Helping Australians manage stress and achieve a healthier lifestyle
Once again the APS is inviting members to reach out into the community during National Psychology Week (9-15 November 2014), to help demonstrate how psychology can make a positive difference to people’s lives at an individual and community level.
The focus of NPW this year will be on helping people to manage stress and increase their wellbeing, and to recognise when professional help is needed. There will be a particular emphasis on identifying lifestyle factors that impact on health and wellbeing, and providing guidance on psychological strategies to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Join the NPW campaign
Member participation is a key to the success of the campaign, and NPW events are the primary way that members can engage the public, but there are ways for every member to participate from supporting the social media campaign to using the NPW email signature – every effort counts.
NPW events
Last year APS members organised a record high of nearly 600 NPW events in locations around Australia, including community festivals, workshops, forums, seminars, webinars, presentations, teas and public displays. In 2014, we are hoping to keep building on these NPW event numbers to reach far and wide into the community.
To register an NPW event, go to www.psychology.org.au/NPW/. Where events are to be held online (such as a webinar), organisers are not required to register the event in every State.
Visitors to the NPW website will be able to filter the event list by State or online events, making it even easier to locate events – whether at a physical location or on the Internet. As is the usual practice, psychologists hosting events will be provided with an NPW event pack as well as other downloadable resources.
Social media
Social media is a great way for the APS to expand the NPW campaign and connect with a wider audience. You can support the APS social media efforts by promoting the NPW Facebook page – www.facebook.com/AustralianPsychologicalSociety/ – to friends, family and colleagues and by liking and sharing our posts. The page also includes an event search tab that enables visitors to search for an NPW event on Facebook.
On Twitter we will be using hashtag #NPW2014 – and you can tag your tweets with this hashtag or share our tweets by retweeting. You can keep up with news on Twitter by following us @APS_Media.
Members can help spread the word and drive people to NPW events by promoting the relevant links across social media channels. Again this year, we will be generating more content to share with social media networks, including a video, infographics, and tips and advice.
We invite all members to participate to help make National Psychology Week a success, – register an event, share NPW content with your networks, or follow us on and participate on social media.
Annual Stress and Wellbeing Survey
For the fourth consecutive year, the APS will conduct its annual national Stress and Wellbeing Survey, measuring the levels of stress, distress and wellbeing across the adult community. In 2014, there will be a special focus on looking at lifestyle factors that affect wellbeing. Findings from previous years have confirmed that many people struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which is concerning given rising rates of chronic health problems and obesity in the community. The survey will identify the health and lifestyle issues of Australians, what activities and strategies they are using to become healthier, and the barriers they perceive to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The 2014 survey results will be released during National Psychology Week.
For further information visit www.psychology.org.au/NPW/.