News U Can Use

Welcome to our first News You Can Use podcast. After the success of the previous WellSpring series - those 50 episodes have now had well over 100,000 downloads and have been archived by the Australian National Library, it's taken us a while to start on the NYCU series. At last here we are.

In this episode, Prof Geoff Beattie from Manchester University talks about the way men and women communicate non verbally when they meet; we hear that less sugar may be better for living longer, and the quesion of oxytocin in induced births - could it be responsible for increased rates of autism?

click the arrow below to listen....the audio runs 6.05

In Part 3 of our wideranging interview Dr Adam Guastella discusses his work at the Anxiety Clinic and the problems and solutions to social anxiety.

In part 2 of the interview Dr Guastella tells us about the upcoming work on oxytocin and autism, at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute.

They require volunteers aged 12 to 18 years who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate in a trial which administers the hormone oxytocin (or placebo) via a nasal spray over a course of eight weeks.

E: autismcares@med.usyd.edu.au
T: +61 2 9351 0881

Scientists around the world are rapidly realising just what a pivotal role the hormone oxytocin plays in our lives. Sometimes  called the 'love drug', or the 'hug hormone' it's vital in child birth and lactation. But they're also discovering it has major roles to play in trust, generosity, social recognition, anxiety, orgasm and love.

Dr Adam Guastella, based at the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Sydney is at the forefront of research into oxytocin and behaviours.

His work ranges widely - including studies on how journalling may help people overcome trauma, and the use of an antibiotic in helping people overcome fear of spiders. He's also developing new interventions as head of the Anxiety Clinic at the Institute.

Recently we sat down with him for a wide ranging interview, which we've split into three segments. In part 1 we asked about oxytocin. To hear it click on the mp3 player below. .

Click here for Part 2 in which he tells us about the upcoming BMRI research into oxytocin and autism.

Click here for Part 3 in which he discusses the interventions that work for social anxiety and his work at the Anxiety Clinic.

How do we manage career change, especially during uncertainty? Organisational Psychologist Ambrose McKinnery says that while there can be short term stress when you lose a job, it can also be a time to consider your assets, and what will make your zestful in your career.

A few years ago Sydney librarian Elizabeth Hanley was struggling with some
very difficult problems which all seemed to fall on her one after the other.

No sooner did she get over one problem and another would bring
her down.

As a librarian with access to thousands of books, Elizabeth
used her researching techniques to analyse what the experts and
bestselling self-help authors had to say about problem solving
including Dr Phillip McGraw, Dale Carnegie and life coach guru
Anthony Robbins. 

What happens when someone's told 'don't come Monday'? Anger, denial, grief? As a professional Ambrose McKinnery has seen many many people's reactions to being laid off. Sometimes it's relief, and he's even seen joy on some faces. But often the reality of bills to pay hits home quickly.

We can be hungry for many things - this meditation looks deeply at what you really need. It's inspired by Lorin Roche's excellent book Breath Taking.


Listen or download the meditation here.

This Inner Harmony meditation was inspired by Tara Fraser's Yoga: Live Better
It runs 12 minutes - and you should feel wonderful afterwards.
Listen to the meditation or download it here.

This Meditation explores our ideas of the age of our body, and how we really see ourselves. It takes 3 and three quarter minutes.
 
Listen to the meditation or download it here.