Brain & Mind Hub

14/02/2026

Gratitude doesn’t have to be big or positive.
Sometimes it’s just noticing what helped you get through.
A breath. A pause. A moment of rest.
These small acknowledgements help the brain settle,
soften self-criticism,
and remind us we’re not failing, we’re coping.
One small thing is enough.
Today counts too.

If you need support for yourself or a loved one, please reach out.
www.brainandmindhub.org.au/

11/02/2026

Sometimes hope doesn’t come from motivation or positive thinking.
It comes from understanding how the brain actually works.

Neuroscience shows us that the brain remains capable of change even after long periods of stress, anxiety, or low mood. That change doesn’t happen through force or pressure, but through safety, support, and time.

Mental health care isn’t about becoming a new person.
It’s about giving the brain and nervous system the conditions they need to adapt, recover and move forward gradually and in their own way.

Change doesn’t always feel dramatic.
Often, it’s quiet and takes time and patience.
But it is possible.

10/02/2026

The gut, nervous system and brain are in constant communication, influencing how we experience stress, mood, focus and emotional regulation. This gut–brain connection helps explain why mental health care often works best when it looks beyond symptoms in isolation.

Our multidisciplinary team brings together psychiatry, psychology, lifestyle medicine, and dietetic support to better understand the biological and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to mental health concerns.

Our dietetic clinic plays an important role in supporting this broader picture. Nutrition can influence gut health, energy levels, and key pathways involved in mental wellbeing with care that is evidence-based, personalised, and practical.
Supporting mental health means supporting the whole system.

Head to our website to learn more about whole person support.
www.brainandmindhub.org.au/

07/02/2026

Your daily habits influence how your brain functions.
Sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, and connection all shape emotional wellbeing and cognitive health. Lifestyle medicine brings these pieces together to support both prevention and mental health care.

Read more on our blog exploring how this approach supports brain health and how interconnected mental health really is.
https://www.brainandmindhub.org.au/lifestylemedicinementalhealth/

05/02/2026

Uncertainty doesn’t just affect how you feel. It affects how your brain thinks.

When answers are unclear, your brain stays busy predicting, scanning and problem-solving. That ongoing cognitive load can look like overthinking, fatigue, poor sleep, or difficulty focusing.
Not weakness. Biology.

If life feels uncertain right now, support can help bring steadiness back to both your mind and nervous system.
Start where you are.

04/02/2026

Stress isn’t just something you feel. It’s something your nervous system learns.

Through neuroplasticity, your brain continually adapts based on repeated experiences. Even around 10–12 minutes a day of gentle regulation can support calming pathways and help your brain become more resilient to stress over time.

if things feel stuck right now, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our team
offers personalised, neuroscience-informed care designed to support your brain and nervous system.

Start small. Start where you are. Your brain is always listening.

03/02/2026

Sometimes we wait to feel better before we let ourselves live.
Before the walk. Before the fresh air. Before doing the thing we know might help.
But the brain doesn’t always work that way.
When stress, depression or anxiety are present, motivation systems often go offline. Waiting to feel ready can keep us stuck.

Small actions, even imperfect ones can help gently shift the nervous system, offering the brain new information and a little movement out of overwhelm.

This isn’t about forcing positivity or ignoring how hard things feel. You can do things
sad. You can do things tired. You can do things without feeling okay.
Trying doesn’t always change everything.
But trying is often the hardest part and it still counts.
If today feels heavy, be gentle with yourself. You deserve to keep showing up, even in the middle of it. And that in itself is something worth honouring. 🤍

24/01/2026

Persevering through tough times isn’t about ignoring how you feel. It’s about the brain slowly learning how to hold those feelings without being overtaken by them.

At Brain & Mind Hub, we take a brain-based, evidence-informed approach to mental health. Recognising that emotions, biology, lifestyle and environment all play a role. When things feel overwhelming, support can help the brain find steadier ground again. You don’t have to do this alone. 🤍

22/01/2026

We often expect healing to move in a straight line.�So when a low follows a high, it can feel confusing, discouraging, even like we’ve failed.
But the brain doesn’t change that way.

From a neuroscience perspective, recovery happens through gradual learning. New neural pathways form slowly, with pauses, setbacks and repetitions along the way. Feeling flat after feeling good doesn’t mean you’re going backwards — it means your brain is still adapting.

At Brain & Mind Hub, we see this every day. Progress doesn’t always look smooth, but with the right support, the brain can continue to build capacity for resilience, regulation and choice over time.

If you’re finding the dips hard to sit with, you don’t have to navigate them alone. 🤍

22/01/2026

Proud to support the launch of Jack’s Place Foundation, an important step toward creating Australia’s first 24/7 su***de prevention facility.

Grateful to see Professor Jim Lagopoulos contributing to a conversation grounded in hope, dignity, and lives saved.

🌳Meet our Guest Speaker: Professor Jim Lagopoulos
We are honoured to welcome Professor Jim Lagopoulos, a national leader whose work is reshaping the future of mental health care in Australia, as a guest speaker at our launch event on 27th February.

🌿Professor Jim Lagopoulos - CEO & Director | Brain and Mind Hub | Thompson Brain and Mind Healthcare
Jim is one of Australia’s most respected experts in neuroscience and a passionate advocate for mental health reform. His determination to translate research discoveries into real-world treatments led him to establish Thompson Brain and Mind Healthcare (TBMH), a non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering practical solutions for some of Australia’s most pressing mental health challenges.
With over 25 years of experience in hospital and university sectors, Jim has held numerous leadership roles, including Director of Clinical Imaging at the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney and inaugural Director of the Thompson Institute at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where he built foundational clinical and research programs.
Jim’s research focuses on innovative approaches to treating mental health conditions, and he has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals. He is also co-author of the best-selling book Stress, Trauma and Synaptic Plasticity, which explores the profound link between stress and brain function.
A graduate of Harvard Medical School’s Leadership in Medicine Program and a Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences, Jim continues to drive change in mental health care through research, advocacy, and leadership.

Event Details
📅 27 February
🕒 11.45am
📍 ēthos at Alsahwa Estate
💲120 https://events.humanitix.com/jacks-place-foundation-creating-australia-s-first-su***de-prevention-24-7-facility

🌿 We’re not just building a facility – we’re building a national shift in how we respond to su***de crisis

20/01/2026

The Truth About Depression Medication. Dr Jim Lagopoulos joins the podcast for a thoughtful, evidence-led conversation about depression medication, the brain, and why mental health care needs to look beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

Listen to the full episode via the link.
https://bit.ly/sxhpodcast

18/01/2026

Cognitive load isn’t just about how much you’re doing. �It’s about how many systems the brain is asking to run at once.

Attention, decision making and emotional regulation rely on overlapping neural networks. When demand increases or stays high for extended periods, those systems fatigue. The brain responds by narrowing focus and conserving energy.

That response can feel frustrating or confusing, especially when you’re still functioning on the surface.

Understanding this matters.�It shifts the focus from pushing through to supporting capacity, allowing the brain to stabilise before asking it to do more.
This is the difference between effort and effective support.