Linda Rowley Consulting

01/05/2026

So nice to have a genuine and meaningful conversation with Lee on her Manifest Your Best Life podcast.

This beautiful conversation with Linda Rowley is uplifting, empowering, and full of powerful insight ✨

Linda has been part of some of the most meaningful moments in our family’s life. She was the celebrant for all three of our boys’ naming days, and she was also booked to do Taylin’s naming day… but instead, on that same day, she so beautifully stepped in and held space for us by conducting her funeral.

Linda is a wellbeing consultant with over 20 years of experience in mental health and positive psychology, and her wisdom brings so much clarity, calm, and encouragement to everyday life.

In this episode, we explore resilience, self-compassion, and ambiguous loss — and how we can gently support ourselves while staying open to hope, growth, and creating a life we truly love 🤍

It’s a feel-good, heart-led conversation that I know will leave you feeling inspired and supported. Available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — choose your preferred platform.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5fh8WorYD9PGHurjZn4vcF?si=MaBaMSwfTvOhmo9uWyst1Q

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/manifest-your-best-life/id1574035512?i=1000764998577

Linda Rowley Coaching & Development

20/04/2026

I’m feeling incredibly honoured and grateful to have graduated last week with a Graduate Diploma of Mental Health and Neuroscience from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Thompson Institute.

It was also wonderful to be part of the celebrations marking more than 100 Mental Health and Neuroscience graduates through this remarkable program. What a milestone, and what a privilege to stand alongside so many passionate people committed to improving mental health and wellbeing and share it with colleagues Roz Rimes and Angela Chen

The support of the university team including Daniel Hermens, Christina Driver and the many people along the way who listened to me work through ideas, sat through draft presentations, read assignments, offered encouragement, and believed in me when deadlines were looming was invaluable. Sarah Backhouse, Deb Watson Leanne Camilleri Natalie Barker Amanda Simmonds and others, thank you.

One of the greatest joys is that these learnings are already being translated into practice through my PRESENCE© Model, where I integrate neuroscience with positive psychology and wellbeing science to create practical, every day, evidence-informed ways to promote positive mental health and decrease the risk of cognitive decline.

Learning is powerful, and applying this to make a positive impact is even better.

If you are curious to know more about the PRESENCE© Model, I would love to chat.

17/04/2026

Checking in matters more than we think.

In busy workplaces, it’s easy for managers to focus on tasks, deadlines, and outcomes… But often, what people need most is a simple, genuine check-in.

With stress levels heightened across many teams, how we start the conversation can make all the difference.

A supportive check-in isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about creating a space where someone feels safe enough to say, “Actually, I’m not quite okay.”

When checking in as a manager or colleague, it may be helpful to:
* Lead with curiosity, not assumption
* Listen more than you speak
* Be comfortable with pauses, people often need a moment
* Focus on support, not fixing
* Guide people toward appropriate supports (when needed)

The following questions can be adapted to your style and context, and may serve as conversation starters:

• How have things been feeling for you lately? What’s been going well, and what’s been a bit more challenging?
• On a scale from steady to stretched, where would you say you are at the moment?
• What does a good day look like for you at the moment, and how close are we to that?
• I’ve noticed you’ve been managing a lot, how are you travelling underneath it all?
• Is there anything that’s been taking more of your energy than usual?
• When things feel more in balance for you, what tends to be different?
• What’s been helping you get through the busy or stressful moments recently?
• What’s one small thing that might make this week feel a little easier for you?
• Who or what has been supporting you lately, and is there anything more you might need?
• Would it be helpful to talk through what’s on your plate together and see where I can support?
• What changes can we make to how we do things, that would make a difference to you?

These small conversations build psychological safety, trust, and wellbeing, one moment at a time. Because when people feel seen and supported, they’re far more likely to thrive.

12/04/2026

Stress is not a sign of weakness; it’s often a sign of overload.
In many workplaces, stress is still seen as something individuals need to “manage better.”

But more often, it reflects the way work is designed and experienced. It can come from:
• Competing demands
• Unclear expectations
• Constant pressure without recovery

Under Victorian psychosocial safety legislation, employers have a responsibility to identify and manage these kinds of risks.
This includes things like role clarity, reasonable workloads, adequate support, and well-designed work systems, not just individual coping strategies.

Because when these factors are out of balance, stress becomes chronic. And when stress becomes chronic, it doesn’t just impact performance, it impacts mental health. Building individual resilience and supportive systems are both important.

A simple action for your team this week:
At your next meeting, ask:
“What’s one thing that’s feeling heavy right now?”

You might be surprised what opens up.

Creating space for these conversations is one of the first steps toward a mentally healthy workplace. But it’s not the last, what people share can also highlight system-level issues that need attention.

And when someone does speak up, knowing how to respond matters.

That’s where Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) can make a real difference, building confidence to have supportive conversations and guide people toward appropriate help.

If you’d like to strengthen your team’s capability in this space, feel free to reach out to me for more information on workplace wellbeing and MHFA courses.

09/04/2026

Is your Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) accreditation due for renewal?

If it’s been close to three years since your initial MHFA training, now is the time to refresh your skills and maintain your accreditation.

🗓 MHFA Refresher Course
📍 Victorian First Aid, Warragul
⏰ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
📅 Wednesday 29th April 2026

MHFA skills can fade over time, yet the need to confidently support someone experiencing a mental health challenge doesn’t. This refresher course is designed to help you:
✔ Revisit the MHFA Action Plan
✔ Update your knowledge in line with current approaches
✔ Build confidence to recognise and respond early
✔ Strengthen your ability to have supportive, safe conversations

Whether you're a leader, team member, or part of the community, refreshing your MHFA skills ensures you’re ready to step in when it matters most.

Why it matters:
Early support can make a real difference to someone’s recovery and wellbeing, and maintaining your accreditation ensures you’re equipped with up-to-date, evidence-informed skills.

Places are limited to keep the session practical and interactive.

Book your spot or reach out for more information. Victorian First Aid RTO 41360 https://victorianfirstaid.com.au/mental-health-course-details/?course_id=108521&course_type=w

08/04/2026

How we think about stress shapes how it affects us.

This is one of the most powerful insights from the work of health psychologist and researcher, Kelly McGonigal and others.

Research shows that when people view stress as harmful, it’s associated with poorer health outcomes.

But when stress is seen as something that can be useful or energising, people cope more effectively and perform better.

This links closely to research on stress appraisal, how we interpret stress influences our emotional and physiological response.

In simple terms:
• “This is overwhelming” → threat response
• “This matters and I can handle it” → challenge response

And that shift changes:
✔ How our body responds
✔ How we think
✔ How we perform

A practical action to try this week: Next time you feel stressed, pause and ask: “What is this stress preparing me for?”

It’s a small shift, but a powerful one.

Of course, this doesn’t mean all stress is good. Chronic or overwhelming stress still needs to be addressed, by individuals and workplaces. Helping people develop a more helpful relationship with stress is a key part of building resilience and preventing burnout.

I have limited workshops available for April and May. Reach out if your workplace or team could benefit from additional stress management strategies.



References
• Awada, M., Becerik Ge**er, B., Lucas, G. M., & Roll, S. C. (2024). Stress appraisal in the workplace and its associations with productivity and mood: Insights from a multimodal machine learning analysis. PloS one, 19(1), e0296468. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296468
• Crum, A. J., Akinola, M., Martin, A., & Fath, S. (2017). The role of stress mindset in shaping cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses to challenging and threatening stress. Anxiety, stress, and coping, 30(4), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2016.1275585
• Khodami, M., Contemori, G., Battaglini, L., Jansarvatan, M. (2026) Stress effects on cognition: Evidence for stress-related disruption of attention and inhibitory control, Heliyon, Volume 12, Issue 4, e44660, ISSN 2405-8440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44660.
• McGonigal, K. (2015). The Upside of Stress

01/04/2026

Mental Health First Aid – Blended Course | Warragul | 30 April
We talk a lot about supporting mental health at work, but what does that actually look like in practice?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) gives people the confidence and skills to recognise when someone might be struggling and to respond in a safe, supportive, and practical way.

I’m pleased to be delivering a Blended MHFA Course in partnership with Victorian First Aid RTO in Warragul.

📅 Face-to-Face Session: 30 April 2026
📍 Location: Warragul
💻 Format: Blended learning

This flexible format is designed for busy professionals:
✔ Complete 5–7 hours of self-paced online learning in your own time (to be completed before the face to face session)
✔ Attend a 5-hour face-to-face session to apply your skills in a supportive, interactive environment.

Together, we focus on:
• Recognising the signs of common mental health challenges
• Having confident, compassionate conversations
• Responding appropriately in a crisis
• Supporting recovery and reducing stigma in the workplace.

Whether you’re a leader, team member, or small business owner in Gippsland, this training is a practical investment in your people and your culture.

Places are limited.

Book now or get in touch with to learn more. https://victorianfirstaid.com.au/mental-health-course-details/?course_id=110127&course_type=w

31/03/2026

Did you know… a little bit of stress can actually be good for you?

Not all stress is harmful.

There’s a “sweet spot” where stress can:
✨ Help you focus
✨ Give you a boost of motivation
✨ Help you get things done

But when stress becomes too much, or doesn’t let up, that’s when it starts to take a toll.

Try this simple check-in:
Is this stress helping me… or overwhelming me?

Noticing the difference is really important. Because the goal isn’t to have no stress at all, it’s to keep it in a range that supports you, not drains you.

April is stress awareness month, so I will be posting a range of articles to help reframe and promote strategies to manage stress, for individuals and workplaces.

31/03/2026

A worthwhile event

Pull up a chair and bring your thoughts.
RSVP: https://www.afmh.org.au/monthly_meetup_20260407

Our guest speaker will be Phillipa Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health Victoria, the state’s independent peak body for mental health.

Every Australians for Mental Health monthly meetup is your space to connect, listen, and be part of the conversations shaping what we do next.

Tuesday 7 April
5pm to 6pm AEST
Online

Come as you are, stay for what matters, leave knowing you’re not doing this alone.

RSVP: https://www.afmh.org.au/monthly_meetup_20260407