[Dr Lehan Stemmet] I have a tool in my skull that extends into and throughout my body as the brain-body system that is there for me to master and use. I feel completely controlled by the steady stream of thoughts and emotions that arise from my “mind”, and even believe “I am these thoughts and emotions”. The truth is that thoughts and emotions are the creation of the mind based on a programme that runs on default in the background – unconsciously and subconsciously.

• What is resilience?
• Am I really the master of my mind and the creator of my experience?
• How the brain works – three levels of brain and function for my daily experience and the impact on my resilience.
• What is ego / identity? Is it really who I am? What role does it play in my creation of experience and reaction to the “world”?
• How to use the brain-body system to build resilience – changing behaviour to change the way I feel, what I experience and how I perceive my reality.

[Louise Mowbray] Becoming incrementally more resilient requires me to create and STICK TO some new habits. My experience is that I commit totally to new, exciting, life-changing behaviour, and then for some reason I let them slip and I soon find myself back in the groove of what I was doing before. Frustrated and disappointed.

How can I be so committed to changing something, and then just give up so easily? And this happens with my goals too. How do I set myself up to follow through so I can really experience the benefit of sustainable, purpose-driven and meaningful personal change?

• Understanding the gentle discipline of personal transformation.
• How to create new habits and rituals that last.
• The science / biology of goal-achievement.
• Identifying limiting self-beliefs and self-talk, and replacing them with empowering self-beliefs and self-talk.
• Establishing a sustainable personal plan for my resilience-building habits.

[Candice Johnsen] I am part biological machine and part spiritual being – and I am never “off”. I am always running – sometimes in overdrive and near-burn out mode, sometimes in cruise and sometimes in maintenance mode. Like every machine or being, I need fuel and recovery. The quality of the fuel determines how well I run. There are many correlations between my diet and gut health, what and how I think, how I feel, and how I ultimately behave, and this all has a significant impact on my resilience.

Also, when I am not getting enough good quality sleep, I tend to be more reactive and impulsive and my rational and creative thinking and decision-making is impaired. Poor recovery periods mean that my brain-body system’s natural process of homeostasis (maintaining a balance and returning to an optimal performance state) is compromised, and I literally can’t be my best self.

• The relationship between food, mood and resilience – the downward and the upward spiral.
• The link between food, gut health, neurotransmitters, and ultimately how and what we think and feel.
• How the typical standard diet is depleting my resilience.
• Sleep, recovery and maintaining balance.
• Other forms of recovery – exercise and meditation.
• Building sleep, recovery and nutrition habits as a foundation for resilience.

[Louise Mowbray] Social relationships and being in community with others has always been a source of some comfort and happiness for me. Now I especially realise how important it is as part of my personal resilience building and maintenance. I must seek out and maintain connection with trustworthy and compassionate people that show love and trust, provide role models and offer perspective, encouragement and reassurance.

• Recognising and guarding against isolation
• Do I have a connection with a meaningful supportive community?
• How do I go about finding the best communities for me?
• Looking after my most significant relationships.