Australasian Sustainable Wellness Academy

15/10/2025

At ASWA, we’re continually inspired by the incredible journeys of our graduates — and today we’re proud to share one of them. 💚

Daria Andrievskaya, a hospitality strategist and consultant specialising in wellbeing, team development, Gen Z engagement, and workforce innovation, has written a powerful new article for the ASWA Blog:
👉 The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Wellbeing in Management Roles

In this piece, Daria shares her personal journey of thriving as an ambitious manager and reminds us that:

“Wellbeing isn’t the opposite of ambition — it’s the fuel that makes ambition sustainable.”

Daria first joined the Diploma of Wellness Leadership program during COVID as a part-scholarship recipient. Since then, she has continued to lead with courage and purpose — embodying what it means to be a wellness leader in action.

Her story is a powerful reminder of why investing in wellbeing — both for ourselves and our teams — is essential for sustainable success in any industry.

📖 Read Daria’s full article here: https://aswa.net.au/the-hidden-costs-of-ignoring-wellbeing-in-management-roles/

✨ Applications for our next Diploma of Wellness Leadership intake are now open. Learn more about how you can become a certified workplace wellbeing leader: https://aswa.net.au/all-courses/diploma-of-wellness/

Wellbeing isn’t the opposite of ambition — it’s the fuel that makes ambition sustainable. Today's workforce has a new definition of success and ambition.

10/10/2025

How does culture influence health and wellbeing? 🌿

That was the inspiring question explored at this morning’s Robina Alliance Breakfast at TAFE Robina — a vibrant gathering of educators, business leaders, and community partners.

Beautifully led by Ben Weeks, Principal of Robina State High School, whose humour and heart set the tone for meaningful connection, we heard powerful insights from two remarkable speakers:
💫 Matthew Levy OAM, Paralympian, who reminded us that resilience and perspective are shaped by the environments we grow in.
🧠 Dr Libby Sander, Professor at Bond University, who shared research on how culture — from leadership to physical environments — directly impacts our mental health, performance, and sense of belonging.

At the Australasian Sustainable Wellness Academy (ASWA), we see this every day: culture isn’t something that “happens” — it’s something we consciously create. A culture that values, supports and enables wellbeing empowers people to bring their most engaged selves to work and life.

It was inspiring to see the Robina community coming together to learn, connect, and explore what it truly means to thrive — individually and collectively. 🌱

03/10/2025

We honour the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall 🕊️

A trailblazer, scientist and advocate, she showed the world the power of compassion and inspired generations of women and girls to lead with courage and hope.

Her legacy will continue to shine.💫

29/08/2025

Thanks for sharing this great Wellness Leadership read Angela Derks 👏

📚 Wellbeing + Leadership Book Reflections #1

I once watched my friend, a senior operations director, step off an early evening flight and rush straight to the supermarket because her kids needed lunches by morning—while her male colleague on the same flight simply texted his “wife” to say he’d be home soon to a warm dinner.

That invisible split is at the heart of Annabel Crabb’s The Wife Drought. This book peels back the polite silence around who really keeps families—and careers—afloat.

Crabb’s first lesson is piercing: having a “wife”—someone who shoulders the domestic load—is often the hidden advantage behind uninterrupted careers. For generations, many men have quietly depended on unpaid, unacknowledged labour at home: someone to remember birthdays, manage sick days, organise holidays, and carry the daily mental load. When women step into high-powered jobs, they rarely inherit this same support structure.

This isn’t about blaming men or fuelling a gender war. It’s about understanding history, so we can do better—at home, in our communities, and in our workplaces.

As leaders, we need to ask:
✨ How can we better support capacity and capabilities in our teams?
✨ How can we create workplaces where invisible labour is acknowledged, balanced, and not a barrier to wellbeing or leadership opportunities?

I recommend this book to all team leaders—it’s a powerful lens on equity, wellbeing, and the structures that shape how we work and live.

💭 Have you read this one? What’s your biggest takeaway?

26/08/2025

Our flexible and relevant mental health and wellbeing professional development options support you to write your next chapter/s.

Speak to one of our Careers Advisors today.

24/08/2025

Leaders, enable your team to take charge and effectively drive organisational wellness. 'Wellness is an inside job.' Developing in-house capabilities is critical to support a thriving workplace.

Choose key members of your team to join Australia's next cohort of Diploma of Wellness Leadership participants to become qualified Workplace Wellbieng Specialists so they have the fundamental competencies required to embed wellbeing across your organisation for sustainable success

21/08/2025

"'Wellness is an inside job."

Building mental health and wellbeing in the workplace requires internal capabilities, a committed leader, and strategic alignment with people and WHS objectives.

Empower and enable your people by supporting the development of the key competencies required to effectively shift the needle on employee mental health and wellbeing.

20/08/2025

Some great insights here from Dr Karen Coates

Our Diploma of Wellness Leadership participants learn about the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen in their Nutrition unit. This enables them to share this information with individuals and teams, and refer appropriately, within their various professional wellness career roles.

If you've been thinking of turning your passion for wellness into a sustainable and fulfilling career, come join our next Diploma monthly intake at www.aswa.net.au

18/08/2025

🟠 SES Week 2025 🟠

This week we join in celebrating and thanking the incredible SES volunteers across Queensland. 💛

At ASWA, we’re proud to support our own team members who give their time as SES volunteers. Their commitment to stepping up in times of need reflects the very heart of what we do—building individual and workplace capabilities that strengthen mental health, resilience and wellbeing.

Just as the Queensland State Emergency Service plays a vital role in keeping communities safe and supported, our mission at ASWA is to help organisations create cultures where people can thrive—because community wellbeing starts with people who are equipped, supported and connected.

A huge thank you to all SES volunteers for the commitment, skills, heart and courage you bring to our communities. 🙌

14/08/2025

A Friday Reminder from Angela Derks, our CEO and the Course Developer of Australia's leading qualification for Workplace Wellbeing Specialists💥

🌱 Planting Seeds for Culture Change

Being a Wellness Leader means playing the long game.
You bring evidence-based strategy, you talk about culture, and you aim for measurable outcomes…
…and sometimes you’re met with:
🙄 “We’ve tried that before.”
😏 “Sounds nice, but we have KPIs.”
😶 Crickets.

Here’s the thing: culture doesn’t shift overnight. Strategy takes time.
Every conversation you start, every healthy behaviour you model, every small process you tweak—it’s all planting seeds.

You may not see the results right away, but those seeds grow quietly until the conditions are right. That’s when you’ll see your measurable outcomes: a safer, healthier, sustainable high-performing workplace.

💡 Keep going. Your influence is more powerful than you think.
Even the strongest workplace cultures started as ideas someone refused to give up on.

And remember: the mighty oak? Still just a nut that stood its ground. 😉


Australasian Sustainable Wellness Academy

03/08/2025

Today, and every day, we aim to help individuals and organisations increase their collective awareness and understanding of mental health and wellbeing.

What will you do this week to show you care without judgement?

31/07/2025

Managers. Colleagues. Parents. Partners. Teachers. Practitioners. Leaders. Neighbours.

Mental Health First Aid is for everyone who cares.
We have a course running today. Because when people know what to do, they act sooner—and kinder.
We all deserve that kind of support.

Join one of our upcoming public courses or book a private course for your work or community group at www.aswa.net.au