Speaker: Nickei Falconer, Sustainable, Wellbeing Consultant, Lifeworks Counselling

Host: Southern GWN

Venue: Turanga, Christchurch Public Library

Date: 18 November 2020

Attendance: approx. 30

Southern GWN was pleased to host Nickei Falconer who presented a workshop on stress/burnout and growing your wellbeing.

Nickei has three decades of experience as a counsellor and psychotherapist. She has a passion for growing wellbeing and sustainability – both within people and within physical spaces. Prior to training as a psychotherapist she was in regional and national management positions working with teams of people. She draws on those experiences in her role with Lifeworks helping individuals, groups, managers and work teams to increase their awareness. She is also contracted with EAP.

We had huge interest in this workshop, with tickets for this event going quickly and many were waitlisted. This was a compact one hour session, usually run over a full day so attendees were able to quickly learn about stressor indications and actions to alleviate those symptoms.

Key messages

  • The importance of empowering ourselves and others to look after our Health
  • Growing our systemic wellbeing – to look at your thinking, your feelings & your physical wellbeing
  • Learn to identify what your stress indicators are (e.g.: mood changes, energy levels depleted, Lack of motivation, disturbed or trouble sleeping, eating patterns change)
  • Repair and recovery stages of stress – recovery is essential to reset your body
  • Importance of vitamins when recovering from stress or to assist in preventing stressors in the body – Vitamin B, magnesium & zinc
  • Drink plenty water to hydrate, get to bed by 10pm (if possible)

The workshop was a great reminder for those of us to review where we are at, 'check up from the neck up' what our thoughts are telling us, and to watch for stress indicators and take action before it becomes burnout.

Recommended followup material is a TedX talk by University of Canterbury lecturer Professor Julia Rucklidge on the Surprisingly Dramatic Role of Nutrition in Mental Health.

Attendee feedback

“I have been to one event before and this one was just as good. I look forward to the coming to the next one.”

"Every event I have attended has been to a high standard and helpful. Congrats or presenting such quality events frequently!"

"This was my first event and I would be keen to attend more."

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