This video focuses on enhancing well-being beyond mindfulness, advocating for the importance of savouring life's moments, connecting with nature, and the therapeutic benefits of writing. Kay Wilhelm highlights practices like taking mindful walks to appreciate our surroundings, finding joy in simple pleasures, and embracing the transformative power of nature for mental health. Writing, especially about traumatic experiences or expressing gratitude, is presented as a powerful tool for emotional regulation and health improvement. The discussion also covers the benefits of maintaining a night journal for reflection and goal setting, contributing to better sleep and overall well-being. These strategies, supported by psychological research, offer practical ways to deepen our connection to the present, foster resilience, and promote a joyful, balanced life.
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Download PDF - Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain [PDF] [3ha6960veq70] (vdoc.pub)
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About Professor Kay Wilhelm
Kay Wilhelm is Professor of Psychiatry at University of Notre Dame Sydney, Conjoint Professor in Psychiatry and Mental Health UNSW and Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist at St Vincent’s Hospital. She was a Member of NSW Medical Council for 14 years and Chair of Doctor’s Health Program for 12 and now part of the Hearing Member Panel for the NSW Medical Council. She is Chair, HETI Higher Education Governing Council and a member of the Central and Eastern Sydney LDH Advisory Group of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. Kay has previously been a consultant and researcher in the Mood Disorders Unit at Prince Henry Hospital, which developed into the Black Dog Institute. Following that, she worked at St Vincent’s Hospital in Liaison Psychiatry, with particular interest in transplant psychiatry, diabetes and suicidal presentations. She has carried out a seminal 30-year longitudinal study looking at gender differences of wellbeing (The Sydney Teachers’ Study). She has been awarded Founders’ Medal, from Australasian Society of Psychiatric Research; the RANZCP College Citation and NSW Branch’s Meritorious Service Award and is a Member of the Order of Australia, in recognition of services in depression management, suicide prevention, doctors’ health, professional education and service to the profession.
