A FREE community service provided by Tobin Brothers together with Consulting Psychologist Jacqui Louder.

During the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in Melbourne, Tobin Brothers developed an online initiative to help people develop and maintain a healthy mind at home.

'Healthy Minds at Home' was a Facebook Live series where psychologist, Jacqui Louder joined the Tobin Brothers Facebook Community offering practical tools to help maintain good mental health during lockdown and beyond.

For 8 weeks a Facebook Live was hosted where Jacqui and guests discussed a range of practical tools and strategies for good mental health to try at home, as well as offered support to one another during a challenging time

See below for a synopsis of each episode and follow the links to watch the recordings.

 



Friday 29th May at 7pm

This week’s 'Healthy Minds at Home' we will be joined by special guest, and Olympic Bronze Medalist Diver, Anabelle Smith.

Anabelle was on track to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this year, but her big plans have been postponed. We will be talking with her about her experience in isolation and how she has been assessing what is truly important to her, and how she has refocused her goals when circumstances change.

Make sure to tune in to hear how to Anabelle’s experience could help you reframe your own goals.


EPISODE 8: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WITH MAJOR BRENDAN NOTTLE



In last night’s Healthy Minds at Home, Jacqui and Major Brendan Nottle discussed how you may have found yourself with time to reflect on what you value most in life.

Whether it be family, friends, spending time in your garden, or cooking homemade meals, make sure you don’t lose sight of the things you rediscovered, and continue more frequent communication with loved ones as life goes back to normal.


View Episode Eight here > Episode 8: Emotional Intelligence with Major Brendan Nottle


EPISODE 7: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE



If you are planning on returning to work soon, it could be daunting to know you have to snap back into ‘reality’. This week on Healthy Minds at Home, Jacqui Louder discussed 7 areas to reflect on to ensure you transition into your ‘new normal’ routine comfortably:

1- Slowly phase into a new sleep routine. Your body and brain need to adapt to the change in sleep patterns, try going to bed 30mins earlier every 4 days.

2- You may have taken up some extra exercise, and going back to work means you might struggle to find the time to continue these activities, but try your best to find a way to maintain the regular exercise routine you’ve made.

3- “Pants? Who needs pants?” you might be thinking. But going back to work means you’ll soon have to put on that suit again. So slowly get used to changing back into the clothes you would normally wear for work.

4- Have regular meal times each day, you might even consider meal-prepping and freezing meals for when you’re back at work, to save time in the evenings.

5- Make a list of chores you want to do in the house before you go back to work.

6- You might want to talk to your boss about staggering your return to normal work hours, or if you’d like to work some days from home if you are able to do so.

7- Socialising. Maintain the connections and communications that you’ve made with friends and family while being isolated. Remember to keep contacting them when you go back to work, as we can often forget them when work returns.


View Episode Seven here > Episode 7: Emotional Intelligence



EPISODE 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE & PHYSICAL STRENGTH WITH TIM COLE 



Everyone knows that exercise is essential to living a healthy lifestyle, but what is an effective exercise, and how can you achieve it? Exercise is defined as ‘any movement of the body’, and is most effective when you enjoy the activity and it fits comfortably into your lifestyle.

In our Healthy Minds at Home discussion with Tim Cole, we found that exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous and daunting in order for it to be effective. So rather than push your body into exercises, ask yourself: 1) what do I like doing, and 2) what do I want to learn more about? Use these answers to find an exercise routine that will be most effective for you. Tim prescribes 5 key points to consider to ensure you are getting the most out of your exercise:


1- You need to like it. 

2- You need to believe in it.

3- You need to understand it. 

4- It needs to be safe. 

5- It needs to work.


View Episode Six here >   Episode 6 : Building Resilience and Physical Strength with Tim Cole


EPISODE 5 : Developing Resilience



Do you feel like you’re not bouncing back from changes how you used to?

In last night’s Healthy Minds at Home Live, Jacqui discussed how the 6 Domains of Resilience can help to develop resilience in your own life and the importance of doing so:

1- VISION: having a clear purpose and vision allows you to be decisive when facing tough choices.

2- COMPOSURE: composure is the ability to regulate your emotions and reactions when faced with conflict. Being composed means that you can think clearly and critically about a situation.

3- TENACITY: it’s what they always say: ‘persistence is key’. Being tenacious and realistic about achieving your vision depends heavily on defining what adversity means to you.

4- COLLABORATION: it is crucial to build support networks. Be open to receive help as well as willing to give help to others.

5- REASONING: creative problem solving is key to facing challenges. Take proactive action before things go wrong, and welcome a changing environment because they may be a hidden opportunity through change.

6- HEALTH: a healthy body provides a strong foundation for your own resilience so you can focus on your sense of purpose and goals.

View Episode Five here > Episode 5 : Developing Resilience


EPISODE 4 : HEALTHY HABITS WITH SPECIAL GUEST JESSICA ROTHWELL



This episode we explored healthy habits around diet and exercise with special guest and dietitian, Jessica Rothwell.

Jessica currently works at the Victorian Institute of Sport with the Athletics and Women's Hockey Programs, is the National High-Performance Nutrition Lead for Athletics Australia, the in-house Sports Dietitian at Sports Dietitians Australia and is also working with the AFLW Richmond Women's team.

With the cupboard only a few feet away it can be very tempting to indulge in foods you wouldn’t normally eat. Jacqui Louder and Jessica Rothwell answer your questions about what food groups to consume regularly, busting some food myths, and discussing healthy eating habits to help you stay healthy at home.  

1- Make specific, measurable, achievable, realistic & timely goals if you are trying to reduce unhealthy habits.

2- If your routine has changed, maintain your regular and main meals. Listen to your body to gauge how much fuel you need for the day.

3- You might feel cravings if you have changed your regular diet.

4- Avoid foods high in Trans fats (like donuts & bakery goods), have Saturated fat in moderation and increase your Unsaturated fats like avocado, olive oil and nuts.

5- “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a great way to include fruit in your day.

6- Brussel sprouts divide the nation, but are a wonderful source of antioxidants and can be delicious when added to your regular diet.

7- Aim for 5-6 serves of veggies in your diet every day

8- Herbal tea does not cause dehydration

9- Ginger is a great anti-viral ingredient which can help boost your immunity.

10- ‘Activated’ almonds are no better for you than normal almonds!


View Episode Four here >   Episode 4 : Healthy Habits with Jessica Rothwell



EPISODE 3: HEALTHY MINDS AND HEALTHY HABITS



While you are developing a ‘new normal’ routine, it can be difficult to know if you’re developing bad habits and how to get out of a rut. Watch our video with Jacqui Louder as she discusses these 9 tips to help your body and mind get into a better routine that is maintainable.

1 - Challenge yourself to keep learning new skills, the brain is a muscle and needs to be flexed.

2 - Sleep heals the brain. Track your sleep patterns and try a schedule to make sure you are getting better sleep:

3 - Maintain a regular exercise routine and remember that moderation is key.

4 - Create a sleep routine: Dim the lights 30 mins before bed, turn off electronics & relax.

5 - Keep track of your food and drink intake. Notice if you are eating or drinking ‘emotionally’.

6 - Reward yourself to motivate new healthy habits.

7 - Laugh! 30 sec of a good belly laugh releases the same amount of endorphins as 10 min of cardio exercise.

8 - Give your time, knowledge and comfort to others. 

9 - Don’t be too shy to ask for help. Speak up and be heard if you are in need of help.


View Episode Three here >   Episode 3 : Healthy Habits



EPISODE 2 : SELF IDENTITY WITH MAJOR BRENDAN NOTTLE



8 Tips to help you stay positive


Maintaining a positive mindset can be really difficult, especially when there have been so many changes to your regular routine. Watch our video with Jacqui Louder and Major Brendan Nottle as they dive deeper into these 8 Tips to help you stay positive:

1- Understand that this is a temporary situation

2- Make a list of family and friends to talk to each day

3- Indulge in humour

4- 30 minutes of exercise outside everyday

5- Put in the effort to help others

6- Don’t only rely on modern technology, try writing a letter or sending a gift to a loved one

7- Be grateful for what you still have, even if they are small things

8- Staying informed on the situation can make you feel more in control


View Episode Two here >   Episode 2 : Self Identity with Major Brendan Nottle



EPISODE 1 : SELF IDENTITY


11 Tips for developing your self identity 


Knowing who you are can be difficult at the best of times, but it is especially hard during moments of change and upheaval. Watch our video with Jacqui Louder as she delves deeper into these 11 Tips for developing your self identity:

1 - Identify your personality type. Knowing who you are begins with understanding your personality

2 - Observe your feelings

3 - Ask who you can relate to and who you look up to

4 - Ask others what they think about you.

5 - Consider what your core values are

6 - Reflect on your past

7 - Look to the future

8 - Try new things

9 - Write everything down

10 - Meditate

11 - Accept what you find without judgement


View Episode One here >   Episode 1 : Self Identity