Amie Mckill
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I would say that I still believe social elements are important, and what has actually happened to someone, how they were brought up, what they have been through... PTSD etc is a very important factor.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Watched the Ted Talk too, really fascinating.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I've been on antidepressants since 2015. I've just carried on with them as I'm worried about coming off. My GP does review every now and then, but reading blogs like this is food for thought.
I do believe that, definitely at the time, and when I have been low, they do reduce the effects, such as the emotional disconnect. Although this also works against me...
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I think that there needs to be a tailored approach to individuals as everyone is different, has different needs, and responds differently to treatments.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Great, can't wait to dive into week 2!
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Really enjoyed the first part. And thank you also for the helpful resources, one of which has actually prompted me to take action just now as I'm currently going through a life-changing event at the moment.
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Amie Mckill replied to Marina Morais
Most similar to my score that I've seen yet.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
18/32 - I did find it hard to gauge, so ended up leaving some neutral when I didn't want to.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
What an incredibly harrowing yet inspiring story. It's a true testament to the strength inside someone despite what they have gone through, and how aligning themselves with people who are open-minded and truly listen can help them to overcome it.
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I know a lot of others have already stated this in the comments, but the first thing that struck me was the labels of 'Problems' and 'Disorders' on there, and finding that outdated and not very helpful.
And I think either here, or on the wiki article in the previous step, it also referenced reducing the 'burden' mental health problems have on society.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
What an amazing and inspiring talk. Very thought-provoking and moving.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Really enjoyed reading the extract. I found it fascinating and it echoed a lot of what I was already thinking, and commenting on previously about 'nature vs nurture'.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I suppose I've always believed (or maybe rather been lead to believe) that nature is mostly at play and that some people are genetically predisposed to suffering with mental health problems.
However, I can completely see other forces at work, such as people's upbringing, their environment and experiences etc....can absolutely play a role in their mental...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Hi everyone. I've always been fascinated by mental health. Having anxiety and a tendency towards depression myself, I not only want to equip myself with more knowledge to improve my own situation, but it's an area/field that I would like to work in going forward. So I'm hoping this course will go a small way in heading towards that goal.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
This changed my view in that it opened up my eyes to all the different techniques in telling a story and bringing it to life.
The five finger technique really stood out to me, as it breaks down the structure in a simplistic way and gives a great foundation to build upon.
I think with the panelists, I tended to gravitate toward Molly. I just think she...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I love what Tarantino does with flipping real-life horrific events, like the Nazi atrocities and the senseless murders of Sharon Tate and her friends. This for me is satisfying, but in a bittersweet way, as we know this isn't what really happened, but we wished it was.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I have watched films where I've actually been angry that the story isn't brought to a resolution, or the character doesn't triumph at the end.
But then, I suppose in a way, leaving a film open and ambiguous makes you think more about it. But unfortunately, a lot of this is done to open up for a sequel, which in most cases spoils that for me - with only a...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
With a Promising Young Woman, it kind of sets up what sort of person she is and hints at her going through something traumatic, which is what seems to be motivating her within the first 25 pages, but it doesn't outright tell us what this is (although I can imagine due to the context).
I suppose they would save the big reveal for the third act maybe.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I like this way of thinking. It provides a really good foundation for creating a story.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I love this idea. Can't wait to put it into practice.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
For me, I look for a struggle that our protagonist has to overcome, and their journey to overcoming this. I also look for a worthy antagonist who is a genuine threat to our protagonist and their goal.
I don't particularly agree or disagree strongly with what our educators discussed, I think that everyone works differently, and what works well for one...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I like stories where a character has to overcome serious adversity to achieve what they desire.
For me, that gets me gripped and has me rooting for the character.
But as mentioned above, if a character is brilliantly written and played, then I can also find myself rooting for a character who is immoral and whose actions are reprehensible, i.e. Tony...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I chose I Tonya - a film I have seen, and A Promising Woman, which I haven't yet seen.
As I Tonya is based on real life and has staged interviews - it jumps from people being interviewed in the present, to the events that happened in the past. So in that sense, I find I have to concentrate more when reading it because of this.
With A Promising Young...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
One of my favourite screenwriters is Martin Scorsese.
One of my most memorable lines of dialogue is from Rutger Hauer's character in Blade Runner; “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Pleased to meet this talented team.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Hi fellow learners :)
Looking forward to it. I'm a huge film buff, and creative writing is part of my job role.
But I would love to go back to when I dabbled in this as a young teen. I remember being inspired by films like The Godfather and trying to write up my own mafia story. I even found a short Fiction story I wrote when I was younger and it's...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Valerian root tea for sleep issues.
I didn't feel it made too much difference, but I most likely didn't try it for long enough.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Here in the UK the organisation that regulates medicine is the MHRA (The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).
This link provides information on how they determine if something is medicine or food https://www.gov.uk/guidance/decide-if-your-product-is-a-medicine-or-a-medical-device
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Regardless of any studies - I still firmly believe in everything in moderation.
I think that as long as you aren't eating excessive amounts of red meat and poultry, and are incorporating non meat based meals into the weekly rotation, then this isn't something to worry about.
As someone pointed out in the comments on a previous page, some people can live...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I read the daily mail 'You DON'T need to cut out red meat' article in addition.
I noticed this article covered all the techniques listed above, and also included videos, including a lady discussing how it's ok to eat it every day.
In addition to this, they made a point of capitalizing words like DON'T and NO in the title to make a firmer point and grab...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I voted for neither. This is because I have read and heard more about red meat (but not poultry) causing colon cancer as opposed to heart disease. So this means, if anything, I definitely wouldn't associate consuming more read meat with being healthy. So overall, my perception would be affected mostly by the confirmation bias.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I think my bias would be that I tend to follow and believe in a healthy diet, and as it personally helps alleviate my own anxiety and depressive symptoms, it means I would lean towards those views in any analysis.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I think the headline was for impact. It wanted to reel the reader in by being a simple and almost 'matter of fact' statement - therefore people would be more tempted to read, whereas, if it included scientific info or wording, it would put the majority of people off reading the article.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I think putting this into practice has helped me going forward next time I see a sensationalist headline regarding diet. It has equipped me with the knowledge I need to look into the article further rather than taking it a face value.
I'm looking forward to delving deeper into this in Week 2.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
As someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression since childhood, I know from personal experience that eating healthily (along with exercise) always helps alleviate my symptoms, as well as giving me more energy.
In the reverse, I have found that eating processed/junk foods seems to exacerbate depressive feelings.
I always try to live by 'everything...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The strengths are:
It's the best method when looking at the same question and uses similar methods to measure relevant variables. Systematic reviews also gather together all studies and present them in one paper.The limitations are:
Data from flawed studies may get included in this method. The analysis... -
Amie Mckill made a comment
I love this - fantastic article too in the link. It's a long one but I will favourite so I can come back to it again and read the rest.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
If they are going to use an eye grabbing headline, it should be backed up by research and input from someone in the relevant field, or a scientific study/survey etc..
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Amie Mckill made a comment
They use 'scary' words like Cancer in the title to hook people in. They know if they link that word with processed foods that it will grab people's attention, especially if they eat a lot of processed foods themselves.
I also can't stand all these sites loaded with click bait articles - I noticed that the metro link page is littered with them. They are...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I'd like to know who wrote the article and their background. Who they spoke to, where the study came from (i.e. which university) etc...if it's a survey - how many people took park and what demographics etc...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I want unbiased reliable and honest reporting - although that will never happen as the media need sensationalist headlines to attract readers!
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Not so much from a website in particular, but I have heard arguments from people regarding meat and other animal products.
The people who are vegetarian and vegan say they are more healthy because of it, and that you don't need animal products for energy, whereas meat eaters will argue that if you are on a non animal based diet, you won't have as much...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I do tend to go to the NHS website a lot when it comes to diet and nutritional info and tips. I suppose I trust it because NHS are healthcare providers. Health is their area of expertise.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I particularly enjoyed the section of the course that looked back over predicted inventions and if these came to fruition. It helped put things into perspective.
I will continue learning through online courses and literature. I want to keep my knowledge and skills as up to date as possible. I will also apply my learnings to my own job role.
The only...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I would personally love to work for a company like this. I myself only work part-time as it just makes me happier and means I have more time to pursue other interests in my non working time, as well as recharge both mentally and physically.
I know of people whose company offer them the 4 day working week, and they use that extra day to pursue hobbies...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
From my own personal experience (1. Make work mobile friendly) has been a great success for the company I work for. Since the pandemic and having to work from home, going forward, they're now going to adopt a blended working policy. This means people can choose where they work from in the future according to their own productivity levels.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
All of these traits are pretty much my objectives in my role and form part of my regular reviews with my manager, so I have to fulfill all of these things to succeed.
So absolutely, I think people can be all these things, and to be honest, people who aren't all those things in the working world in this day and age, will fall behind in my opinion.
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I find this really interesting. I particularly love The Ministry. Very progressive.
I can see how this would become more in demand, as more people are working from home than ever due to the pandemic, but as things ease, I can see some companies saving money by getting rid of offices etc. And there are people who cannot maintain productivity working from...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
This was interesting. I have to be honest and say I didn't know we had our own version of silicon valley in the UK.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
For me personally, I can do my work from home easily. This has become almost set in stone now since the pandemic and being forced to work from home. Our workplace promotes blended working, in which they want people to work in whichever way they feel they are more productive.
I never travelled for my job anyway as I was lucky enough to be within walking...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I think it means people working longer before they can retire.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I Loved the link to the bbc article and enjoyed all those videos. I found it fascinating to see the early beginnings of tech that we take for granted in this day and age.
I don't 100% agree with all of the Douglas Adams quote. The age bracket I don't find true, as I'm mid 30's and still embrace technology and find the development of new tech and...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
So interesting to see how much they predicted didn't happen.
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I think in general there is a lot of positivity about how technology will help improve our lives. There is also lots of focus on being 'life learners' and adapting to the changing environment.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
The list doesn't suprise me too much, it's mostly what I would have expected.
I do feel (as the list states) some jobs will always require human interaction and compassion (such as people who work in the mental health sector).
I feel that it would be disastrous to automate something like this. -
Amie Mckill made a comment
I can see elements of my role that can be automated, but I also believe that the role (and overall team) I'm in would still need a human element to it to some degree. This is because our role involves communicating tailored messaging to colleagues and some of it requires human interaction.
But then again, who am I to say...I'm not so arrogant to believe...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Life-long learning is now more vital than ever to keep up with ever-changing technology.
I feel there are people (some I know) who are woefully behind in technology, and I can see them being left behind unless they adapt.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Fascinating stuff. Really loved Andy's talk and the link with more information about his background. He has a lot to be proud of!
I can think of an app on my phone now called Smarthome which switches off a light in our house wherever we are just through a simple click. We want to try and do this for all the lights in our house going forward. It's especially...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Really fascinating, particularly that it can produce food. But this will really change the job market - It would leave a lot of jobs redundant.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
At first glance I thought this seemed a bit depressing due to the lack of human interaction, such as cashiers....they will have people working in store to assist etc.....but it's a little sad to consider that automated process may eventually get rid of cashiers completely.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
The fact they've used the telephone box (something now very outdated) that I think they were considering getting rid of - but they've now utilised it to use as somewhere to keep defibrillators. So they're keeping them by making use of them.
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Interesting stats. Suprised at the percentage of those that have no internet access. I suppose I just take it for granted as I use it all the time.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I used to temp at a court years ago, and we had to file everything the old fashioned way. We had to keep paper copies of court letters etc and had a huge area where they all had to be filed.
I couldn't help but think, shouldn't this all be electronic and stored on databases. We did have to record things on the system too, but it seems like duplication. But...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Hi Everyone. I've been working from home ever since the pandemic first began and we went into lockdown (March 2020 in the UK).
I've been working for my company for 6 years now, and I started part-time, then tried a full time role, and ended up going back to part time due to my anxiety and depression.
I'm very fortunate that I can do my job perfectly well...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Looking forward to this :)
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Hi everyone. I've suffered with anxiety and depression since a young age, and I'm interested in mental health, and any therapies and techniques that can help. I've completed courses on here before such as CBT, so I'm really looking forward to finding out more about mindfulness :)
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I think hazardous chemicals is the biggest threat. Once these foods are sold widely, it means many people will be at risk to the consequences of the chemicals, which in some cases and to some people, can be dangerous, even deadly.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I believe that exercise is definitely a huge factor. Kids spending more time outside and exercising, playing sports, bike riding etc...as opposed to sitting inside playing on game consoles and watching tv. But I believe diet is still important, and even if children are exercising, if their diet is full of unhealthy fats and sugars, that is counter-productive...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
A low fat diet means less fat for the body to have to store and break down.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I actually think it's more dangerous to 'Normalize' obesity. There is a lot of 'body positivity' which in some ways is saying, it's ok to be big etc...or 'beauty at all sizes'. I think this message is dangerous, in the same way it's dangerous to advertise sickly thin models too.
Even though you can't catch obesity - I still think epidemic is a fitting word,...
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I like the 1st idea (diet diversification). I think this is a great way to provide a much wider variety of fresh fruits and veg to people who wouldn't necessarily have as much access to that as people who live in non-urban areas.
I also think it sounds a lot more sustainable too.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Interesting exercise. I like to vary my breakfasts so they aren't always the same. Although I am wary of pre-made granola, as it can be very high in sugar.
You can make your own granola quite easily. I found a really good recipe on YouTube from someone who is also a celiac, so it's a very healthy recipe.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Hi there. I have a passion for health and nutrition. I have previously completed a course on health and nutrition through another learning platform where I completed assignments and coursework and was awarded with a qualification at the end.
Since then I have also completed some health and nutrition based courses here on FutureLearn.
I'm always keen to...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
So tragic, yet so preventable.
My workplace is very hot on wellebeing and mental health. Even after the covid restrictions ease up and we can go back in the office, they still want to opt for a blended working environment, so if people are more productive at home, they won't be forced to come back into the office, and vice-versa. They have an employee...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I always believed you can spot the signs of MH issues and stress before it's too late, but that's also down to my having personal experience of issues, as well as seeing others suffer with it. I still believe that a close working relationship with a manager at work as well as regular one to ones with frank and honest discussions, all help to nip issues in the...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I agree with the CMI on this. Mental health is such a big issue, I believe even moreso now than ever, and we seem to finally be getting rid of the stigma attached to it, and bringing in a law specific to this I believe would go a long way towards getting rid of the stigma completely.
Employees should feel confident in being able to open up about suffering...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I chose primary as I believe it's important to put in place interventions at an early stage, as otherwise, sometimes it's too late to intervene effectively and it could lead to a higher staff turnover or more staff on long-term sick etc..
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Amie Mckill made a comment
We have an employee assistance programme at work and have had for a while, but for me, there were 2 key situations where I feel this would come in handy.
1. We merged with a larger company, which caused some people to fear they may be made redundant, it also meant people's job roles and team structures changes, so a change like this, can be a source of...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
My workplace do all of this. I also have personal experience of being unhappy in my role due to many changes, and my manager actually worked with me and the HR team to ensure changes in my role and more meaningful tasks to hep reduce levels of stress and discontent.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
The company I work for basically does ALL the things that Abigail mentions in the video.
They are very hot on mental health and wellbeing. As well as our employee assistance programme, our workplace signed the time to change pledge. They also spotlight executive leaders discussing their own mental health issues, which has encouraged others to come...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Yes - we have a company who provide confidential counselling as part of our workplace benefits. We have been provided with an account where we can log in and access counselling and advice via phone, or online messaging. We were also given cards with the contact details on that we can use when we're out and about.
This service has also been emphasized even...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
In my job role, I've found that what causes stress is the work load and our team's capacity to be able to complete this. We get bombarded with a lot of requests from all over the business and a lot of them seem to be labelled 'urgent' and we are a small team, so the work has to be spread out between us, but we often don't have time to complete it all, or find...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I'm all too familiar with the physical and behavioral signs, as I have experienced them all over the years. Luckily, lately (particularly throughout the pandemic and various lockdowns) I'm even better at managing it. I exercise a lot more and my diet is a lot healthier.
Some of the disorders that can result from stress are life threatening. Stress is a big...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I believe that if someone is more confident and secure in their abilities and has a positive "can do" attitude towards life, then they will be a lot more likely to manage stress well and almost use it to turn it into a positive and see it as an opportunity to achieve more and progress in their career.
However, on the flip side, if a person has low...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Advantages;
Would allow for early intervention in cases where people are struggling
Would encourage the company to introduce more measures to help employees
Allows for open and honest discussionsDisadvantages;
A person may not feel comfortable reporting issues so therefore won't respond
A person may suffer repercussions at work or be judged
A... -
Amie Mckill made a comment
This is where I think regular one on ones with your manager or team leader at work are key - including regular reviews.
My manager meets with me (virtually) every week to chat about both work as well as general chat to see how I'm feeling. This is an informal and relaxed conversation so I feel very comfortable about discussing things with her.
We also...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
For me, the most significant topic was all the stats around mental health in the workplace and the effects and costs to businesses. It was a real eye-opener. Even though I know mental health is a big thing, you don't realise how much until you see it in figures.
The questions that arose for me are; why aren't ALL workplaces doing more to support employees...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I agree with this. When implementing new tech in a company, it's so key to communicate effectively with employees and engage them. Include them in the decision making process and provide training and follow up with things such as surveys to assess how they find using the tech.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I've been in several jobs now and I'm used to having to use lots of different IT systems and programmes throughout this. I've also had changes of systems within one job role where we've had to ditch an old system and train up on how to use a new one.
It does feel stressful at first, but once I've got used to the new system it feels more comfortable....
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Amie Mckill made a comment
For me, a perfect example of job roles with high demand and little control, would be workers in emergency frontline roles, such as hospital workers dealing with patients, ambulance workers, police force etc....
They are all in volatile situations where anything could happen at any point and they have to continuously adapt to these situations. A nurse or...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I love this part. I'm familiar with the fight or flight response.
I'm naturally a very anxious person. Even when I'm in a situation that should be relaxing, I still feel tense and on edge or worried to some degree.
For example; when going for a walk today, I was constantly on edge. Every person I could see, I was worried they were a possible mugger... -
Amie Mckill made a comment
Love the different theories. Interesting reading.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Stress can severely impact an individual as not only does it affect their work life it can spread into their home life and personal relationships too.
It affects their mental wellbeing overall which leads to physical symptoms. Stress can also result in a person turning to alcohol or drugs to deal with it.I think the Science company's approach was...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Luckily I have a good relationship with my manager so stressors at work can be discussed openly and I feel she cares about resolving them.
Outside of work, I feel I do have a greater control over reducing stress. I workout a lot and go for a walk every day which de-stresses me. I also find, organising and keeping the house tidy makes me feel a lot more calm...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
My workplace is very hot on trying to provide more emotional support to employees to prevent absence due to poor mental health.
I will say that they did support me a lot when I was going through a particularly tough time. It's a shame that not all workplaces have this approach.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
It's crazy to think there is still a stigma attached to Mental health issues, as we know so much more about them and so many people - including those in the public eye are opening up about their own mental health problems.
I'm very fortunate to work in a place that's very open about these issues. We even have members of our leadership team discussing...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I know from my own personal experience what some of the signs are, as I'm someone who has struggled with anxiety, depression and stress for many years.
I found that I kept bottling it up until it got to the point where I just zoned out and had to be signed off work for a couple of weeks at one stage.
For me, I found myself becoming more disconnected...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
Thank you so much to all of those who contributed to the course material.
I really enjoyed the pace and layout of the learning and, most importantly, learnt a lot!
I will definitely be checking out the other courses, along with the podcast and and the content at Food Unfolded.
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I have definitely taken a lot on board during this course.
I already have a fairly healthy diet, but this has equipped me with further knowledge on healthier and sustainable diets.
As mentioned previously, I'm going to incorporate more whole-grains, more fish and cut back on my dairy intake, as I consume too much at the moment (or swap some out for dairy...
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Amie Mckill made a comment
I would definitely do the following to modify my diet;
Add more fish and try a wider variety of fish
Add more whole-grains
Eat more nuts and seeds
Eat less dairy
Opt for virgin or extra virgin olive oil over olive oil
Try alternative protein sources, such as tofu
