Meet your IHIH committee members! The team work hard to bring you resources and events which focus on health, wellness and overall wellbeing - helping our members live happier and content lives at work and at home. The committee has a strong focus on ensuring health and wellbeing is at the top of everyone’s minds, and meet regularly to discuss how we can all work together to give our mental health the attention it deserves. Find out more information about your committee below, including how they keep motivated and maintain a healthy work life balance.
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Malcolm Haack What you do to maintain wellness/good mental health/balance in your life? “First, it is important for me to note that while I aim to, I don't always maintain wellness, good mental health, and balance in my life – and that’s okay. Life is not perfect, and it has a way of throwing curve balls that disrupt and challenge the ability to maintain wellbeing. Some times the curve balls are work related. Other times they are family related. And then, there are the times where they are coming from all angles. Throughout my life, I have been building up a tool kit of ways that help me navigate the curve balls and stresses of life, to appropriately manage my finite resources, both physical and emotional, and to focus on my wellbeing. One of the main tools I use is reflection – I often reflect (normally in the early hours of the morning without the business and noise of life) on how I am feeling, what is working well, and what may not be working. I take that time to consider what to focus on, how to move forward, and how best to acknowledge and address the human elements that may be encountered along the way. Another go to tool for me is taking the time to organise and prioritise my day. At the start of each day, I set times throughout the day for work as well as for the other aspects of life that help me with my wellbeing and mental health. I prioritise activities (both work and personal), and then I aim to give myself the set time for each of those activities during the day. I don't always get to start or complete all of the prioritise activities, and when I don't, I apply another one of my go to tools – being kind to myself. By this, I mean that I acknowledge that as humans we are all fallible and that sometimes things just don't work out. I no longer chastise myself over not completing all the set activities. Rather, I take the time to reflect on whether the missed activities were in fact priorities, and if so, how I will achieve them tomorrow.” |
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Karen Lee What do you do to maintain wellness/good mental health/balance in your life? I practice gratitude and feel grateful and appreciative for the small things in life. I listen to music I love in the mornings to start every day. I love adventure, exploring and trying new and wonderful things. I enjoy travelling very much and am excited for the opportunity to explore Australia more. |
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Bernard Lankes What do you do to maintain wellness, good mental health and balance in your life? As an in-house lawyer we have to multi-task most of the time which leaves little time to concentrate on one matter only. Once I am on board a sailing boat it is just the opposite. You must focus on one thing and one thing only - sailing. If you do not, the consequences can be costly and devastating, especially during a race. |
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Amy Salapak What do you do to maintain wellness, good mental health and balance in your life? Studying and working full-time, means that I often feel like I live in a constant state of chaos running from one thing to another. The increasing demands of our profession makes it hard to switch off, let alone finding the elusive ‘balance'. However, I think the key to feeling physically and mentally fit and healthy is to find the things that you do that make you happy, and then prioritising your day or week to make time for those activities. For me that’s spending time with family and friends, seeing a great film, being artistic, doing yoga and swimming. I am at my happiest when I am around water and love walking around the river listening to a good podcast, or swimming at the beach with my couch to coast companion, Coco. |
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David Field What you do to maintain wellness/good mental health/balance in your life? The key thing that keeps me going is a strong sense of meaning outside of work. I am a fanatical photographer, and love being involved in photographic projects that explore powerful issues, create meaning and foster human connection. On the weekends I love to go hiking by myself off-track, simultaneously enjoying being part of nature and the thrill of getting (mostly safely) lost. |
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Jessica Giampiccolo What you do to maintain wellness/good mental health/balance in your life? Although it sounds easy enough to do, giving myself permission for some “down” time has been something that I have only recently been able to accomplish, well most of the time. For me, it’s really just family time. Spending time with my husband, daughter and dog is so therapeutic that it has the power to melt away the stresses of a hectic day. If I have had one of “those” days, I have found there are no better ways to wash away these stresses than to watch Frozen for the fifteenth time with my four year old, throw a ball around the backyard with my dog, who sometimes brings it back, or even watch, yet another sports show, with my husband. These are very simple pleasures which keep me happy, grounded and ultimately sane. |
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