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Connecting Communities: What’s this about?

Some people like street parties and community festivals. Others enjoy a daily meet up at the off-leash park where local dogs and their owners socialise and make friends. Residents bond through volunteering or campaigning to improve aspects of the local area, creating community gardens, advocating against over-development, helping at kids clubs, piloting a food share program, participating in babysitting groups, or extending civic life in culturally diverse ways.  (read more)
Source Joanne Abbey Corporate Wellbeing

Medibank and Deloitte to lift the lid on workplace wellbeing in Australia
Uploaded 24 November 2016
Private health insurer Medibank and professional services firm Deloitte have joined forces to help Australian companies understand, measure and improve the wellbeing of their people and workplaces.
Source Deloitte

The key to a long, healthy retirement
Uploaded 25 August 2016
How to combat Alzheimer’s, hypertension and depression

After attending the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging‘s Purposeful Aging Summit, I came away with this: There’s a growing body of scientific research proving that aging with purpose is really, really good for your health. Read the full article here.
Source MarketWatch, Richard Eisenberg

NSW Intergenerational Report, Future State NSW 2056
Uploaded 13 June 2016

​A major intergenerational report has driven home the importance of employers reducing the health risks associated with sedentary work among older employees, according to a leading researcher on the ageing workforce.

NSW Treasury's latest intergeneration report, Future State NSW 2056, released yesterday, predicts the State's demographic, workforce and housing trends over the next four decades.
It says that in 40 years, 18 per cent of people over 65 will be in the workforce, compared to 12 per cent now, and between now and 2056, work participation rates will rise by 11 percentage points for people aged 55 to 59, by 17 percentage points for those aged 60 to 64, and by six percentage points for those over 65.

In the next 40 years, life expectancy will increase from 81 to 89 for males, and from 85 to 91 for females, and the number of NSW residents aged over 100 will increase from 1500 to about 18,000, it says.

According to University of Sydney Associate Professor of physiotherapy Martin Mackey, there is "strong evidence emerging that as we age it's important that we maintain good mental wellbeing, and productive work will be a part of that".

"With life expectancy and health costs expected to rise dramatically, opportunities for participation of older workers in meaningful occupations beyond traditional retirement age will be essential to their financial, mental, physical and emotional wellbeing," he says.

Retiring early or with chronic disease can significantly affect a person's financial and health status, and "how government, society and individuals collectively respond to our ageing population over the next 40 years will be critical to [those] outcomes".

According to Mackey, a research member of his university's Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, technological changes are continually altering the nature and location of work, and working arrangements are likely to become more sedentary.

"In this situation it's really important that employers are aware of the importance of providing their workers with opportunities to remain physically active. That will help with their move into an active and productive retirement," he says.

He says employers should provide workers with opportunities to reduce sedentary time through preventative measures like sit-stand desks, lunchtime walks and other physical activities during work time, and incentives to reduce their reliance on cars.

"We're going to need people to remain in productive [and] active employment beyond normal retirement age and it's not just for the fact we've got an ageing population," Mackey says.
"We are living longer and it's really important that people have productive employment for their own physical and mental wellbeing," he says.

"A greater focus on work, nutrition and physical activity in the context of an ageing population will be vital to adding life to years." 

NSW INTERGENERATIONAL REPORT 2016
Source NSW Government

Companies Expand Wellness Programs to Focus On Improving Employees' Emotional and Financial Well-Being
Uploaded 28 April 2016
More employers are investing in “total well-being” programs that address areas such as financial and emotional health, according to the seventh annual survey on corporate health and well-being from Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health. The survey, which was fielded from November 2015 through December 2015 among National Business Group on Health members and clients of Fidelity Investments, includes responses from 129 organizations. Results reveal that employers are adding programs that help employees manage stress, improve their resiliency and assist with their financial challenges.

Read more here
Source The American Psychological Association

Stress & Wellbeing
How Australians are coping with life
Uploaded 3 March 2016
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has conducted its fifth successive national Stress and wellbeing in Australia survey. This year the survey also examined the impact of social media on Australians’ wellbeing and behaviour as well as exploring their experience of the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO).

Read the APS Australian stress and wellbeing survey here
Source Australian Psychologicial Society

Financial wellbeing - the missing piece in the employee wellbeing picture
Uploaded 16 February 2016
Why businesses need to think about the financial concerns of their employees

 ‘Lack of money is the root of all evil,’ said Mark Twain in one of his most celebrated bon mots.

A century after Twain, financial concerns remain a major issue for millions of people in the UK. Figures from Step Change Debt Charity illuminate the scale of the problem, suggesting 15 million people .....
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Read more here.
Source Paul Barrett Head of Wellbeing, Bank Workers Charity
“If it could be shown, without a shadow of a doubt, that financial advice improves happiness, health and even personal relationships, would it change the way we judge the role of financial planning?”
This is the question at the heart of new research released today by IOOF, “The True Value of Advice” (the Research), which takes a deep dive into the emotional benefits of financial advice.

Read more here.
Source Professional Planner

FSC - CBA Older Workers Report
Uploaded 18 September 2015
In 2015, Australia’s workforce landscape has never looked more age diverse. Our ageing population is healthier and more active than any generation before it and structural changes are taking place that make it increasingly easier for older workers to participate in the workforce.

Read the full report here.
Source Financial Services Council & Commonwealth Bank
The 10th anniversary edition of MetLife’s Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends marks a decade of exploring an evolving benefits landscape from the point of view of employers and employees across all U.S. regions, industries and company sizes. Through both robust years and through turbulent economic times, the Study has identified significant key findings and insights that have served to inform and shape today’s benefits strategies for employers and their advisors. 

Over the last decade, the Study has found that employers’ top benefits objectives – to control costs, attract and retain employees and increase productivity – have remained fairly consistent over time, with slight shifts in priority often indicative of a good or poor economy. However, because the face of the workforce has changed over ten years, the strategies that employers use to achieve those same objectives must also change. 

Year-over-year, the Study shows what strategies are working and with what results – highlighting how employers might want to shift strategies in light of the findings and enabling them to make informed decisions.

Read the full report here.
Source MetLife

Enhancing Citizen's Wellbeing
Uploaded 3 September 2015
We are delighted to share this story about the wellbeing benefits of innovative ‘green' initiatives in France’s sixth largest city, Nantes.  Imagine the benefits to your city or town if a version of this was replicated.  Growing and sharing freely available fruits and vegetables with the community; or slowing down and spending time with people you know, while meeting and making new friends; perhaps creating green sites of scientific value, open to children’s exploration and learning ; rehabilitating and reclaiming degraded waterways or land, and using those sites for community activities.  It all starts with local vision and energy. (Read Enhancing Citizen's Wellbeing here)
Source Marie-Amélie Viatte Connected by Nature

Stress in America: Paying with our health
Uploaded 25 August 2015
This year’s Stress in America™ survey shows that stress about money and finances is prevalent nationwide, even as aspects of the U.S. economy have improved. In fact, regardless of...(cont reading)
Source American Psychological Association

Latest Global Well-Being Report Results
Uploaded 12 August 2015
New country rankings from the GallupHealthways Global Well-Being Index show that, for the second time since last year’s inaugural report, Panama has the highest overall wellbeing in the world. 

The new report, 2014 Country Well-Being Rankings Report    (cont reading)
Source Healthways Australia
The impact of chronic disease on the U.S. healthcare system is staggering – 86 percent of all healthcare spending is for individuals with a least one chronic condition. But unfortunately chronic disease is not an issue unique to the United States. Chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are also highly prevalent in other parts of the world. 

In Australia, approximately one million people...  (read more)
Source Sophie Leveque Healthways
Demand for our time is increasingly exceeding our capacity. Increased competitiveness and a leaner, post-recession work force add to the pressures. The rise of digital technology is perhaps the biggest influence, exposing us to an unprecedented flood of information and requests that we feel compelled to read and respond to at all hours of the day and night. Email overload (read more) …  
Source Howard Recruitment

Governments & Wellbeing
Uploaded 13 July 2015
Many governments now recognise the negative effects of cultural disconnection.  In this post we describe two government-initiated wellbeing projects, one in the city of Santa Monica, California, and another in South Australia.  Both governments aim to drive local policy and actions that will facilitate improved conditions in the communities.  We conclude with some thoughts about the extent to which government ought to engage in wellbeing promotion.   (read more)
Source Joanne Abbey Corporate Wellbeing

How to Assess Wellbeing
Uploaded 3 June 2015
Globally, a huge groundswell of effort is being directed at assessing national or general wellbeing. In this article, we describe aspects of this evolving science.  It emerged from the recognition that GDP is not a good measure of our satisfaction with life.  (read more)
Source Joanne Abbey Corporate Wellbeing

Keep Workers With the Four Steps to Happiness
Uploaded 30 May 2015
Keeping workers happy is the key to business success, says British consultant Henry Stewart, who is in Australia to show how it can be done in four steps. (read more)
Source Anna Patty Sydney Morning Herald
Citizens’ quality of life is crucial to a thriving community. Local governments around the world recognise this and many actively promote residents’ wellbeing. Two initiatives, one from Australia and the other from Spain, are innovative examples of how wellbeing is being successfully incorporated. (read more)
Source Joanne Abbey Corporate Wellbeing

Happiness in Business
Uploaded 29 April 2015
Creating happy workplaces should be a key focus for businesses given the link between
workplace satisfaction and productivity, and between consumption and wellbeing. The latest
NAB Quarterly Wellbeing Index and Consumer Anxiety Index includes some intriguing data
for businesses considering how to improve staff engagement and customer satisfaction. (read more)
Source Fiona Baron Business View NAB

Work & Family Dynamics in Australia in 2015
Part 2: Caring for children
27 April 2015
This series of reports provide a snapshot of work and family dynamics in Australia today.  They highlight some important similarities in the attitudes of men and women, particularly in regards to raising children. It identify some key differences and inequities...  (continue reading)
Source NAB Group Economics

Wellbeing Index: Q1 2015
16 April 2015
Tasmanians, widows, the over 50s, high income earners, professionals and those in rural areas top the nation in wellbeing. Big falls in wellbeing in QLD and for young Australians particularly women who continue to have the lowest wellbeing of any demographic.

Read the Summary Report here or Detailed Report here.
Source NAB Group Economics
Consumer anxiety rises, with concern over government policy overtaking cost of living as the single biggest cause of consumer stress. Consumers are responding by allocating more of their budget to paying off debt, utility bills and medical expenses, while cutting back on many “non-essentials”. But retirement funding and providing for the family’s future are causing the most anxiety with regards households’ financial positions.

Read the Overview here or Detailed Report here.
Source NAB Group Economics

Five Ways To Wellbeing 
Uploaded 18 March 2015
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of evidence-based actions which promote people’s wellbeing. They are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. These activities are simple things individuals can do in their everyday lives. (Read more here)

Download the Sunshine Coast Council Wellbeing Postcards

Read Sunshine Coast Council Interview - Five Ways to Wellbeing

Source Sunshine Coast Council

Adelaide Thinkers In Residence
Uploaded 18 March 2015
In nine years of operation, the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program had outstanding success. It delivered positive changes in South Australia in a rapid time frame. Since 2003 the program has resulted in more than $300 million of investment in programs and infrastructure, both in South Australia and across the nation. The Federal Government has provided a significant proportion of this investment.

See more at: http://www.thinkers.sa.gov.au/Results/default.aspx#sthash.wIAn90I4.dpuf

Source www.thinkers.sa.gov.au

Building a State of Wellbeing
A Strategy for South Australia
A Summary of Progress by Professor Martin Seligman
Uploaded 18 March 2015
Some partners had begun their work in this space prior to the Residency and recognised the engagement of Martin Seligman in South Australia as an opportunity to further their work and connect to the broader strategy. Other partners used the Residency as a vehicle to begin their work on wellbeing. All of these organisations and individuals are at different stages in their journey. Building PERMA, as an individual or an organisation, is not a one-step process.

Download 'Building the State of Wellbeing' summary report here.

Source Thinkers in Residence 2012-13

Work & Family Dynamics in Australia in 2015
Part 1: Household Duties
9 March 2015
This series of reports provide a snapshot of work and family dynamics in Australia today.  They highlight some important similarities in the attitudes of men and women, particularly in regards to raising children.  It identifies some key differences...  (continue reading)
Source NAB Group Economics

Biggest Issues Facing Australia Today
A pulse check survey of what matters to Australians
29 January 2015
NAB has released it first annual pulse check on the big issues facing Australia today. The cost of living is clearly the big issue. Other important concerns include: access to healthcare; employment and jobs; the economy; and terrorism/security. Conversely, concerns over indigenous issues, infrastructure and transport and taxation are lowest.

Read the full article here.
Source NAB Group Economics

Wellbeing Index - Q4 2014
29 January 2015
Overall wellbeing deteriorated slightly in Q4 with anxiety levels reaching a new high. Wellbeing rated highest in Queensland and lowest in Victoria. While women over 50 now have the highest wellbeing across all demographics, young women (18-29) have the lowest and much lower than for young men.

Read the Overview report here or the Detailed Report here.

Source: NAB Group Economics

Quarterly Australian Wellbeing Index: Q2 2014
Special Report - Factors Most Impacting Anxiety
18 July 2014
Almost 1 in 2 Australians nominate their general finances as by far the biggest driver of their overall anxiety. Financial concerns weigh more heavily on women compared to men.
In this Special Report, we examine which factors impact personal anxiety most.

Read the full report here.
Source NAB Group Economics

Quarterly Australian Consumer Anxiety Index: Q2 2014
Special Report - Budget Impacts
16 July 2014
Australian consumers react negatively to the Federal Government’s budget announced in May, with the NAB Consumer Anxiety Index climbing almost 3 points to a high of 64.5 points in Q2 2014.

In this special survey - conducted over the four weeks immediately following the May 13 Federal Budget - we asked Australian consumers to identify where the biggest budget impacts would be felt over the next 12 months.

View the report here.
Source NAB Group Economics