Bec Mitchell - Mental and Physical Wellbeing (2026)

26/08/2021

This week for the first time since lockdown started I did something a bit wild.

I stopped watching the news.

Why?

For a few reasons, but most obviously because words that used to mean nothing to me like ‘LGAs’ and ‘jabs’ had started to make me spontaneously grit my teeth and tense my shoulders.

Now to be clear I’m not suggesting we give up being informed and just hibernate in our own personal echo chamber, but I do think it’s reached a point where we need to really evaluate our relationship with the media.

And the research strongly agrees.

Many studies have asked the question:

‘Is media usage during COVID-19 making our anxiety worse?’

And the short answer seems to be yes (First et al., 2020; Neill et al., 2021).

Perhaps unsurprisingly social media exposure to COVID-19 content has been linked to increased risk of depression and anxiety.

But boomers hold onto your hats, because it’s not just social media that’s the problem.

Your morning dose of Karl Stefanovic or your evening hit of the loveable larrikins on the Project may also be contributing to your media anxiety.

So what can we do about it? I’ve popped a few of my favourite (research-based) suggestions above, but I’d also love to hear what’s working for you?

06/09/2020

I love women!⁣⁣
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And I’m sure that regardless of whether or not you identify as female, you probably love them too!⁣⁣
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So join me this week to celebrate what it is to be female with some fun/free/educational events 😄⁣
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Monday - 12pm - Desk Stretch and Postural Strength Class (Facebook Live)⁣⁣
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I’m joining the United Nations Association Australia with a free postural and desk stretching session over on Facebook at 12pm.⁣⁣
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Tuesday - 6:30pm - Alcohol and Wellbeing (IG Live)⁣⁣
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According to research we’ve all been drinking a little more than usual since the pandemic, so I’m super excited to be joined by the girls from to talk about their journey to alcohol free and the health benefits of cutting back (everything from better skin to better sleep)! Catch us on IG Live at 6:30pm.⁣⁣
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Thursday - 12pm - Exercise for Women (IG Live)⁣ ⁣
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Whether you’re pregnant, post-natal, or just keen to learn more about women’s health this session is for you! I’m joined by the amazing Women’s Health Physio and we will be answering all your questions about pre/post-natal exercise and exercise at every age for women.⁣⁣
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Friday - 12:30pm - Meditation for Beginners (IG Live)⁣⁣
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If you’ve always wanted to start meditating but you’re not sure if it’s for you, join me for this 45 minute session where I’ll run through the research behind meditation, how to get started, and how to keep the habit going! Bring you questions and I’ll answer as many as I can!⁣⁣
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Please share this with anyone that might find any of these sessions helpful, the more the merrier:) @ Sydney, Australia

31/08/2020

This video is for you, if like me, you were born into a 90 year old’s body but don’t want the footwear to match.⁣
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Good footwear ( featured here) will definitely help you if you’ve got arthritic feet like mine. But that’s not where the benefits end!⁣
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Sore back? You probably need better arch support, a low heel and a good strength or mobility program.⁣
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Aching knees? Perhaps a supportive shoe with good stability (ie not a stiletto) and some dry needles to the ITB.⁣
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Bunions and arthritic feet? Consider avoiding pointy toe shoes, maximising arch support and not taking your shoes off on a first date.⁣
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**NB the above advice is very general - make sure you consult your own healthcare professional for more specific health and/or dating advice

19/08/2020

Yesterday I was halfway through running a workshop on habit change when a gentleman unmuted himself and said:⁣
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‘It’s all well and good to learn about habits, but I’ve been working from home for 6 months and nobody will know if I sleep in until 9am, eat pancakes for breakfast and stop exercising, so what’s the point?’⁣
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And I think this was such an excellent point.⁣
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Because in our society ‘wellness’ has been sold as a tool to help us appear a certain way.⁣
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And now (thank goodness) many of us feel like we can let that go for a bit, because we can go for weeks without having to leave the house or change out of our trackies.⁣
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But this misses the point of ‘wellness’ entirely.⁣
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What it’s really about is figuring out what you need to really feel your best.⁣
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And for most of us that probably includes moving our bodies most days, eating a bit more fruit and vegetables and having some quiet time each day.⁣
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But most importantly it means doing ‘wellness’ for you.⁣
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And this single shift in perspective is often the missing key to habit change.⁣
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What does wellness mean to you?

09/08/2020

Self care is important now more than ever, but are face masks, long baths and piling up our online shopping cart really the best way to boost our mood? ⁣
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📓 A fascinating study by Liz Dunn looked at whether spending money on ourselves versus others has a better impact on mood.⁣
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- People were handed free money and then asked to spend it on either themselves or someone else⁣
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- They were then followed up and found that those that spent money on others reported a greater boost in happiness⁣
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There are many other studies that show a strong relationship between people who spend their time/money giving to others and happiness levels.⁣
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So by all means be sure to take the time for self care, but if you’re looking for an easy way to boost your mood, maybe try online shopping for a friend next time instead of yourself and notice how it makes you feel 🥰

05/08/2020

Yesterday I saw a man walk head-on into a light pole.

I rushed over and asked ‘are you ok?’.

He glanced up momentarily, looking irritated at the interruption, then returned his gaze to the Tik Tok video on his phone.

We’ve all seen someone take a stack whilst absorbed in their phone before.

But now more than ever, a bump to the head is perhaps one of the least problematic outcomes of excessive phone use.

Isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has seen up to a 70% increase in the use of social media platforms.

And multiple studies have shown associations between excessive screen time and issues with sleep, stress and low mood.

So by all means, use your phone for connecting with friends and families, zooming your boss or calling your grandma.

But if you feel like it’s gotten a little out of hand or becoming physically dangerous, check out my 3 tips below 👇👇

29/07/2020

This is my number 1 productivity secret.⁣
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But it’s also recently been much more than that.⁣
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Because in times of uncertainty, we need to create stability where we can.⁣
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And the easiest way to do that is to...⁣
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MAINTAIN ROUTINE.⁣
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Whether you are:⁣
- working from home⁣
- home schooling kids ⁣
- job hunting⁣
- all of the above ⁣
⁣..creating a routine can help reduce our anxiety about an uncertain future.⁣
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Today I’m sharing how to create my productivity optimising DIY daily planner 😄⁣
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Do you use a daily planner? What kind do you use?

12/07/2020

At times like this there are a lot of questions to be asked.⁣⁣..
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For example: if I have 5 friends over for dinner, 2 wear masks and 1 sits outside in the rain, how many hugs do I need to awkwardly avoid? ⁣⁣
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Or an arguably deeper note you could try asking this one above 👆 which is one of my favorites that I use every single day.⁣⁣
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I find it’s helpful for big decisions (almond croissant vs scrambled eggs) as much as small ones (shall I quit my job and start a business).⁣⁣
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The key is that you know your values and have a vague idea of the sort of life you’d ideally love to be living. ⁣⁣
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Then every time you’re faced with a decision you ask that same question: ‘does this support the life I’m trying to create?’⁣⁣
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So if you’re currently pondering what time to set your alarm tomorrow, whether or not to book a yoga class or what you’ll have for breakfast maybe give this question a go 😄⁣
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Remembering that the answer could easily be a sleep in and pancakes for breakfast because you value everything in moderation, or 5am wake-up and an early morning run because you know it will set you up well for the week ☺️⁣
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Do you have a quote that you live by?

06/07/2020

This 1 question quiz could predict your happiness levels...⁣
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When you are waiting for your take away coffee do you:⁣
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A) Scroll through your phone ⁣
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B) Stare at your feet⁣
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C) Chat to the barista (or anyone else in the vicinity)⁣
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D) Tap your foot and repeatedly look at your watch⁣
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If you answered C, according to recent research, you’re more likely to leave the coffee shop feeling happy.⁣
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📑 One study found that people who had a social interaction with a barista left Starbucks in a better mood - Sandstrom and Dunn (2013).⁣
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📄📄 And numerous others have shown similar effects from other ‘micro social interactions’ like smiling at a stranger or even basic eye contact with a passer by (Dunn et al 2019).⁣
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So here’s some things to try tomorrow:⁣
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☀️ Put down your phone when you’re in ‘awkward’ situations like the elevator, coffee shop or crowded train and smile at some strangers⁣
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☀️ Chat to your uber driver (we were great at this when Uber first started and have gradually returned to our pre-uber taxi etiquette)⁣
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☀️ Say good morning to everyone you walk past before 12pm⁣
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And remember that it’s not just your mood that you’re boosting - the receiver of your friendliness will get a lift from it too ☺️

01/07/2020

⭐️ MAGIC TONIC ⭐️⁣⁣
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If you know me you’ll know that people selling pseudoscience beverages, pills and detox plans for financial benefit makes me want to flip a table.⁣⁣
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But today I’m making an exception, because the evidence behind this one is just too good.⁣⁣
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In fact many studies have indicated that a lack of this may cause:⁣⁣
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➡️ Low mood ⁣⁣
➡️ Headaches ⁣⁣
➡️ Lower concentration⁣⁣
➡️ Increased sleepiness⁣⁣
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📄 Pross et al., (2013) & Riebl and Davey (2013).⁣⁣
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So where can you get your hands on this precious elixir?⁣⁣
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It’s in your tap 🚿 ⁣⁣
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Because it’s water, silly!⁣⁣
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(And if you didn’t pick that up from the start you are possibly suffering from dehydration or perhaps dad-joke-fatigue from your house bound husband or father)
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⭐️ Current guidelines recommend 2.1 litres per day for women and 2.6 for men!⁣

29/06/2020

I studied Physiotherapy for all the wrong reasons. ⁣⁣
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Like a lot of year 12 students I really had no idea what I wanted to do.⁣⁣
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So I picked Physio because:⁣⁣
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➡️I wanted to help people⁣
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➡️I wanted to do something that ‘sounded respectable’⁣⁣
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➡️ I wanted to go to Melbourne Uni (because it looked like Hogwarts)⁣⁣
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In hindsight only one of these things really matters to me.⁣⁣
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And only one of these things aligns with what I truly value in life:⁣⁣
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⭐️ Making a positive difference to the lives of others⁣⁣
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⭐️ Making deep connections with people⁣⁣
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⭐️ Lifelong learning and growth⁣⁣
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So tomorrow I’M GOING BACK TO UNI!⁣⁣
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I’ve been accepted into a Masters of Psychology and Neuroscience and I’m twitching with excitement about being able to add everything I learn into my corporate programs!⁣
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SO if you’re struggling with career decisions, I’ve done a LOT of research and have popped some of the tips that helped me in this video below:⁣⁣
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What career advice would you give your Year 12 self if you could go back in time?⁣

Bec Mitchell - Mental and Physical Wellbeing

26/08/2021

06/09/2020

31/08/2020

19/08/2020

09/08/2020

05/08/2020

29/07/2020

12/07/2020

06/07/2020

01/07/2020

29/06/2020

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