Every September, Suicide Prevention Month brings up a lot for me.

Workbench for the Mind exists because of my beautiful son, Muzz. In the aftermath of losing him, I found positive psychology

I’ve been thinking about how we often expect meaningful change to look obvious.

We imagine big moments, exciting breakthroughs, celebrations, or some kind of clear sign that tells us, Yes, I’m finally making progress.

It’s natural to want the people we care about to be happy.

We check in on them. We listen when they’re struggling. We show up when they need us. Sometimes, we even find ourselves trying to fix things for them because we hate seeing someone we love unhappy.

We all have thoughts and feelings we keep to ourselves.

The things we don't say. The emotions we push aside. The thoughts we tell ourselves we'll deal with later.

When relationships become complicated, it can be tempting to revisit the same conversations again and again, hoping that this time we will finally reach a resolution.

I know how easy it can be to fall into this pattern. We keep talking, explaining, clarifying and trying to find the right words. But sometimes, saying more isn’t what moves things forward.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the choices we make every day.

Some are small, like what we'll have for breakfast or which route we'll take to work. Others are much bigger. They shape our relationships, our wellbeing, and ultimately the direction of our lives.

Every day, we make countless decisions. Some are small, like what to eat for breakfast, while others have the power to shape the course of our lives.

So many people believe that choosing themselves is selfish. They put everyone else's needs first and feel guilty whenever they take time for themselves. If you've ever felt this way, I want to offer you a different perspective.

We've all experienced it.

You have a plan, an expectation, or a vision of how something should unfold, and then life takes a different direction.

Life rarely unfolds exactly as we planned.

We set goals, make careful decisions, and imagine how things will turn out. Then something changes. A relationship ends. An opportunity disappears. A plan falls apart. In those moments, it's easy to believe we've failed.

But what if things not working out isn't a sign that you've made the wrong choices?

Have you ever found yourself waiting for the perfect moment to make a decision?

Maybe you're hoping for more certainty, more confidence, or a sign that you're heading in the right direction. I think we've all been there.

Have you ever woken up on a Monday already feeling behind?

Not because anything has gone wrong, but because the thought of everything waiting for you feels overwhelming before the week has even begun.

We all have days when we wake up feeling flat.

The motivation isn't there. The energy feels low. Even the things we normally enjoy seem harder than usual. When that happens, it's easy to assume something is wrong with us or that we need to somehow "snap out of it."

Recent research suggests that more Australians are feeling stressed than they were this time last year. While it's encouraging to see more people reaching out for support, the findings also highlight an important reality: mental wellbeing requires ongoing attention, not just when we're struggling, but every day.

Positive psychology is often misunderstood.

When people hear the term, they sometimes assume it's about maintaining a positive attitude no matter what happens.

There are moments in life when everything feels like too much.

The bills pile up. Work becomes overwhelming. The uncertainty of the future starts creeping into every thought. And before we know it, our minds are racing while our bodies continue pushing forward without rest.

Mondays can feel like standing at the bottom of a mountain. Before the emails, meetings, deadlines, and demands start piling on, there’s often already a mental load we’re carrying into the week.

That’s why I want to talk about your workbench.

Before the week runs away and Monday somehow turns into Friday, here’s a question worth sitting with for a moment:

How are you actually really going?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been fortunate to travel around beautiful South Australia and interstate, working with incredible people through my Workbench for the Mind program.

I want to talk about something many people experience but don’t often say out loud. You can look completely fine on the outside and still feel deeply alone on the inside.

And the truth is, this is far more common than we realise.