The Christmas season has a special way of sneaking up on us. One minute it's October, the next we're wondering how we've burnt the candle at both ends and the middle. It's a time filled with celebration, but also the annual trifecta of tiredness, family tension and trying to remember where you hid the kids' presents. You're not alone: national surveys show more than a third of Australians feel extra stressed at Christmas, with many citing exhaustion, finances and festive family "moments" as the main culprits. Amid all this, it's a good reminder to slow down, breathe, and give yourself permission not to do everything. 

And to lift the spirits a huge congratulations to Knox O'Connor, who recently completed an extraordinary 30 laps of Centennial Park (yes, 105 km!) and raised over $80,000 for the Black Dog Institute. A brilliant achievement and an inspiring way to end the year on a high. See separate article on this awesome achievement. 

As always, we welcome your ideas regarding, speakers, stories or events. Please reach out to Sam Shepherd at sam.shepherd@oiu.org.au if you'd like to contribute. 

Let's keep supporting each other.