Podcasts about dougal sutherland

The internet is filled with a wide array of things – more than any one person could experience in their entire life. However, as the internet has developed, spaces dedicated to children have been eroded – gone are the days of Club Penguin and flash games, replaced with adult and advertiser friendly spaces. What this has resulted in is the exposure of generations of children and young people to harmful —sometimes outright illegal— content. The Classification Office recently released a report delving into what young people are exposed to online, speaking with ten different groups, ranging in age from 12-25. Dougal Sutherland unpacks the results, and the impact the exposure has had on young people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All teenagers have their moments - but what are the signs there's something seriously wrong? And how much of the teenage angst can be blamed on parents expecting to have a horrible teen? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some would argue our world has got too busy, too frantic, that we never get a chance to switch off. An estimate from a few years ago believes we have as much as 34GB of information coming into us every day. Some of this business is likely due to never being able to switch off from incoming info, as well as a loss of “stopping cues” around us, e.g. ads on linear tv, intermissions at movies. We can get into a pattern of always being on, always “doing”, never stopping and just “being”. It's arguably not good for our wellbeing —a constant low level of stress— and can also affect relationships, e.g. having a conversation at the same time as scrolling on your phone. Here are three things people could try if they want to experiment with an antidote to this business: 1) Mindfulness: one aspect of mindfulness is becoming aware of when your attention has shifted and moving it back to just one thing, e.g. your breathing. 2) Concentrating on doing everyday tasks one at a time, e.g. if brushing your teeth, just brush your teeth. Notice all the aspects of it – notice your mind wandering away and practice bringing it back to the task at hand. 3) Watch some slow tv. My best recommendation for the moment is the Great Moose Migration on Swedish tv (svtplay.sw). It's 24/7 coverage of moose migrating across a river —over 30 cameras but very slow— long shots of Swedish wilderness without a moose in sight. It's on right now but only lasts for a few more days – you can almost feel your blood pressure lowering. Give it a go, see if it makes a difference! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School holidays and Easter are both just around the corner, so how do you make the most of your break? Taking a holiday boosts wellbeing, but the longevity of the benefits depends on several factors: time away, actives, and mental detachment from work. Dr Dougal Sutherland breaks down the data, offering advice to ensure that the benefits of your break stick around as long as possible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world can feel like a dark and gloomy place at times, particularly at the moment. With wars, economic uncertainty and certain politicians always generating headlines, its hard to avoid feeling down. But in amongst all this doom and gloom, there are plenty of stories worth celebrating in New Zealand – from stars on the rise to businesses making it work in a tough environment. The New Zealand Herald is spotlighting some of these stories in a new editorial campaign, On the Up. Today on The Front Page, the Herald’s Chief Content Officer publishing, Murray Kirkness, is with us to explain the thinking behind this series. And later, we get advice from psychologist Dougal Sutherland on how to reset our minds and focus on the positive news out there. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people know about the impact mental and physical health can have on absenteeism (i.e., being off work due to ill-health) and the associated effect this has on productivity. People are less familiar with presenteeism – that's where you go to work with mental or physical health problems and don't function to the full extent of your ability Hidden cost as difficult to spot 25% of the 8500 people we surveyed said they had experienced presenteeism in the past month Impact on their work is, on average, working 33% below best possible performance Cost of $2000 per month per employee (based on average salary estimates) More than $46billion cost per annum to NZ if extrapolate that across all orgs – note that this is an estimate and we need more research Lower productivity can be due to: Being distracted Low energy levels Can't focus on goals Unable to finish tasks Interestingly 4 types of presenteeism: Dysfunctional (described above) Overachieving -where you work really hard to make up for it, but increase your chances of burning out Functional – everyone is aware that you're not operating at 100% but manager has altered workload to help in the short-term and you build back up to full capacity Therapeutic – performing less than usual, possibly due to long-term condition, but it's good for you to be at work This is an emerging area for many businesses, so raising awareness is key and understanding potential impact on productivity Need further research in NZ as little studied Would want to move to a position where employees feel they can take time off if they need it to recover rather than returning to work And, having workplaces where these sort of issues can be discussed openly without fear of retribution and employee and manager can work together to structure workload to help recovery and return to full productivity quicker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research reveals New Zealand businesses are losing billions of dollars a year as a result of unwell workers pushing through instead of taking time out to recover. In a new report by Umbrella Wellbeing, 'presenteeism' - when employees turn up to work while physically or mentally unwell - has been found to erode productivity and result in costly mistakes from staff. Umbrella Wellbeing Principal Psychologist Dougal Sutherland says 'presenteeism' creates significant costs for employers - but the data is difficult to track. "It's very hard to count - but an estimate is that it's costing over $40 billion in lost productivity every year in New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research reveals New Zealand businesses are losing billions of dollars a year as a result of unwell workers pushing through instead of taking time out to recover. In a new report by Umbrella Wellbeing, 'presenteeism' - when employees turn up to work while physically or mentally unwell - has been found to erode productivity and result in costly mistakes from staff. Umbrella Wellbeing Principal Psychologist Dougal Sutherland says 'presenteeism' creates significant costs for employers - but the data is difficult to track. "It's very hard to count - but an estimate is that it's costing over $40 billion in lost productivity every year in New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having children is a rewarding experience for many, but it also takes a lot of time and energy. It can be very time consuming, and often leaves parents feeling exhausted, with little time for themselves. And what little time they do get, some parents may feel they're being selfish. New research shows that mothers who took time out from work and childcare to do things that were fun and pleasurable felt higher levels of vitality – feeling more alert and energised. Dougal Sutherland has a few takeaways from this study: It's important for parents to have some me-time – this is more than just having time out; it's actively doing something for fun and pleasure in life It's not selfish, it helps them to function better Given the positive impact mothers' me-time has on fathers, it's actually something that benefits others too, so no need to feel guilty about it – and even if you do, go ahead and do it anyway as it will still work LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychologist Dougal Sutherland joins Tim Beveridge to discuss how parents should handle the pressure to treat their children equally. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent research article titled “happiness depletes me,” found that trying to be happy (which is defined as striving to experience as much positive emotion as possible and avoid negative emotions) leads to decreased feelings of happiness, and increased levels of loneliness and low energy. The basic idea is that trying to deliberately change your thoughts and behaviour to be happy means you tend to overlook small naturally occurring moments of happiness. The effort leaves you drained and more likely to make poor decisions such as overspending or overeating, which in turn make you feel unhappy. Not a new idea – brought to prominence in a book in 2007 by Russ Harris called “The Happiness Trap” So if your life isn't going to be focused on finding happiness what should it be focused on? Happiness Trap suggests: Accepting that negative thoughts and emotions are natural and part of life, do don't fight against them Enjoy positive emotions when they do occur, and pay attention to the small things in life Live life by trying to act in accordance with your values. One way of identifying core values for you is to ask yourself how you would like other people to describe you in 3 words. The 3 words you choose probably reflect your values. Use these to guide how you live your life. Happiness will occur at times as a pleasant side-effect but life overall will be more worth living. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 15 February 2025, certified Kiwi icon and international supermodel Rachel Hunter joins Jack to catch up about her time back in New Zealand, and the importance of her spiritual side. Jack discusses his view on the school lunches debacle. Out of New Zealand's biggest BBQ festival Meatstock, Nici Wickes celebrates National Lamb Day with a divine marinade. Fresh off the back of a brand-new Bridget Jones film, Jack and Francesca Rudkin debate a rising trend in cinema... And Dougal Sutherland considers the best ways to handle life's big changes. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've been thinking recently about major life changes that families go through and how these can be at the same time very challenging, yet also an opportunity for amazing growth for individuals and for families. This was sparked by three things: The impending arrival of Jack's baby. The recent arrival into our family of our first grandchild. Our daughter moving out of home to go to uni in Auckland (which is where we are this weekend), which will make me and my lovely wife officially “empty nesters”. In any family, these types of events are major milestones, and I think for all of them, there's no real way of fully preparing for them. All the wisdom, guidance, and advice —however well intentioned— from others can properly prepare you for such a step-change in life. A metaphor that springs to mind for me is a ship setting off to sail in unchartered waters. These trips can be exciting, nerve-wracking, anxiety-provoking. There is the potential in these journeys to go wildly off course or become beaten down by the elements and ending up floating untethered in the middle of nowhere. Rest assured there are some good tips to follow to help people navigate these journeys – they won't ensure smooth sailing but should help weather the storms. Have some good rhythms in your daily life that help provide stability and reassurance. It could be having a daily routine around exercise or a daily practice of prayer/meditation; maybe a general agreement to always come together at a particular time (e.g., for dinner together). Have these as general guidelines rather than rigid rules. As much as possible keep the bookends of your day consistent – have a usual time for getting up and going to bed. Sleep-ins and big nights are okay (and sometimes will be needed!) but try and let these be the exception rather than the rule. Practice forgiveness – when we're navigating uncharted waters, we can often get stressed and speak or act in a way that we don't usually (even more if we're sleep deprived), which can have an effect on those around us. Practice assuming that other people usually act from good intentions (just like you do) and work to actively forgive those who inadvertently do or say the wrong thing. Hopefully that will help navigate times of family change! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 was a hard year for many. If you didn't lose your job, you might have spent a lot of time worrying about losing your job or ending up in the unenviable position of trying to do more with less! It's not surprising that there are high rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout in the workforce. However, at the same time I've noticed over the past 12 months a bit of a worrying trend in workplaces to dial back on things that support staff mental health and wellbeing. There are some suggestions this is because in a tighter economic environment that these topics are seen as “nice to haves” or a bit “soft and fluffy” and therefore should be dialled back. This new survey from the UK highlighted that if businesses understood staff mental health and wellbeing from a different perspective, they would quickly realise that it's more important than ever to invest in staff wellbeing. Could it be that protecting and enhancing the mental wellbeing of workers is the key to increasing our productivity, something that is on the minds of many this year? The Deloitte's survey looked at the financial sector and found there was more symptoms of burnout compared to other areas of industry and the cost of this was over $10k per person per year. If we dive into what those symptoms are —exhaustion, making more mistakes at work, poorer work performance— then it's easy to see how poor mental health can affect the productivity of a business. Also, in some workplaces being exhausted and making more mistakes at work could lead to some potentially fatal consequences (e.g., mistakes with machinery). Other research has demonstrated that businesses who are supporting the mental health of their employees have lower levels of sick leave and better financial performance. Helpful to know in light of the WHO data indicating that globally about 12 billion working days per year are lost due to depression and anxiety, which costs over $1.7 trillion annually! So, what can businesses and staff do? I think the first thing is to change how you think the reasons for supporting people's mental health at work. If you can figure out what is contributing to poor wellbeing at your place and do something to address it, you're putting your business in a really good position to weather the next 12months which, by all predictions, are still going to be somewhat rocky. For people in the workplace, you might have already found that requests for support for mental health and wellbeing have fallen on deaf ears. You might want to subtly change how you frame these requests, by asking for support to help maintain the viability and productivity of your organisation. On a more meta level, the government, in its current push for more efficiency and productivity, might be really interested in this data and to think about how protecting and supporting workers' mental health could be a win:win situation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 was a bit of a rough year, with job losses, hard economic times, and low business confidence. The new year offers a chance to reset. Dr Dougal Sutherland offers his top tips for starting 2025 off with some oomph: If you have a job, count your blessings! Lots of people lost theirs last year and so it's important to remember that even though it may not be the best job in the world, at least you're in paid employment! Plan out your holidays for the year as best you can. Have a look for the public holidays that are happening in 2025, can you make any of these into longer weekends (e.g. four days instead of three) and give yourself that extra time to rest and recover? Looking ahead I can see there is quite a gap of public holidays between Matariki and Labour Day – can you plan for some leave then? Four months is a long time to go without a break, especially in winter. Make a daily ‘Have to, Hope to, Love to list' – “Have to” are things you must do today; “Hope to” are things that you can do if you have time; “Love to” is at least 1 thing per day that fills your cup – make sure to give this as much priority as “Have to”. Take some time to reflect on 2024 – what did you learn from the year? What went well and you would like to keep doing? Anything that you would like to avoid doing again that you did last year? Think about the people in your life – are there some who you would like to see more of? Can you plan ahead to make time for them? On the other hand, is there anyone who it may be better off not to have in your life? Are there some (polite) ways that you ease off these relationships? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCEA exam results have been released, and many students are less than pleased with how they did. Every parent wants their child to be their best, but how can they push their children to improve without destroying their self confidence? As parents deal with the fallout from exam results, many have had to return to work while school holidays drag on. With only 20 days of annual leave, how can parents manage to find or afford childcare for the longest school break of the year? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's six days into the new year, which means many New Zealanders could be six days into becoming better, healthier versions of themselves. But what are the chances of people actually following through with their New Year's resolutions? Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland spoke Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira.

Kiwis seem to be getting lonelier. Recent research from Age Concern revealed the extent of the loneliness and social isolation felt amongst older New Zealanders – with 59% of respondents feeling lonely or isolated recently, and a third feeling like this most of the time. Main points: It's rated as having a similar impact on our health as smoking and obesity Multiple causes for loneliness including the impact of pandemic, the ageing population, rising cost of living, increasing health concerns and unaffordability, and the trend for families to move overseas In the UK and Japan, they have established ministers for loneliness within the government to focus on this area – in NSW they launched a parliamentary inquiry into loneliness earlier in the year What can help? Addressing underlying causes Community-based initiatives such as groups, volunteer programmes, Interestingly social media doesn't help – 75% of those with social media access reported loneliness and were more likely to report than those without social media, which emphasises the importance of face-to-face connection What can we do? Make it your Christmas gift to someone —look around in your family and neighbourhood— loneliness is silent so unlikely people will reach out for help, you need to reach in. If you can't do it in person (e.g., because living in another part of the country) can you get someone else to connect with your older relatives while you do the same in your neighbourhood? Try and make it a long-term connection rather than a one-off LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School prizegivings can be a chore this time of year, along with the increasing popularity of participation awards - but the burning question is whether these are helping or harming children. Dougal Sutherland joins with more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A book review in recognition of it being Movember The book I want to discuss is A Life Less Punishing by Matt Heath. I was asked to read the book in preparation for a podcast with Francesca Rudkin. My initial response was lukewarm – was worried it would be another celebrity self-help publication with lots of fridge-magnet quotes about loving life and being the best person you can. I was very pleasantly surprised about how good it was. Was so good I interviewed Matt on a webinar recently that Umbrella held for Movember. Interesting points about the book: Matt wrote it largely to try and help himself and sort his own life out Decided to read a history of world philosophy and see what he could learn – somewhat of an unconventional approach! He draws a lot on the Stoics and does a great job of explaining their philosophy of life, which is quite different to the staunch, unfeeling image often portrayed of them The book goes through a whole range of common emotions that men experience and discusses why we have these feelings and what do we do with them, particularly the difficult ones like shame, anger, guilt, sadness etc Matt is very honest about some of his own less than flattering experiences and some difficult times in his life e.g., relationship break up, death of his mum His level of honesty and self-reflection is itself inspirational for guys My main takeaway points that I believe are really helpful for guys to consider in Movember: Give away your fantasy life – the life that you could have – your imagined life Instead settle and accept that you have this moment – you can learn from the past but you don'tactually live there – you live here and now so pay attention to the here and now You can make choices about your emotions – they're not inevitable nor uncontrollable, although they are impacted by the past Get yourself an imaginary coach or guide who is setting you challenges and helping you overcome them – for those with religious tendencies this could be a spiritual guide, for those who aren't of that persuasion choose someone you respect and look up to – matt chose Willie Apiata I'd recommend this book to men over 40 as they're likely to find it very relatable. I'd recommend it to men under 40 as it gives you some excellent life lessons without you having to live through them. And I'd recommend it to women who have a male partner in their lives – might give you a really good insight into what makes them tick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we welcome the amazing Tegan Yorwarth from Mai FM to the studio. At 28, Tegan's crushing it in her career and is hunting for her first home, but she's ready to level up her financial game. With the help of Shelley Pallman from Enable Me, Tegan kicks off her financial coaching journey to fast-track her goals. In Part 2 of our look into the Psychology of Money, Dr. Dougal Sutherland from Umbrella Wellbeing joins us to break down how money stress really messes with our heads and what to do about it. powered by enable.me Instagram / Facebook / Tik Tok: @wheresmymoneynz Reagan White Instagram Where's My Money? Linktree Reach out to our podcast guest expert Dougal Sutherland

While everyone knows about white noise, there are a few more colours of noise out there, each with a different sound and potential impact. Recent studies have found that pink and white noise improved concentration and memory for adolescents and young adults – but only those with ADHD. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Francesca Rudkin to run through green, brown, pink, and white noise, and the impacts they can have on people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we welcome the amazing Tegan Yorwarth from Mai FM to the studio. At 28, Tegan's crushing it in her career and is hunting for her first home, but she's ready to level up her financial game. With the help of Shelley Pallman from Enable Me, Tegan kicks off her financial coaching journey to fast-track her goals. In Part 2 of our look into the Psychology of Money, Dr. Dougal Sutherland from Umbrella Wellbeing joins us to break down how money stress really messes with our heads and what to do about it. powered by enable.me Instagram / Facebook / Tik Tok: @wheresmymoneynz Reagan White Instagram Where's My Money? Linktree Reach out to our podcast guest expert Dougal Sutherland

2024 has been a tricky year for many organisations and businesses – whether it be through having to make significant changes or being affected by the current economic environment. Now is a good time to stop and take stock of how the year has impacted on your people. One great way to do this is through a psychosocial risk assessment. What's a psychosocial risk assessment? It looks at all the psychological and social hazards in a workplace that can potentially cause mental or physical harm to your people. Some easy examples are: Bullying Micromanagement High workloads Less obvious examples include Job insecurity Lack of clear role description Physical work environment e.g., spending all your working day in the cab of a crane Psychosocial hazards are a leading cause of mental health problems at work (e.g., stress, depression, anxiety) and also physical health problems (e.g., musculoskeletal problems, high blood pressure, heart problems). Now is a good opportunity to look at what hazards are at your place to set your people and organisation up to perform at their best in 2025. First steps you should take: Make sure management is involved and supportive – you'll hit a ceiling in how far this can go if they're not on board. If they need any convincing, there have been a number of cases in court recently where organisations have been fined anywhere between $50k and $1.8million for not looking after the mental health of their staff Talk to staff to find out what things are really like at the coal face. Leaders can sometimes make the mistake of thinking they know all the ins and outs of an organisation and while they will know some of it, nothing beats talking to people who are actually doing the job Look at data you already have, e.g. are there areas with high levels of sick leave or with high annual leave balances – why might this be the case? Lastly, you might need to call in the external experts, which is where organisations like ours can help out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been so anxious that your stomach started hurting? In addition to its well-known impacts on mental health, stress can also make people feel physically ill—and a new study could help explain why. Although it's fairly common knowledge that the gut “talks” to the brain by releasing hormones into the bloodstream, this recent study showed the relationship going back the other way: from the brain to the gut to the immune system. Researchers have found that removing key glands (called Brunner's glands) in mice, which line the walls of the small intestine, triggered inflammation and increase the chance of infection. Similar thing happens in humans who've had tumours removed in their gut. It seems that removal of these glands leads to a reduction in gut bacteria which triggers inflammation and subsequent pain. When the researchers took a closer look at these glands, they discovered a connection to the vagus nerve that goes from the base of the brain to the internal organs, influencing digestion, blood pressure, and even memory and mood. Fibers that connect to Brunner's gland lead directly to a region of the brain known as the amygdala, which plays a key role in emotion and the stress response. Researchers found that when mice are under chronic stress their glands shut down—causing gut bacteria to dwindle and intensifying inflammation. The take home message: being under mental stress can lead to a painful stomach! It highlights the importance of monitoring your stress levels and keeping good gut bacteria. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although Working from Home might have been new for many of us under Covid, research in the area has been going on for decades. This international research, combined with studies carried out in New Zealand over the past 4 years, notably by Prof Jarrod Harr at Massey Uni, is pretty clear that from a wellbeing and productivity perspective the hybrid model of working is better than working in the office 100% or working from home 100%. Hybrid working gives the best of both worlds – 2 or 3 days in the office and 2 or 3 days at home. Advantages of hybrid working include: An increased sense of autonomy for workers – you have some choice over when/where/how you work. Higher levels of autonomy are associated with higher levels of wellbeing. Less stress and better work-life balance. You still get the advantage of social interactions when in the office. Working from Home 100% of the time isn't ideal – people report higher rates of low mood and loneliness. Also, higher rates of burnout, possibly due to not having clear stop/start times. Working from the office 100% of the time reduces autonomy and has poorer work-life balance. The disadvantage of the hybrid model is not everyone's job allows them to work from home for 2-3 days per week and these people see others as getting a perk they don't have. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister for Mental Health has been told the police will refuse to do welfare checks on mentally ill people as they pullback from social harm callouts. Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland spoke to Corin Dann.

Stats NZ has published the latest official wellbeing data - revealing whether or not Kiwis' satisfaction with life has dipped. Despite two years of economic turmoil and recession, people's overall satisfaction with life is at a 7.6 out of 10 - a similar rating to 2021, when the economy was better. Umbrella Wellbeing psychologist Dougal Sutherland says Kiwis have always have had something to worry about, which disrupts quality of life. "We worry about certain things - in 2021, we were all worried about Covid and now we're worried about the economy and a bit about crime and a bit about healthcare. Maybe this is generally how it is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new phenomenon has emerged: dreamscrolling.   The opposite of doomscrolling, dreamscrolling has people looking at dream purchases or things they'd one day like to own – houses being a common choice.  It even seems to have some benefits when done in the workplace, both to those doing it, and the organisation.  Dougal Sutherland reveals a couple of the key benefits it can have: - Dreamscrolling gives us that little psychological “hit” of joy, even if it's about something imaginary! When we fantasize about the “what-if” it's like, for a moment, we're living our best life in that dream house – and it feels good.  - Overseas research has shown that dream scrolling can help some people with financial planning as it serves to motivate and inspire them to actively save for, or invest in, that thing they're dreaming about. So it can help motivate us and change our behaviour for the future.  - At a time when many of us might be feeling a bit down in the dumps, particularly if you live in Wellington or work for the government, it's probably not surprising that a good chunk of dreamscrolling happens at work. That might not be a bad thing though as the boost in positive mood you get can flow through to how you engage with your work and people around you. And it's certainly better than doomscrolling!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Little Things usually talks about the issues facing women of a certain age - but sometimes, those issues can be caused by their husbands or partners. So today, Francesca and Louise are turning their attention on middle-aged men - why do men get so down as they get older, how can they open up, and is 'male menopause' really a thing? To discuss this, their joinged by broadcaster and A Life Less Punishing author, Matt Heath, and clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the face of it the 4-day working week sounds like a good thing, but the devil is in the detail. Recently in the UK the government has indicated they may strengthen workers' rights to request this – however, it's the right to request 40 hours compressed into 4 10 hour days, rather than 5 8-hour days. Although it might sound attractive at first, I'm not sure this is sustainable in the longer term, particularly for those who have family. If you include travel time, it could be that you end up being away from home from 7am – 7pm. Which would leave you Friday to recover and could ultimately lead to burnout.  A better option could be the 100/80/100 4-day working week: 100% of pay, 80% of time, 100% of productivity. Initially pioneered by NZ firm Perpetual Guardian and taken up by hundreds of organisations around the world – although interestingly very few in NZ.  It's based on the idea that during a typical 5-day week there are only limited periods when we are productive – some estimate that it's only about 30% of time. So, if we support people to be more focused and productive at work, we reward them with having to work less than they currently do. Global results are quite staggering:  - 25% increase in revenue  - 32% reduction in staff turnover  - 66% reduction in burnout  - 94% of organisations wanted to continue  It doesn't involve everyone simply working 4 8-hour days – some people might work 5 days but shorter hours, some 3 days but longer hours. Every year the “deal” is put to workers – if we can keep productivity at 100%, we will pay you for 40 hours but you only have to work 32. If productivity drops, we go back to the 40-hour week. Great idea as it puts the solutions back into the hands of the staff who work in their own interests rather than having management dictate.     What can people do if they're interested?  - Don't buy into the idea that “it won't work for us” —everyone says that— if your business needs to provide services 5 (or more) days per week then hand this problem over to the staff to figure out.  - Be prepared to do quite a bit of work beforehand e.g., how do you define productivity in your business, are you tracking people's rates of burnout or wellbeing and if not, how will you do this?  - Likely to need some training too e.g., how to effectively run a meeting so that people's time isn't wasted.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Trigger warnings' on sensitive content have been thrust into the spotlight after Hollywood actor Matt Smith criticised their use.  The House of the Dragon star claimed giving viewers 'trigger warnings' has left TV shows 'dumbed-down'. Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland says these warnings aren't particularly useful - and can create problems in their own right. "What they do do is they increase people's anxiety in advance of something coming up, and that people don't end up avoiding looking up at or watching the thing you're supposed to be not looking at." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A psychologist is encouraging the public not to engage in online content like that recorded after a horror crash on Auckland's southern motorway.   Police are slamming the livestreaming of the crash that killed three people at Ramarama on Monday.   They say it was recorded before emergency services arrived and showed close-ups of the deceased in the van and injured laying on the road.   Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland told Mike Hosking an interest in death is clashing with social media pressures.   He says it's a reminder to think twice when pulling out phones to record.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 24 August 2024, Jack is joined by stars of new Kiwi film ‘We Were Dangerous', Erana James and Nathalie Morris, to discuss winning the Special Jury Prize and SXSW 2024 and what it was like to film on Otamahua Quail Island in the South Island.  Jack finds New Zealand Rugby's communication around Leon MacDonald's exit refreshing.  An underrated vegetable is hailed in chef Nici Wickes leek, parmesan and prosciutto tart - with leeks current cheaper price point making it the perfect pairing when splashing out on pastry and other ingredients.  Psychologist Dougal Sutherland emphasises the importance of sleep and shares tips to try and combat sleep disruption.   And, phenomenon of Irish post-punk Fontaines D.C. have released their fourth studio album, Jack finds out how it ranks against their previous universally hailed records.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us experience disruptions to our sleep when we are busy or stressed. This can be due to our brains being switched into “flight or fight” mode. When this mode is on our body and brains are alert and actively looking for danger, which makes sense if our danger is from a wild animal but doesn't make quite as much sense if our “danger” is from a high workload. This sense of alertness is the polar opposite to that state your body needs to be in for sleeping. In these situations, you might find yourself having trouble getting to sleep or waking in the middle of the night with a racing mind. This can leave you feeling tired and exhausted the next day, which may make you less effective at work, which in turn contributes to more stress!     Here's some tips for sleep during stressful times:  - If you can't get to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night, don't lie in bed for more than about 15mins – if you haven't fallen asleep by then you're probably not going to anytime soon. Get up and out of bed and do something boring until you feel tired again. If you have a racing mind sit down with a piece of paper and simply write down everything in your head until your brain has dumped it all out. Then try sleeping again  - Try to resist the urge to sleep in, at least during weekdays. Keep a consistent wake up time as this helps anchor your body clock and can help prevent sleep problems getting even worse  - Avoid napping during the day, unless you can keep the nap to 20mins or less. Sleeping too much during the day will have a flow-on effect to nighttime sleeping    LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Older” employees, Gen X and Boomers, those who are over 45years, are sometimes accused of not being as skilled at utilising the benefits of tech in their work. Whilst that might be true for some, new research shows that these older workers tend to be more effective in setting clear work and nonwork boundaries when working from home and in managing their time.  The research found this age group were more likely to use good work practices such as:  - Setting strict start, break and end times  - Having a dedicated space at home for only work  - Creating new routines and dressing for work  - Informing others about their availability    Benefits of setting these boundaries include:  - Fewer unfinished work tasks  - Having better work-life balance.  - Higher productivity    Perhaps old dogs can learn new tricks!   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last time we talked about how your phone could interfere with connecting with people. This time I thought it would be good to talk about how our phones can help us combat loneliness and isolation.  We hear a lot about the negative health impacts of loneliness, and yet this series of studies suggests that most of us are reluctant to reach out to old friends – even though that's one of the fastest ways to boost our social connections.  A new Canadian study showed that fewer than one third of people in their study sent a message (txt, email. Phone call) to an old friend even when they wanted to, thought the friend would be receptive, had their contact details, and had time and space to send a message.  The study found that people tended to view old friends in the same way they view strangers, which contributed to reluctance to reach out.  Things that helped with connecting with old friends included:  - A “practice” condition (sending messages to current friends) helped more people to reach out to old friends, suggesting one practical way to warm people up to contacting old friends.  - Imagine what it's like for you to receive a message from an old friend. Most people were very positive about being the one that is contacted rather than doing the contacting. Putting yourself in the other person's shoes might help reduce reluctance to be the one making the first move  - Start with some easy wins – contact people you were close to in the past rather than more casual acquaintances. More likely to be able to rekindle those old fires.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 27 July 2024, NZ's favourite Irish comedian, Ed Byrne joins Jack to chat winning The Chase and landing back on Kiwi shores for his Tragedy Plus Time tour.  Jack hopes for a redemption story for one of the Olympics' greatest athletes as an extravagant ceremony officially opens the games.  The perfect leftovers-for-lunch meal comes in the form of a Savoury Leek & Mushroom pancake recipe from Rosa Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters.  And, as WhatsApp hits 100 million monthly users in the US, Jack and techxpert Paul Stenhouse joke about the stress of the family group chat - though clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland reflects on how group chats can be an approachable way to combat loneliness.   Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The more you connect, the less you connect!  Over recent years explosion of technology has helped us increase our connection with others, both in local communities and around the world. Many positives come from increased social connection, but one downside is when connecting with people outside the home leads you to “phub” significant people in the home, particularly your partner.  Phubbing = phone + snub. It's where your focus on connecting via your phone causes you to snub people in your immediate surrounds. Often occurs with a partner.  Partners can play a crucial role in our wellbeing including helping with better work-life balance and wellbeing. 75% of people choose to share their emotional struggles with their partner as the first port of call. Partners are usually the most available people in our home life too. Good partner support is also associated with our own career success.    On the other hand, phubbing has been linked to poorer quality of relations with partner, and lowered sense of self-esteem in the partner.    What can people do about it?  It's not about throwing the baby out with the bathwater – it's still important to connect with work colleagues and share work-related stressors with them.  Wherever you are – be there! If you're at work, connect with people at work. If you're at home, connect with people at home.  Set some limits around use of phones in your relationship e.g. no phones during dinner, not using phones after a certain time at night, not using them in bed.  Workplaces also have a role to play in this by setting appropriate expectations around replying to emails, messages, etc., out-of-hours. Hard to be present with your partner if your boss is messaging you demanding an immediate response!    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 29 June 2024, the ultimate master of illusion Cosentino joins Jack to talk escape artistry and what happens when things go wrong.  Jack reflects on the moment Joe Biden's presidential fate became clear.  The much-anticipated documentary about Celine Dion has landed and Tara Ward appreciates it for the rawness shown by the global superstar. And, with Dry July just around the corner Dougal Sutherland highlights the importance of checking in on our behaviours during times of stress.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Dry July kicking off in a couple days, Dougal Sutherland believes it's a good time for people to think about their alcohol consumption.  It's a stressful time at the moment, with a cost of living crisis, workplace stresses, and drastic weather, and when times are stressful, people tend to turn to “unhealthy” coping mechanisms.  Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to chat about the telltale signs that someone's alcohol consumption may be becoming problematic, and a few tips for those thinking of taking on Dry July.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over half of New Zealand workers are experiencing severe burnout – worse than Covid numbers.  In April, Massey Business School Survey found that the highest levels of burnout are among clerical workers, education professionals, office managers and health professionals.  Umbrella Wellbeing Clinical Psychologist Dougal Sutherland told Jack Tame “You can get into a situation where co-workers try out-do each other, which could affect employee relations.”  Sutherland's advice for employees is “Focus on the aspects of situation that you can control – like preparing your CV.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Duncan discusses New Zealand's healthcare crisis with Dr. Bryan Betty, revealing alarming study findings. We'll also explore the $3.9 billion pothole repair budget, preview an action-packed sports weekend with John Day, and tackle online bullying with psychologist Dougal Sutherland. Join us live across social media or catch the podcast on Rova and other platforms.  Don't forget we go live every weekday morning at 7:30  YouTube, Twitch, and Tik Tok.  All the other social, listen and watch links are here Or text "Duncan" to 3598See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some new research out recently found that in contrast to what we often hear about gaming, playing video games may help to replenish our energy and boost recovery from work-related stress.  Playing games not only helped with psychological detachment (the ability to mentally switch off from work), but also promoted mastery experiences (i.e., the feeling that you're learning new things and facing challenges).  An important factor for mastery experiences is whether employees have “obsessive” or “harmonious” passion. Those who reported higher harmonious passion (engaging in a task enjoyably without compulsion) reported a stronger relationship between time spent gaming and the experience of mastery.  Controversial idea maybe, but workplaces could consider getting gaming consoles to help people switch off for a while. I'm pretty sure some tech companies and film companies already do this.  Lucky for me there's a pinball arcade two mins away from my office in Wellington!  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workplace bullying has come with a high price tag.  It's estimated that it costs New Zealand around $1.5 billion a year, 50% of the costs arising from the impact on female workers.  Dougal Sutherland told Jack Tame that the report should really slap organisations and businesses around the head, as it demonstrates the sheer extent of the problem.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 18 May 2024, award-winning Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson has crossed the ditch to bring their charm and wittiness to the NZ International Comedy Festival.  This week, Jack experienced tragedy with a shocking tree pruning.   Tara Ward spills on Bridgerton's latest serving of high society seduction and scandal in Screentime, while clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland dissects a brand-new report estimating that bullying in the workplace costs New Zealand employers around $1.5 billion a year.  Plus, Jack and Sav try to keep up with how many sportsmen have been arrested in the past 48 hours.  Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been reports that this has increased since COVID, particularly online.  People usually think there is a particular “personality type” that engages in bullying and therefore in order to stop it we just have to root out those particular people. Whilst this is true to some extent (e.g., people who are more narcissistic and want to advance their career tend to engage in bullying behaviour more), what research shows is that bullying behaviour is more likely to occur in workplaces where there are high levels of stress.  Research found that when people had high workloads there was more bullying at work, and that this rate was increased even further when people were feeling insecure about their jobs. So, when people are feeling stressed and under pressure they behave in negative ways towards others – “hurt people hurt people”.  Particularly relevant at the moment when we have high workloads and people feeling very insecure about their jobs due to current economic environment and also because Pink Shirt Day coming up on 17 May.  What can done:  - Organisations need to be alert to the increased risk at the moment.  - Leaders need to create an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up when something they don't like is happening (this is called psychological safety).  - Pay attention to the small seeds that might start to take root – not technically bullying but being rude or uncivil towards others —Prof Geoff Plimmer from Victoria Uni calls this “workplace incivility”— like a virus that can spread through an organisation. - The Mental Health Foundation and Umbrella Wellbeing are running a free webinar about online bullying for Pink Shirt Day    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More adult Kiwis are receiving ADHD medicine than ever before.  There's been a tenfold increase in the amount dispensed for adults between 2006 and 2022, today's Medical Journal study has revealed.  0.6% of the adult population are receiving treatment, although 2.6% of adults are estimated to have the condition.  Clinical psychologist for Umbrella Wellbeing, Dougal Sutherland told Mike Hosking the study highlights the shortage of specialists.  He says people would be very lucky to get an ADHD assessment as an adult in New Zealand's public mental health system currently.  LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The importance of leading well during times of change (of which there is a lot of at the moment!) and the importance of leaders looking after their own wellbeing as part of leading well.  A recent study interviewed 20 CEOs from leading companies in the USA. It showed that really effective leaders helped improve team and individual performance and helped the organisations do really well.  On the flip side, leaders who were burnt out or stressed passed this onto their team. They tended to be closed off to new ideas, create a negative psychological climate, and make decisions based on anxiety and avoidance.  This highlights the need for leaders and organisations to make sure leader's mental wellbeing is a priority. Leaders should consider this as a core part of their job and actively schedule it in.  It's helpful for leaders to make sure they have good social connections outside of work and ideally a peer network across their business that they can talk openly with as they're often not able to share everything with their team.  Important to be predictable in their role and part of this is managing their own emotional expression, but what do they do with the “residue” of this? Getting professional coaching/supervision can be really helpful in this domain.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dougal Sutherland is a clinical psychologist and the CEO of Umbrella Wellbeing, he is a regular media contributor, and is passionate about training the next generation of clinical psychologists. With over 20+ years working as a clinical psychologist Dougal has traveled the world providing help to bureaucrats and governments, victims of crime, and even people living in unimaginable circumstances with constant fear due to societal situations. He has worked and led teams in DHB Mental Health Services; and, focus on support for children, parents, and families. has a passion for making psychology accessible to the general public which leads him to contribute regularly to media in print, online, radio and TV broadcasting mediums. In his role as CEO with Umbrella Wellbeing, he provides psychological support to workplace and employees across a wide variety of organizations in the public and private sector. He is an adjunct teaching fellow in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at Victoria University in Wellington New Zealand. Listen to the full interview on Spotify, iHeart Radio, or Apple Podcasts. #clinical #doctor #phd #philosophy #pyschologist #clinicalpyschologist #business #ceo #victoriauni #therapy #workplace #workplacewellbeing #worklifebalance #nz #mentalperformance #podcast #tallpoppytalk #mentalhealthmatters #aotearoa #newzealand #productivity