Dr Deb Roberts (PhD) writes to normalise life’s wellbeing challenges. Her blogs, interviews and articles all promote self-knowledge and self-care.
She has been a regular contributor to Thrive Global, Medium and has been published through Beyond Blue, Sane Australia and The Butterfly Foundation.
She has recently authored her first book No Guilt, Just Love published by Hardie Grant.
No Guilt, Just Love synopsis:
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Most people have experienced a time in their lives when they’ve felt worried or stressed about something. The feeling of being stressed, or scared, brings our physiological system into attention. It’s a basic survival mechanism and it’s vitally important, and when the stressor is removed we usually feel better. We essentially ride the wave and it passes…
Read MoreLike us all, my life experience has impacted how I decipher meaning in the world, how I see things: my perspective.
And like us all, my perspective shifts and changes with continued experiences, good, bad and everything in between.
How perspective impacts life really hit home when at 22 years of age I broke my back.
Read MoreAllowing life to unfold
Is not an easy task
I often wake up feeling a lack
And then feel the need to put on a mask
Yet I want to be genuine
Be true to who I am
Sharing with others the reality
Of any problems at hand…
I was born into a culture of ‘doers’ and ‘busyness’.
There wasn’t much ‘downtime’ or at least I recall feeling pressure in any ‘downtime’ to be doing something more.
I never really learned how to relax, and often felt unsafe and untrusting of my environment.
Like many, I yearned for unconditional love and affection and when it wasn’t received in a way that served me I worked hard to get it winning honour awards, attaining degrees, getting jobs, or any accomplishment that I felt would somehow make me more worthy of attention.
Read MoreLate last year I went to a rehabilitation clinic in the hinterlands outside of Byron Bay, Australia. Not because I have an alcohol or substance abuse history, but because of an underlying, persistent anxiety and depression.
There are not many western medicine clinical residential options for treating underlying anxiety and depression other than the traditional hospital system. I’d tried that avenue and while it had provided a temporary refuge, it provided no lasting affect and no cure.
Read MoreI’m a 45-year-old yoga and meditation teacher, and when I recently facilitated a meditation workshop in Melbourne, Australia I was reminded of three powerful words that can be used as a mental health mantra — resilience, reserve and reassurance.
The R-mantra, if you will.
Read MoreSome of us set intentions each day, month or year. Some of us don’t. It’s an individual choice, however I consider it vital for maintaining personal success and well-being. I believe in consistently reflecting, re-evaluating, recentering and resuming my inner work to live up to my potential.
Read MoreEvery new year no matter whether I’m enjoying family time at the beach or visiting friends elsewhere across the globe, I make sure I have time on my own. I’ve had the opportunity, through many years of yoga practice and teaching, to witness the evolving benefits born of mindful time and have explored different ways to access my inner wisdom.
Read MoreI recently finished an 8-week student-program at a primary school that centred around building confidence, resilience and social/emotional skills.
The program provided a content mix of inspiration and reflection to encourage a deeper understanding of themselves. It was wonderful to witness the student’s growth, each with their own unique learning style and lens on life.
Read MoreThere is some conjecture on how many emotional states human beings experience. One of the prevailing thoughts is that there are six basic states: happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear. But not everyone agrees with this idea. Regardless of the exact number of emotions that we’re able to feel and name I’d argue that learning to sit with thoughts, feelings and emotions, the good and the bad, is essential for our emotional health and our relationships. This includes our most intimate relationship, the one we have with ourself.
Read MoreCreativity means different things to different people. To me, creativity is allowing a natural and innate flow to occur. Writing prose is my minor (but meaningful) creative practice and a way of creatively communicating to others about some fundamentals which influence my personal philosophy and work. I invite you to reflect on creativity in your life, or your student's lives, and how it can enhance learning in even the smallest ways.
During my conversation with Deb, I learned that one-in-five young Australians are currently experiencing a mental health condition, including depression and anxiety. Deb’s work aims to support and improve their self-care and to facilitate happier and healthier lives. She believes that teaching emotional resilience is vital for our community’s future wellbeing.
Read MoreI've been travelling for the past few weeks and as I head north to Canada having been to South America and the USA I've been reflecting on my experiences and I'm feeling grateful for what comes my way!
Read MoreThis short poem was written with the help of three children aged 9, 11 and 15 and it’s a reminder to take time to ‘smell the roses’ and see some sunrises and sunsets.
Read MoreWhen our expectations are so far from what is feasible or realistic we set ourselves up for never being satisfied. Sometimes that leads to you feeling like you never measure up, no matter what you do. It leads to feelings of failure too. Yes the F-word…
Read MoreI’ve recently had the pleasure of working with a cohort of primary school students aged 7-10 (years 2, 3, and 4). They've been part of my SOS-Care program (SOS stands for Support Our Self). Many feelings and experiences are explored, and many of the students open up in this forum, as a safe space has been created…
Read MoreDear Principal, executive, well-being staff and teachers, it would be my pleasure to support you, your staff and your school community by providing an introductory hour of self-care free of charge through a complimentary (two for one) SOS- Care seminar offer…
Read MoreYou may find it ironic or even amusing to know that the feelings of fear, anxiety and excitement come from a similar part of our brain. Essentially the limbic system comprises the regions of the brain that are all connected to the hypothalamus, which controls the body’s stress response…
Read MoreThe work we need to do to self-validate is a patient but deliberate process. Being compassionate to ourselves through that evolution and development is fundamental…
Read MoreThis week's blog is a poetic meditation on exam anxiety, an emotion that many of us, and our families, experience. Let me know what memories or experiences this poem brings about for you? Or the ways you navigate the emotion of anxiety when it arrives. SOS-Care by Deb Roberts aims to normalise discussions on emotional health and well-being. Please contact us for more information.
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