What Does It Feel Like, Being Michael Wilson?

The Human Side Of Men's Health Research

The world loves a good stat 📈.

We quote them, post them, argue about them, and use “the research” to support our opinions.

But how often do we stop to ask, where does the data come from? Who are the people behind the research? What drives someone to commit years of their life to a PhD? .... and who supports them along the way?

Back in October 2023, I was joined by Michael Wilson, Research Fellow in Men's Mental Health at Orygen and one of the new generation of men’s health researchers, helping shape what “evidence” really means in the lives of men.

His work explores why some men face higher suicide risk after relationship breakdowns, especially how emotion dysregulation and loneliness can collide in the months post-separation.

We unpacked the why behind Michael’s PhD - the purpose, persistence and curiosity that fuels his work, and how good support is essential in making it all possible.

Then… enter the room (by phone), Michael’s super-supportive supervisor, none other than Dr. Zac Seidler - global men’s health icon, Movember leader, and champion of the next generation of researchers, shared what it takes to nurture rigorous, human-centred research and why great supervision can influence the trajectory of a PhD (and a researcher).

What does it feel like, being you, today?

Grant Fuller on men, mental health & the cost of unsafe worksites

Last week, on What Does It Feel Like, Being You Today?, I sat down with Grant Fuller, Health, Safety & Wellbeing Principal at Alchimie and co-founder of Wellness in Infrastructure, for awe inspiring conversation - perfectly timed in the lead-up to International Men’s Day.

Grant spoke candidly about growing up in Montana, losing his father at age five, and learning early that men and feelings, weren’t a great relationship.

💙 “I didn’t see the men around me show emotion. I want my boys to be able to.”

We traced the pathway that shaped him — being raised in a small Montana town marked by addiction and loss, finding freedom and purpose on fishing boats of Alaska, and eventually building a life in Australia.

Grant also spoke candidly about what it cost him to stand up to unsafe cultures and bullying on a major project — a long period of union harassment that left a deeper mark than he realised at the time.

💙 “Two years of harassment… being filmed, edited, posted online… told ‘you’re a liar’ for hours. I thought I was fine. Then I realised: I wasn’t.”

Grant described the moment he understood the emotional impact:

💙 “I was told, ‘take the emotion out of it’, and I said, ‘I don’t know how.’”

That experience fed directly into the beginnings of Wellness in Infrastructure. Grant talked about Professor Luke Downey’s 2018 research, which found burnout at almost 50% in construction and depression and stress four to five times higher than the general population.

💙 “People were hurting. Enough wasn’t being done. We wanted to change those statistics.”

One line stayed with me, well after the show:

💙 “This isn’t about being nice for the sake of it. The way we treat people at work can push them over the edge or pull them back from it.”

For anyone who works in infrastructure, construction, or mostly male environments — this episode is a powerful reflection on what real prevention looks like: clarity, safety, leadership, and environments that don’t break people.

Grant’s honesty, insight and lived experience bring a rare depth to a conversation workplaces (and beyond) desperately need.

What does it feel like, being you, today?

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#InternationalMensDay #MensHealth #MensMentalHealth #Infrastructure #ConstructionIndustry

#WorkplaceMentalHealth #PsychosocialSafety #SafetyLeadership #MentallyHealthyWorkplaces #BurnoutPrevention #BullyingAndHarassment #LivedExperience

Last week I was joined live in the studio’s of 3wbc, by the unstoppable Anna Feringa - one of Australia’s most no-nonsense voices in workplace mental health, psychological safety and wellbeing.

Hilarious & Hard-Hitting Highlights:

⭐Anna’s racy take on psychosocial health (“it’s a mess, but a good mess”)

⭐An entertaining kitchen appliance showdown: Thermomix vs. sandwich press (who knew you could cook salmon in one?)

⭐The importance of meeting people where they are—because “just reach out” often isn’t enough

⭐Why “we’re like a family here” is a massive workplace red flag 🚩

⭐Stories from Dubbo to boardrooms, bullies to board papers—and what it really takes to create safe and caring workplaces

⭐Plus, a little detour into perms, chili jam, and why laughter belongs in mental health conversations

Anna doesn’t just cut through the BS, she brings heart, humour, and hard truths that every leader and workplace needs to hear.

❤️ Come for the laughs, stay for the goosebumps. 🪿

What does it feel like, being you, today?

www.raebonney.au

#MensHealth #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #PsychologicalSafety #Kindness #Care #WorkplaceMentalHealth #Thermomix #CreativeCooking #PopFilters #LiveRadio