Insights

Practical thinking on work and wellbeing

Evidence-based articles on leadership, burnout, neurodiversity and psychology — from the team at 3 Big Things.

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Featured For People

The Avoidance Trap: Why Avoiding Anxiety Makes It Worse

Avoiding what makes you anxious brings instant relief, and quietly teaches your brain the fear was right. Here is how the avoidance trap works, and how to break it.

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For OrganisationsFor People

The Leader with the Dull Axe

An old story about a woodcutter, and what it reveals about leadership: a leader's sharpest tool is their judgment, and a relentless week is exactly what blunts it.

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For Organisations

Burnout Part 3: Your Team Is Watching, and Their Nervous Systems Are Taking Notes

A leader's behaviour is the real wellbeing policy. How the six psychosocial factors drive burnout, the questions to ask your team, and the habits to model.

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For PeopleFor Organisations

Burnout Part 2: Getting Your Energy Back

Recovery from burnout doesn't mean quitting your job. A practical three-phase guide to getting your energy back by working with your mind, body and environment.

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For OrganisationsFor People

PART 1: Why Am I So Tired - Understanding Burnout

Over 70% of us experience burnout. Learn how your brain chemistry, nervous system, and environment contribute — and why the stage you're in matters most.

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For People

Nature and the Working Mind

Why regular contact with nature restores focus, settles stress and widens perspective — the neuroscience, the te ao Māori view, and small ways to use it.

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For Organisations

Beyond Mindfulness Apps: Why Workplace Wellbeing Requires Systemic Change

Organisations spend billions on wellness apps while workplace mental health deteriorates. Here is why systemic change matters more than individual fixes.

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For OrganisationsFor People

Reflect, Connect, Protect: Group Supervision in Action

Group supervision builds shared learning and team cohesion — when it's done well. How it compares to individual supervision, the ideal group size, and what works.

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For Organisations

Attachment-Based Leadership: Creating Security, Accountability and Resilience

Just like in childhood, attachment dynamics shape how people handle stress and accountability at work. Five ways leaders can build a secure base.

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For OrganisationsFor People

Be the Lighthouse, Not the Lifeboat: Protecting Your Wellbeing in the Helping Professions

How professionals in caring roles can avoid compassion fatigue and burnout by shifting from rescuing to guiding. Practical strategies that actually work.

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For OrganisationsFor People

Navigating Organisational Restructuring: The Least Bad Approach

How leaders can support their teams through restructuring with honesty and compassion. Practical guidance for navigating change without losing trust.

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For Organisations

Reducing Costs and Retaining Talent: The Financial Case for Wellbeing

Workplace wellbeing isn't a discretionary expense — it's a strategic investment. The ROI of prevention, and where the cost of poor mental health hides.

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For People

Why Change Your Professional Supervisor?

A long, comfortable supervision relationship can quietly go stale. Why changing supervisors periodically sharpens practice, and how to move well.

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For People

Your Post-Holiday Brain: The Science Behind the Summer Slowdown

That fog on your first days back at work isn't a failing — it's your brain recalibrating. The science of the post-holiday slowdown, and how to use it well.

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For OrganisationsFor People

Embracing Neurodiversity in New Zealand Workplaces

Why New Zealand businesses should actively pursue neurodivergent talent and how to create inclusive workplaces where different minds do their best work.

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For People

10 Questions to Help You Prepare for Your Supervision Session

The busier you are, the more valuable supervision becomes. Ten focused questions — and ten minutes of reflection — to get far more from every session.

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For People

Getting the Most Out of Your Professional Supervision

Supervision is your protected time to pause, reflect and grow. A simple before, during and after guide to making every session count for your practice.

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For People

What Is Professional Supervision and How Does It Work?

Supervision isn't counselling or line management — it's a reflective partnership that sharpens your practice. What it is, why it helps, and how a session works.

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For PeopleFor Whānau

How to Get Better Sleep

Sleep is one of the most powerful contributors to health and wellbeing. Common questions answered, plus six practical tips for a better night's rest.

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