Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Strange and Stranger: Human Responses to the Unfamiliar

    This workshop was designed for a workplace that was experiencing conflicts within a team. It develops realisations regarding how we unconsciously dehumanise other people when we don’t understand them. A set of 7 practical tips are given to de-escalate conflict and promote better relationships. Contact us to host this workshop in your workplace.

  • It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day!

    For some, kindness is a way of life; for others, it might come and go, depending on mood and circumstances. If someone we know and like is in need, we’re usually spurred to help them out, but with strangers we might be less inclined to notice and more hesitant to get involved. How does a […]

  • Coffee with a double shot

    Viv writes: “A couple of weeks ago I drove into a service station to grab a coffee. A truck drove in behind me. The trucker hopped out and took his turn after me at the coffee machine. I was queuing to pay when the trucker tapped me on the shoulder and asked if he could […]

  • Looking at the stars

    A new employee calls the Help Desk to complain that there’s something wrong with her password. “The problem is that whenever I type the password, it just shows stars,” she says. “Those asterisks are to protect you,” the Help Desk technician explains, “so if someone were standing behind you, they wouldn’t be able to read […]

  • Logical arguments

    Logic is great for puzzles and games, which take place in a finite imaginary world with known facts and rules (and usually only one right answer). But logic has its limitations; it cannot lead to conclusions outside of that world. Regular equations can’t explain quantum phenomena, just as a game of Cluedo cannot conclude with: […]

  • Alternatives to Anxiety

    Online workshop 7.00 – 9.00pm Monday 19 August 2024 (NZ Time) Anxiety is a horrible feeling, but avoiding it or blocking it out are not healthy answers. In this workshop, learn some tips for thinking in more helpful and empowering ways. Identify some common thinking mistakes and learn an instant trick to uplift your thinking […]

  • Why Our Minds Wander

    Why Our Minds Wander. Understand the Science and Learn How to Focus Your Thoughts                                                                       by Arnaud DeLorme We all experience mind-wandering, sometimes without even noticing that it’s happening. DeLorme approaches the subject from the point of view of social psychology (asking subjects what they are thinking about at regular intervals), neurology (looking at brain scans […]

  • It’s fun to pun

  • Citizenship and contribution

    I call this website Happy Nation, not because it’s about a particular country, but because nationhood implies citizenship. Citizenship is a way of belonging that includes loyalty and duty towards the group to which you belong.  Just like nations, social groups – households, communities and workplaces – all thrive when their citizens are active contributors. […]

  • Going the extra miles

    A lady in Victoria went into her local council office recently, as she was having trouble understanding the local buses.  One of the council employees took the time to walk with her up to the bus stop, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to get home in a hurry.  So the thoughtful worker […]