The ELEVATE 5-Day Immersion is a short, practical wellbeing experience designed to help teams reconnect, reduce stress, and strengthen psychological safety — in just 30 minutes a day.

To celebrate its launch, I’m giving one team free access to the full program, including daily audio, reflection guides, and a team facilitation toolkit.

Nominate your team in the form below by Friday 13 June.

AI tools can be used to automate mundane tasks, personalise wellbeing support, and even create space for shorter work weeks. But these positives sit alongside potential concerns like job displacement, unethical use, and the erosion of human connection.

AI is reshaping the way we work, lead, and manage wellbeing. But is it helping us thrive - or simply changing the way we burn out?

We used to wear stress like a badge of honour. Pulling an ‘all nighter’ and burning the midnight oil. It’s part of the culture we created in industrialised nations. In Japan they call it ‘Karoshi’ - death by over-work, often through heart attacks, excessive work hours, and stress.

About 750 000 people worldwide died from ‘karoshi syndrome’, working more than 55 hours per week, according to a global study by the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation in 2021. In Australia, our standard working week sits at 38 hours, and the average over-time is 6.2 hours (The Australia Institute, 2023). This article explores some of the factors we need to consider when addressing burnout in Australia and around the world.

We often talk about work-life balance like they’re separate levers we can tweak. But the truth is, they’re deeply entangled and n our modern life, they’re difficult to separate. You can’t fix workplace stress without also acknowledging the personal systems that are failing us. You can’t improve personal wellbeing without addressing the structural realities of work.

That’s why it’s not enough to hand someone a mindfulness app and hope for the best. The roots of stress in modern life run deeper than that.

In this article we explore the factors that contribute to the high levels of chronic stress in today’s world.

Workplace stress costs the Australian economy $14 billion annually, leading to increased absenteeism, burnout, and turnover. Employees today expect more from their employers.
A proactive approach to wellbeing and psychosocial risk doesn’t just prevent harm - it creates a thriving culture. One powerful way to achieve this is through the Proactive Vitality Management Model, which helps organisations embed wellbeing into their operational DNA.

Mindful leadership involves heightened awareness, clarity, and compassion, to enable leaders to navigate challenges with greater resilience and empathy. Through enhanced self-awareness, leaders can better understand their own stress triggers and reactions, allowing them to respond rather than react to stressful situations. This self-regulation not only enhances personal wellbeing but also sets a positive example for the team, promoting a culture of mindfulness and mutual support.

Workplaces that empower managers with the confidence and skills to conduct regular wellbeing check-ins are one step ahead in preventing psychosocial hazards.

Regular check-ins don’t just address stress early - they create a culture of trust and psychological safety that binds teams together in hard times, and gives them wings to soar in times of strength.

People who work in a company with a positive culture are happier, healthier, and are more likely to stay in their jobs for longer. On top of that, organisations are more profitable and have a better employee value proposition which enhances brand and culture, so it is a positive cycle. In this article, we look at some of the factors that contribute to a positive culture of wellbeing in a workplace.

Organisations have to be careful of what wellbeing initiatives they put together, lest they fall into the trap of "wellbeing washing" – the superficial promotion of wellbeing initiatives that lack substance or genuine impact. While the intent may stem from a good place, the damage caused by inauthentic efforts can erode trust, disengage employees, and expose the organisation to reputational risks.

This is not to say that a good wellbeing strategy shouldn’t include all those wonderful initiatives like free fruit and mindfulness sessions. These offerings are marvellous and can have a very positive impact on someone’s health and wellbeing. The trick is, not to make those things the aim. You have to go deeper and make it meaningful.

Connection in the workplace is so much more than bringing people together in the same physical space. To truly enhance connection, we need to look beyond the physical, at the emotional connection of people. Tools such as mindfulness, empathy, compassion, and finding a sense of purpose and belonging can help to build emotional connection.

Feeling connected with others is one of the best ways to increase oxytocin and dopamine (feel-good hormones), improve immunity, lower stress, and decrease depression and anxiety. But, sometimes, feeling connected can be as challenging as grasping at shadows.

Photo Timon Studler

Compassion has the power to make humans do incredible things. It releases oxytocin, and lights up the areas of our brain linked to empathy, pleasure, and care-giving. It makes good things happen, and can make life better for others.
There is a very real place for compassion in the workplace. Leaders are the ones who can embody compassion and create a culture where people support each other through growth. Leaders and team managers set the cultural tone of an organisation. A leader who leads with compassion can dramatically impact the wellbeing of their teams.

In 2023, Sunrise Well partnered with Pain Education and Management, an organisation with an innovative pain management program, to develop a comprehensive, informed educational presentation on sleep and lifestyle modifications. Initially this formed part of a pilot program bringing education and management out of the hospital setting and into the community, delivered by a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts. This article looks at Sunrise Well’s involvement in the program and the challenges and successes experienced in the implementation of the program, and future directions.