Sandgate local Justin Meredith is bringing practical resilience strategies to the 4017 community, recently leading a workshop at Shorncliffe State School.
Justin, founder of WeRise Collective and author of Time Under Tension, said schools were such an important part of the community.
“Teachers carry a huge amount, and if we can help the people who support our kids stay well, steady and connected, that has a ripple effect,” he said.
“The session… looked at recognising pressure before it becomes burnout, separating what we can control from what we can’t, and building habits around recovery, connection and composure.”
Shorncliffe State School Deputy Principal Nicholas Dargusch said the workshop aimed to build a common language and introduce practical strategies.
“At Shorncliffe State School, we believe resilience isn’t something you’re born with,” he said. “It’s something that can be intentionally taught, practised and strengthened over time. Bringing Justin to work with our staff was a natural extension of the culture we are continuing to build, empowering our community with the tools to create a life of choice, rather than one shaped by chance.”
He said the concept of “bandwidth” generated the most discussion.
“We talked about how teaching isn’t just one job,” he said. “It’s constant decision-making. Behaviour incidents, parent emails, meetings, reporting, supporting colleagues and everything happening outside of school all compete for the same mental space.
“The conversations afterwards were some of the most honest we’ve had as a staff. People reflected on how easy it is to underestimate the cumulative effect of lots of small demands.”
Nicholas said the workshop fostered greater empathy among staff and encouraged the leadership team to consider whether new initiatives added value or simply increased workloads.
“Those ideas have become part of our everyday conversations because they’re simple, practical and immediately applicable,” he said.
Resilience Book for ‘Normal Life’
Many of the ideas Justin shared during the workshop are explored in his book, Time Under Tension, which draws on practical strategies for navigating everyday pressures.
Justin said he wanted to write a resilience book for “normal life”.
“I was a bit sick of seeing resilience books only through the lens of gold medallists, elite athletes or people climbing mountains,” he said. “Those stories are remarkable, but not always relatable.
“I wanted the book to speak to the life people actually lead: school drop-off, inbox overload, mortgage stress, family pressure and those quiet moments when life feels heavy.”
His advice for people feeling under constant pressure was to “get much clearer on what we can control and do away with the distractions that drain us”.
“In volatile, uncertain times, we need to support each other, check in properly and lift each other where we can,” he added.
For more information, visit We Rise Collective.
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