Topic 3: Resilience and Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a habit that becomes stronger with practice. Our ability to change habits is underpinned by the brain's ability to adapt. This process of adaption is called 'neuroplasticity'. Check out this video to hear how it works, then start practicing your positive thinking strategies:

‘The three Ps of pessimism’ comes from psychologist, Martin Seligman’s, book titled Learned Optimism. Seligman explains that we all have a style of interpreting and explaining events in our lives to ourselves. Pessimists tend to explain bad events through personalisation, permanence and pervasiveness. This style makes it difficult for them to recover from setbacks. If you’re interested in learning more, set yourself a goal to read his book and add it to your PDP.

The ‘circle of influence’ is a strategy adapted from a book called Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The book includes other useful strategies that will help you establish good professional habits. This is another good one to add to your PDP – bring a copy to the office and read 10 pages a day.

This book provides strategies for focusing your attention on the present moment and avoiding thoughts of the past or future. The Power of Now describes methods of relaxation and meditation to help you anchor yourself in the present. These suggestions include slowing down life by avoiding multi-tasking, spending time in nature, and letting go of worries about the future. These strategies can help you manage stress, anxiety and guilt. Tolle has released an audio book if you prefer to listen in the car or while you’re at the gym.

Not a book person? Plug your headphones in and listen to the 10% Happier podcast. The podcast’s creator, Dan Harris, is the co-anchor of ABC’s Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. After having a nationally televised panic attack, he started meditating and wrote 10% Happier – How I tamed the voice in my head, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Based on the success of the book he started the 10% Happier podcast where he talks with meditation pioneers, neuroscientists, psychologists, mental health experts and world leading health experts on the topic of training your mind.

Linkedin Learning offers a range of courses that help you develop business skills. This article summarises one of the courses on positive thinking. It outlines three additional strategies for maintaining a positive mindset at work.

Headspace - Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and even sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple. The app will teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day. It offers themed sessions on stress, sleep, focus and anxiety in bite sized guided meditations to fit into your busy schedule.

Calm - Calm is the number one app for meditation and mindfulness. Enjoy 100+ guided meditations to help you manage anxiety, lower stress and sleep better. Calm is the perfect mindfulness app for beginners, but also includes hundreds of programs for intermediate and advanced users.

As a member of the Transport team, you have access to an Employee Assistance Program which provides you free counselling and offers digital tools to help you manage your health and wellbeing.

From family or relationship troubles, to dealing with grief or challenges at work, right through to improving your exercise, sleep and performance. Our Employee Assistance Program is here to help with free and confidential services, including:

• Fee and confidential counselling service face to face, over the phone or via the new live chat option. You can organise this service via this phone number - 1300 360 364
• Fantastic health and wellbeing resources on exercise, sleep, nutrition and more through the new online portal . Check out the BeneHub User Guide.pdf (pdf 414KB) for instructions on logging in and setting up your very own profile.
• You can also access our EAP program online through BeneHub Login

For more information about using this service, checkout the TfNSW intranet.

If you have resources related to this topic that you’d like to share with other grads, send them through to Danielle.rees@transport.nsw.gov.au