
Dr Vann suggests a few
quick tips for controlling
social media use instead
of it controlling you.
Check your mindset.
If you are posting to look for
affirmations, accolades, or
some type of confirmation
that you are a worthwhile
person, then don’t post.
You cannot let your identity,
behaviours, or emotional
well-being be determined
by the number of “likes” that
you receive. Do not give
others that much control
over your life.
Determine how much
time you will spend on
social media and then set
a timer.
Unless you are in marketing
and working on a project, it
is suggested that you limit
social media time to10-
minute increments. The risk
with spending too much time
online is that it can lead to a
sedentary lifestyle, decrease
your energy level, allow you
to get caught up in some
meaningless quiz, debate,
or drama, and it can be just
a plain waste time that you
could have used improving
yourself.
Incorporate exercise
into my social media
activities.
Vann suggests walking in
place as you read through
messages. “I have often
been surprised with how
much time has passed by the
time I am finished scrolling
through posts, but also feel
like I at least accomplished
something physically healthy
by walking instead of sitting.”
WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019 9
 COMPARISON
is the thief of
COMPASSION By Alison Skate
Y
You’ve heard the saying, “Comparison is the
thief of joy”, referring to the concept of the
grass being greener on the other side of the
fence.
When it comes to reducing stigma around
common mental health issues, comparison
can also play a large role in robbing us of
compassion. This happens more commonly
than you may realise, and not always
because the comparison is made without
an intent to be helpful.
I experienced this first hand as a sufferer
of hyperemesis gravidarum, many years
ago. It is a condition that affects about
1% of pregnant women and sees them
functionally incapacitated due to severe
morning sickness. Many women experience
nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, but
not many will become unable to function
in multiple areas of their lives. In hospital
for six weeks, on a drip for hydration and
nutrients, I often heard the ‘comparison’.
Cleaners would enter my room, and
with good intention would start up a
conversation about my condition.
10 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019
CLEANER: “Oh, you got morning sickness,
Love?”
ME: “Yep, although definitely not
contained to the morning.”
CLEANER: “I remember when I was
pregnant… We used to just carry a bucket,
throw up, empty it out, and get on with the
rest our jobs.”
Whilst their intention was quite probably
to make me feel I was not alone, and
that things would eventually get better,
their comparison of our pregnancies
made me feel completely isolated and
misunderstood, even ashamed at times
that I was just not as resilient as they had
been. Sometimes I wanted to try to explain
it to them, to get them to understand the
experience I was having (which was never
very successful), but mostly I just began to
disengage from others who I felt would not
understand.
Mine was not a mental health condition
(although it did eventually lead to
perinatal depression), but it demonstrates
the ineffectiveness of comparison as a
means of understanding someone else’s
experience.
Mental health challenges develop as the
result of a large variety of influences –
physical illness, difficult life experiences,
social toxicity, cultural isolation, trauma,
environmental factors and even nutritional
deficiencies, to name a few. Trying to
compare one person’s response to any
of these influences to another person’s
response is like trying to compare
snowflakes – they are classified as the
same thing, but each one is entirely unique.
The “I know” (what you’re experiencing)
approach is a form of judgement.
Judgement closes down conversations
in the process of mental health recovery.
Sometimes it leads to repeated attempts
to explain the hopelessness of the
experience – we are often asked about
this, in the context of what to do
when someone is “seeking attention”.
If we changed the phrase it would
become easier; instead of seeking
attention, we need to recognise this as
seeking understanding, and support.
If the concerns are raised repeatedly,
chances are the individual does not feel
understood or supported.

WHAT NOT TO SAY:

“Why don’t you just….. (fill in the blank with suggestion)”
This oversimplifies a problem that is far more complex for the individual than most
understand.
“I know exactly how you feel….. (insert personal story)”
This isn’t the time to be talking about you. Turn the focus of the conversation to
understanding their experience.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…. (or anything you read on Facebook this
morning)”
This clearly denotes discomfort with the topic and a desire to shut down the conversation.

TRY THIS INSTEAD:

“It sounds like you’re really having a difficult time right now.”
Show empathy by reflecting understanding of what they are telling you, without offering a
solution.
“I don’t know what to say that will help, but I want to you know that I hear you.”
Being able to acknowledge the challenge engages us in compassionate rapport.
“If I could do anything to make this time easier for you right now, what would it be?”
Asking this empowers the individual to consider their immediate options and drive the
next action.
“It sounds like you feel there are no solutions right now, others have probably felt that way
before, but when we speak with someone who has the skills to help us explore options,
things can get better a lot faster.”
You’re not suggesting a solution, just a step in the process that will give them greater
certainty and hope.

Compassion is saying, “I see you, I hear you, I don’t judge you, and I don’t have all the
answers – but I am willing to try to understand you and offer appropriate support.”

WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019 11

 MAINTAINING
HEALTH ON A
BUDGET

L
Living out of home for the first time, whether on your own or in a share
house, for study or for work, can lead to some unhealthy changes in lifestyle.

No longer having meals prepared for you, or a nutritious supply of fresh

food in the fridge might lead to impulse purchases of expensive
restaurant meals or fast food options. Throw in the challenges
r
of juggling work, study, commuting, socializing, and maintaining 15 Tips foome
a residence, and it is easy to see how a once active and thriving
young incand
individual can begin to neglect the effort that is required to stay earners ity
at optimum health. univers
students
The relationship between body and mind is a complex one, but
it is almost certain that looking after your physical health will
improve your mental health and cognitive function too.

A few simple changes can make a difference, and possibly be the domino that
tips the scales in the favour of more healthy actions. Choose four or five from
15 Tips for young
income earners and
university students

12 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019

the ideas listed below to add to your positive
strategies for health to make the transition a
positive and rewarding experience.
1 Wear walking shoes - incidental activity that
is permitted by appropriate footwear can add
up. Don’t worry if it looks odd wearing a good
pair of sports shoes with your work wear, lots
of people do it and you won’t look out of the
ordinary. Change into other shoes once you
get to work.
2 Schedule time for healthy eating – one of
the biggest risks to eating healthily is running
out of time and choosing a convenience
meal instead. Weekly meal planning and food
preparation ensures that any frozen food
is defrosted in the fridge in safe conditions
overnight, and shopping for groceries
becomes more purposeful and less wasteful.
A slow cooker can be very useful for preparing
nutritious meals when you have time in the
morning that are ready to eat by the time you
get home in the evening.
3 Purchase your fruits, vegetables, and fresh
foods first. Consider buying in a coop to keep
costs down. An online delivery subscription
to a supermarket or grocer for the delivery of
basic fruit and vegetables each week can be
affordable and convenient.
4 Prepare meals with other people – share the
costs and portions, or freeze portions for later
in the week.
5 Replace processed or high GI ingredients with
less refined or low GI options. Some examples
include swapping brown rice instead of white
rice, sweet potato instead of white potato,
or roll salad fillings in an iceberg lettuce leaf
instead of bread slices or a wrap.
6 Engage in activities that encourage mid-
tempo movement for cardiovascular and
circulatory health. A social sport is great
because you have fun whilst being active, but
doesn’t have to be an organized club event.
Other ideas include dancing, walking, or
helping a friend move house. Be sure to take
intermittent breaks from study, and put a limit
on the amount of time spent on digital gaming
and social media.
7 Find a good bento-style lunchbox that secures
food in compartments for snacking and
lunch. If the idea of a sandwich with spreads
is convenient but has you headed straight to
the nearest café for lunch, a compartment
lunchbox might allow you the taste and variety
that makes for a tastier and more nutritious
lunch – think hummus and vegetables, leftover
evening meals, salads, chopped fruit with nuts,
yoghurt or granola.
8 Mindfulness meditation is free. Don’t forget
the benefits of maintaining good mental
resilience so that you have a bigger buffer
zone
9 Sleep at regular intervals when possible to
maintain restorative Stage 4 sleep function.
10 Hydration is essential for cellular function
– just try to get those eight glasses of water
per day without the sugars, caffeine or
alcohol.
11 Enrich your diet with healthy fat – ground
flaxseed, quality omega 3 oil capsules, fish,
avocado and nuts – not always cheap, but all
potentially cheaper than the cost of illness.
12 Grow your own kitchen herbs and salad
lettuce to save money. The instant supply of
fresh produce may also inspire you to make
healthier choices.
13 Self-care isn’t selfish – say no when you
need to, particularly if it means avoiding an
increase in financial pressure.
14 Invest in a good at-home espresso machine.
The raw cost of ground coffee beans and
milk equates to around 75c per cup if made
at home. The savings can add up and can be
added to your grocery and activity budget.
15 Avoid boredom. Feeling bored can have us
reaching for fast acting sugar products to
stimulate the pleasure response in the brain.
Phone a friend, take a walk, write in your
gratitude journal or plan your next holiday
instead to satisfy the craving for dopamine in
the brain.
WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019 13
 Wellbeing Warrior
Name: Simon Pitkethley
W
Company: BridgeClimb Sydney
What’s your main role there?
I joined in January 2019 as Head of Health,
Safety, Environment, Quality and Security. A long
title, but essentially my main role is to build out
comprehensive baseline systems, support and
implement controls to ensure we provide a safe
and high performance work environment with a
great guest experience.
How did your personal passion for
workplace wellbeing come about?  I have an ‘open door’ policy when it comes to
Throughout my career, I have been passionate
about achieving a balanced, high performing
workplace which achieves best practice and
exceeds strategic commercial goals. I have
been invested in building prevention cultures
within organisations, with a focus on leadership,
innovation and simplicity.
I have been fortunate to work at The Star
Entertainment Group for eight years which
involved working in complex environments and
ensuring a high level guest experience, creating
a strong and open team culture and workplace.
Now, working at BridgeClimb Sydney has elevated
my passion as not only are we recognised as the
Number One Experience in Australia (TripAdvisor
Traveller’s Choice), we are also embarking to be
recognised as a leading workplace in the country.
What do you see are the challenges for
building a resilient workforce?
When working in a large organisation, it’s
important to be across all roles and responsibilities
to ensure all operations maintain the highest
possible standards and quality controls.
14 WORKLIFE | JUNE 2019
Transparent communication is key to building a
strong work culture and ethic, particularly when
delivering the best possible experience for our
guests. Most importantly, being a good and active
listener is required to ensure all feedback is taken
onboard - this makes all the difference to creating
a resilient work culture.
How have you overcome some of those
challenges?
considering all options in the safety and wellbeing
of our team and guests. Through experience, I
have learnt that driving a collaborative culture
ensures a happy and safe workplace.
What achievement for wellbeing are you
most proud of?
I’m proud of being a part of the BridgeClimb
Sydney team at the start of a transformation with
the scope to create something very special with
my colleagues. The business is not hierarchical,
with a people first mantra, we all contribute to
our goals together and this along with a number
of holistic initiatives to provide good nutrition,
physical and mental health support, we are just
part of a big family here.
What do you hope to accomplish next for
your workplace’s wellbeing?
I always keep my finger on the pulse when it
comes to workplace wellbeing - I am constantly
listening, learning and implementing. With
so many exciting updates in the pipeline for
BridgeClimb Sydney, you’ll have to watch this
space to see what’s next.