Mental Wellbeing

Cilla Pershouse admits she "lost her sense of self" after the birth of her third child, but help came in the unexpected form of a new colleague at her farm - a border collie puppy named Ash Barky.

Margreet Diment knows what it's like not having a space to relax and chat. So she opened an enterprise in Bordertown to help the many migrants affected by the housing shortage.

He's lived through two world wars, the Great Depression and at least two global pandemics but Perth retiree Gordon Ewers says he's nothing but grateful for his life. 

Some women who desperately want to breastfeed their babies are giving up because of a lack of support in regional and rural Australia. 

Relocating to Kilkivan just before COVID lockdowns meant Andrea Ferris didn't make initial connections in town. Four years on, her "innovative approach" is bringing the community together.

Can outdoor adventure activities like surf lessons, equine therapy, and weekend hikes improve health and boost community engagement? A new regional health pilot program aims to find out. 

After taking an indefinite break from tennis last year citing burnout, Amanda Anisimova has returned to the Australian Open with a fresh perspective on life.

Every year these pleasure-seeking Australians take to the waves in suits and ball gowns to let off steam during the summer holiday silly season.

Former combat engineer James Wilfred-Derby is participating in the Ballet for Veterans and says it has had a profound impact on his mental health. 

Unwinding doesn't come naturally to many. Even in Australia, where we have the reputation for being laid back, most people have to make a concerted effort to prioritise rest and switch off.

Father Christmas is writing back to dozens of children in a Queensland country town and surrounds thanks to a local paramedic, parents and the post office.

Increasingly priced out of the locum GP market, Streaky Bay's community-run medical clinic often has no doctor, which leaves nursing staff and volunteer ambulance members facing greater workloads.

'Tis the season for elves to pop up in unusual places and in Shepparton, Victoria, The Chocolate Elf is distributing toys, toiletries and chocolates to people doing it tough this Christmas.

Twila Whittingham always thought of music as medicine, so when doctors found a pre-cancerous tumour in her breast mid-last year, she knew she would need more than conventional treatment to cope.

HMAS Matafele disappeared without a trace during a treacherous sea voyage in 1944, but a stroke of fortune meant a 19-year-old crewman missed the boat.

Claudia underwent a triple bypass after a heart attack, and after continuing to not feel like herself since, has started a local chapter of a peer support program.

Hundreds of Kimberley community members were employed during the Fitzroy River Bridge rebuild after a record flood, and they are hoping for ongoing opportunities.

Animal behaviour experts agree that dogs mourn when they lose a companion, but have mixed views on whether being there at the death helps their grieving process.

An alternative education approach, along with a focus on inclusiveness and wellbeing, helps to attract new students to a small country school in Victoria, while 50 kilometres away, it's the end of an era for a 165-year-old school.

Homeless people in the City of Moreton Bay say they are being harassed by local residents, while a local action group is lobbying for the council to have the camp removed from the coastal suburb.

A four-legged bundle of curly brown fur is putting smiles on the faces of pupils struggling with the deaths of a teacher and a student.

Ethan says he is "haunted" by the abuse he alleges he suffered at the hands of three different men. He hopes his story inspires other victims to come forward, and a more compassionate approach to civil cases.

Lifeline has tips for getting through the holiday season if you're feeling financially stressed, lonely or isolated.

Social media "skinfluencers" selling the promise of dewy skin are driving tween and teenage interest in expensive skincare products, but experts warn pursuing the kind of perfection seen online can have long-lasting consequences.

Military veterans say a new small-scale treatment model that includes ice baths, structured exercise and cooking classes is showing positive results for their mental health.