Engage Aotearoa

Shine A Light: New online resource

December 28, 2011 9:42 pm ⋅

Shine A Light On Depression – marie claire magazine Australia

To help end the stigma surrounding depression and mental illness, marie claire brings you Shine A Light, an online forum where we can come together to show our support for sufferers of depression everywhere.

When you visit the site you’ll find a bunch of lights circling your screen: click on one and you’ll be able to read someone’s message of hope, happiness, freedom or love. If you’ve got a bit to share around yourself, you can add your own message to the mix for others to read later.

A great initiative to get women talking about their experiences and feeling okay about asking for help!

Posted in: Online Resources ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Good Article Alert: Time Management vs Multi-tasking

December 27, 2011 10:21 pm ⋅

Good time-management trumps multi-tasking.

If you are a multi-tasker and pride yourself on working on several things at once, you might be surprised to discover that you’re not getting as much done as you think.

“It’s not clever to have lots of applications open and lots of things going on,” says Robyn Pearce, one of the world’s leading time-management experts. “There is vast research to show that if you try to do a whole lot of things concurrently, you take longer than if you’re doing things consecutively.”

Pearce says that having good time-management practices in place is the best way to survive in today’s highly technological workplace. And the more we try to do at once, the less we will achieve. Pearce was a real estate agent who never had enough time and couldn’t distinguish between urgent and important tasks. “I just let everybody demand my time and I was very bad at prioritising.” ….

Continue reading this article on the Herald website here!

Posted in: Personal Development Tools ⋅ Tagged: , ,

Meta-Analysis Compares Cognitive and Exposure Therapy for Anxiety

December 27, 2011 10:44 am ⋅

A recent meta-analysis (a study that collates and analyses existing studies to date) has compared cognitive therapy to exposure therapy to try to find out which is most effective.

A number of studies have already found these components to yeild largely the same effects. This study combined the results of 20 separate studies that directly compared cognitive therapy to exposure therapy for anxiety disorders.

This study has found no difference in the effects for panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, but found that cognitive therapy had a better effect for social anxiety than exposure therapy did.

Read the abstract here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/11/200/abstract

So in a nut-shell – both kinds of therapy are effective options, it’s down to your preference. Cognitive-behaviour therapy which combines these two approaches has been shown in some studies to be even more effective than either component on its own. 

Ougrin, D. (2011). Efficacy of exposure versus cognitive therapy in anxiety disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2011, 11:200 doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-200

Posted in: Online Resources, Research ⋅ Tagged: ,

No. 76: Remembering Boundaries

December 22, 2011 12:03 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅
This week to attain, maintain or regain my sense of wellbeing… Coping Kete…I will practice putting boundaries between other people’ s responses and myself. So often, I can find myself upset or anxious about the way in which other people like my family and friends respond to me. It is so easy to believe that negative reactions or unwanted responses from others are a result of something about me, some flaw or failing or lack of worth. This can lead me down a spiral of negative thoughts, unpleasant physical responses and distressing emotion. This week, when other people respond negatively to me, I will practice saying to myself “That response is about them, not about me. We all have our own sets of issues and idiosyncrasies. Right now in this moment, I am also responding to my own set of issues and unique preferences.” I will then mindfully move my attention to something else. I will try to observe how thinking this way affects my perception of things. This week I will practice acknowledging that we each have a different make-up and we do not need to like the same things or have the same attitudes and values. When someone responds to me in an unwanted way, I will remind myself of this insight. This way, I will not feel the need to take on too much responsibility for the way things work out or the responses other people give me. This week, I am here living my life, having my responses and I am allowing other people to be here living their lives, having their responses to it. Once I am comfortable thinking this way, I will add ‘ remembering the boundaries between us’ to my Personal Coping Kete as a way of soothing the sting out of distressing interpersonal situations. To extend this exercise, if I need to, I might think through some of the other, non-personalised reasons that the person responded the way they did, as is described in strategy No. 65.
Posted in: Self-Soothing ⋅ Tagged: ,

Pacific Voices DVD

December 19, 2011 10:52 pm ⋅

You can now check out the new PACIFIC VOICES DVD online. Watch it yourself and then help spread the word about this very welcome documentary by the AIDS Foundation.

“Sexual minorities are some of the communities most at risk of HIV and are often the silent voices in the Pacific. Research shows that the development of inclusive, strong and supportive communities and organisations is essential for building an HIV resilient New Zealand and Pacific. ‘Pacific Voices’ provides this opportunity for Pacific People to speak up and be heard.”

http://www.getiton.co.nz/pasifika/pacific-voices-dvd/ ( length 24:43)

Posted in: Cultural Considerations, Documentary, Online Resources, Pasifika Communities ⋅ Tagged: ,

Save Auckland’s 24-Hour Rape Crisis Centre

December 15, 2011 7:52 pm ⋅

Funding starts to dry up for Auckland’s sexual abuse crisis centre today — and petition creator Kirsty McCully has made an urgent appeal for people to contact John Key personally. Hundreds have already responded by posting on John Key’s Facebook — can you join them and tell Key that he should continue to fund this critical service?

Click here to go directly to his Facebook wall, and post a message calling on him to fund Auckland’s only 24 hour sexual abuse crisis centre now.

Like any other politician, John Key is incredibly sensitive to social media. He’s all too aware that public channels like Facebook can be hugely powerful in the hands of ordinary individua ls.

It’s important that you speak from the heart when you leave your message. But if you need ideas, here are some things you could consider including:

  • Why you think the Auckland 24 hour crisis service is important
  • What message the government would send by failing to support it
  • What impact this would have on your support for the government

Stand with Kirsty, the centre’s staff and the thousands who depend on them — tell John Key why he should save this crucial service on Facebook now.

Just days into its new term, John Key’s government is already under pressure. And it’s about to skyrocket — at midday, Kirsty and supporters are organising an attention-grabbing media stunt that’s sure to make headlines, and draw even more support for their cause.

PM Key is desperate to maintain public goodwill — and he’ll be anxiously monitoring the press and social media for more signs of opposition. Leaving a message on his Facebook will drive home the message that each and every signature represents a real voter whose support he stands to lose if he doesn’t act.

Click here to join Kirsty, and send John Key a message on Facebook.

Hundreds of messages on his wall will add to the media storm, and Kirsty’s a ttention-grabbing stunt today — he’ll have no choice but to listen.

Thanks for being part of this,

Nick and the Change.org team

Posted in: Community Participation, News, Politics and Policy ⋅ Tagged: ,

No. 75: Putting My Wants in the Present

December 15, 2011 9:39 am ⋅ 
This week, to attain, maintain, or regain my wellbeing... 

When I find myself wanting or wishing things to be different, I will practice imagining I already have it. This strategy comes from the Buddhist philosophy that "whatever I say to the universe, the universe will respond with only one answer - yes." When we focus on our wanting, our thoughts, moods, and actions will often match that, and we can find ourselves thinking and doing things that perpetuate the wanting rather than doing and thinking things that achieve our goals and bring our yearnings to fruition. According to Buddhism, our thoughts, words and actions are the tools with which we create our realities and when we focus on expressing our state of wanting, that is what we push out into our reality, not what we actually want. So, this week I will experiment with using my self-talk and my imagination to 'push out' the object of my desires into reality, rather than 'pushing out' my wanting.

Step One: When I find myself wanting or wishing things were different, I will change my thought commands and statements to imagine myself in that state now. Instead of saying to myself "I want..." or "I wish..." I will say to myself "I have..." or "I am..." or "I will be...". So for example, instead of "I wish I was in love" I will say to myself "I am going to be in love."

Step Two: I will then imagine what it will feel like to have that which I want. I will let myself feel those feelings, not the feeling of wanting it, but the feeling of actually having it. I will put myself in those feelings in advance. The mind knows no difference between imagination and reality. I am already having the experience that I want to have, I know what it feels like and sounds like and looks like within me. I will stay with those feelings no matter what, I won't let external conditions tell me otherwise.

Life is happening through me. Life is not happening to me.

I will start out with the little moment-to-moment wishes for different interactions and things like that. Once I am comfortable putting my wants into the present I am seeking with everyday things, I will add this to my Personal Coping Kete as a strategy for dealing with distress. When I notice myself feeling distressed, I will tune into what it is I want and use my imagination and self-talk to put myself in that moment now.
Posted in: Self-Soothing ⋅ Tagged: ,

A violent-free Christmas is the best gift

December 15, 2011 1:41 am ⋅

A Message from the NZ Police Force.

Christmas is anything but festive for some families as the stresses of the   season, combined in many cases with alcohol, take their toll.

Traditionally the police see an increase in the number of calls to family   violence incidents throughout December and January so Central District Police   are appealing to all families to plan, stay calm and take care of one   another.

Family Violence Coordinator for Central District Police, Maree Rooney-Duindam said: “For many, Christmas is a time of fear and apprehension. There can be a   real strain on relationships as families try to manage the expectations of   the holidays; the food the presents, the bills.

“The material things shouldn’t matter, what matters is the opportunity to spend quality time together, have fun, celebrate and share in the spirit of   the occasion. The best present many women, men and children could ask for is   a violent-free Christmas.”

Nationally, the police respond to a family violence incident every 6 minutes. On average, 14 women, 6 men and 10 children are killed by a member of their   family every year. About half of all murders in New Zealand are family   violence related.

Police in Central District attend on average 722 calls to attend reports of family violence per month; approximately 24 incidents per day.

Anyone finding themselves in a family violence situation where they feel threatened for their immediate safety or a member of the public is aware of a  family violence situation unfolding, they should ring police immediately.

There are also a wide range of other support services available through the national campaign’s helpline – “It is OK to Ask for Help” on 0800 456 450. An alternative is calling your local Women’s Refuge on 0800 733 843.

  • Planning is the key, especially when there are different family groups involved or where parents of children are separated and there are access issues. Agree social and family arrangements in advance and stick to the agreed plans. Make sure children get to spend quality time with both parents if there is shared custody.
  • Don’t spend what you can’t afford. Work out what you need to buy for Christmas and what bills you need to cover and set that money aside.
  • If you are finding the whole idea of Christmas too stressful talk to a friend or someone else that you can trust.
  • Think of the children. Don’t let them grow up with memories of Christmas tarnished with violence.
  • Go easy on the alcohol. If you are drinking make sure you have equal amounts of water or non-alcoholic drinks.
  • If an argument starts to brew, take a deep breath and walk away. Time out to let everyone calm down and if necessary sober up.
  • If you have real concerns for your safety or the safety of your children contact the police.

Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 027  234 8256. Please view the full news release online at: http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/30240.html

Posted in: Families/Whanau, Human Rights and Legal Issues ⋅ Tagged: , ,

No. 74: Chanting Meditation

December 8, 2011 10:29 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅
This week, to attain, maintain or regain my sense of wellbeing… Coping Kete… I will practice chanting as a way of meditating, doing breathing exercises and relaxing myself. First off I will pick a word to use. The little boy in this video link uses the word “yum”. Yoga meditations often use the word ‘ om’ . I will experiment with the kinds of words I use for my chant – different words might have different feelings for me. “Om” is likely so popular because it doesn’ t have any meaning and is just a sound. I might use other sounds too. I will take a deep breath into my belly. As I let the breath out, I will repeat my word in a chant, giving the final repetition a greater emphasis on the last syllable, for example: “yum, yum, yum, yummy” / “Om, om, om, ommmm” / “Love, love, love, lovvvve”. I will be aware of the sensations of the words moving over my lips and the other sensations in my body. I will let the words come nice and slow, so that my out breath is also nice and slow. My mind will be focused on my breath, the words and the sensations of saying them, rather than on the things I worry about. I will repeat the chant at least three times, once a day to practice. This way I’ ll be well-rehearsed if I want to try the strategy when I am distressed or stressed. Chanting changes the level of CO2 in your blood stream, and like singing, can create a sense of euphoria or lightness. Watch this video for a low-key, fun example of using chants to calm ourselves. The little boy in this video has heaps of energy, he gets pretty silly in this and he uses the chant to bring himself back to centre at about 2 minutes in. Once I am familiar with doing chanting meditation, I will add it to my Personal Coping Kete as a strategy for soothing myself and distracting from distress.
Posted in: Self-Soothing ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,