Kristy von Minden is an accredited Mindfulness teacher with a special interest in the Neuroscience of wellbeing.
An experienced facilitator and keynote speaker, Kristy is invited regularly to speak at large industry events where she advocates for human sustainability and gets us thinking about new ways to understand and look after our mental wellbeing. She also works with some of New Zealand’s biggest businesses, including ASB, Sony, Yellow, HSBC, Callaghan Innovation, William Buck and more, supporting them with their wellness programmes to reduce stress in order to enhance health, happiness, and performance.
But she hasn't always worked in the wellness industry - after 15 years working in marketing and PR, managing a large team and working with some of the world’s largest brands, Kristy saw first-hand the negative impact the long hours, relentless rush and constant connectedness had on herself, as she suffered years of chronic pain and anxiety. She also witnessed the health of her most highly motivated, intelligent and capable team members suffer. Through her evidence-based work, Kristy now seeks to help us redefine our thinking around what it means to succeed in the modern business world. Her message, 'Looking after our wellbeing and excelling in our job, do not need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, the science is undisputed: what's good for people is good for business".
Kristy holds a Bachelor of Communications Degree, numerous Mindfulness Teacher Training Accreditations through Ovio and has completed the Berkley University the Science of Happiness certification.
Talking Points
Emotions Masterclass
The last few years through the pandemic have been a rollercoaster and we've all been feeling emotions with greater intensity and frequency than we are used to, or know what to do with. The good news is, emotional intelligence is something that can be cultivated and developed. This powerful, interactive 60 minute workshop has been designed to give you essential tools and strategies to understand and process difficult emotions. When we work productively with our emotions rather than letting them hijack us, we balance our nervous system, boost our health and improve the quality of our relationships. We also build resilience to life's stressors and uncertainties and can get on with the business of performing at work. Emotions Masterclass
In this workshop we explore:
• The unhealthy ways we deal with emotions
• The price we pay for not facing our emotions
• How we can use emotions (even the negative, uncomfortable ones) as data to live in alignment with our values and reach our goals
• 4 x science-based tools for processing strong emotions and more!
Rewiring for Resilience
Despite having the highest levels of wealth and access to information and resources in history, research shows we are more stressed and feeling less resilient than ever. We'll look at why this is as we explore the science of stress in the context of 21st Century living, the pandemic and the current climate of constant change and uncertainty. We'll investigate where stress comes from and what's happening when we are in the stress response. We'll also look at how stress is wearing down our health, energy and performance, but why trying to manage stress is not the answer. We'll unpack how Neuroscience tells us many of us are unknowingly and unfortunately wiring our brains for patterns of chronic stress and anxiety. But more importantly, we'll explore why stress itself is not the problem and what we can instead shift our focus to, to rewire our own brains for calm and resilience. All with a self-led wellbeing practice that only takes a few minutes a day.Rewiring for Resilience
In this workshop we:
• Explore the fascinating science of stress + the mind-body connection
• Identify your own personal triggers for your stress and the relaxation response
• Discover why stress is not the problem and how we can shift our focus to the relaxation response to rewire our brain
• Look at the well-proven mental, emotional and physical benefits of cultivating a daily, self-led wellbeing practice
• Learn 5 x simple, fast, science-based relaxation tools for busy people to switch on the relaxation response and switch off the stress
The Secrets of Sustainable High Performance
Excelling at your job and prioritising your health and happiness shouldn't be mutually exclusive. We can have it all. So, in this workshop, we share the science to back that up! Effectiveness is vital when our workload is high, and stress is prevalent. That means balancing our productivity (results) and production capability (ability to continue sustaining high performance and results over time) whilst remaining healthy and happy. When we create a lifestyle that renews all aspects of self, we boost our resilience and allow ourselves to perform more consistently and effectively each day The Secrets of Sustainable High Performance
In this workshop we:
• Reveal how adopting a self-leadership approach to wellbeing can boost resilience to your life's stressors
• Introduce two powerful science-based principles that will allow you to not only maintain but boost your productivity, sustainably
• Explore how to achieve greater levels of energy, focu, motivation and resilience
• Learn about the four different dimensions of ourselves, now recognised by wellbeing science
• Create your own personal wellbeing and resilience plan
Is it Time for a Digital Reset?
Did you know the average smartphone user picks up their phone between 90-200 times a day? Every time we pick up our phones not only are we getting distracted, overwhelming our brains with information and draining our energy...we are creating far more serious consequences for our mental, emotional and physical health. In order to understand why many of us are so addicted to our devices, we need to understand the science and the psychology behind their appeal. We'll explore how a lot of it is rooted in our psychology and evolution - namely our need to feel socially connected. We'll then use this knowledge to cancel out the negative effects of constant connection, hack the smartphone addiction habit loop, and find more healthy ways to meet our needs. Meaning we'll be happier, healthier and more productive. Is it Time for a Digital Reset?
In this workshop we:
• Delve into the science + the psychology behind why we find our phones so irresistible
• Learn about the unhelpful physical, mental and emotional effects of prolonged digital exposure
• Discover the surprising benefits of an intentional reboot
• Develop a practical, work friendly detox plan, with practical tips for making it happen
• Science-backed hacks to resist the hooks, including one which takes seconds and will immediately cut your phone pick ups in half!
Toolkit of Fast, Effective Relaxation Techniques for Busy People
Many of us go, go, go through the day without resting. Yet research shows that our brain needs to switch between expending and replenishing energy to renew our mental and physical energy and our resilience. Learn practical and scientifically proven ways to activate your relaxation response to optimise your thinking, mental wellness, physical health and resilience to life's stressors. Toolkit of Fast, Effective Relaxation Techniques for Busy People
In this workshop we:
• Explore the difference between the stress and relaxation responses
• Look at how stress is wearing down our energy levels and performance, but why trying to manage stress is not the answer
• Discover why we need to activate the relaxation response in order to thrive at work and be healthy and happy
• Learn the top six science-backed tools to promote the relaxation response in minutes with interactive, immersive exercises
The Science of Happiness
One of the biggest factors in our ability to be not only resilient but also happy, is the strength of our social connections. Drawing on the latest research from Berkeley University, we'll explore the strong correlation between employee happiness and workplace resilience and success. When people are happy, their work relationships improve, as do their mental and physical health, productivity, and creativity. So, what do we need to be happy? We'll explore what research has found are four fundamental habits of happy people. The Science of Happiness
In this workshop we:
• Explore some of the challenges we face in finding happiness in the 21st Century
• Learn science-backed tools to boost happiness and understand their mental, emotional and physical benefits
• Reflect on our own happiness levels and make a plan using the new tools
Mindfulness Deep Dive (1 hour, 1.5 hour or 3 hour experiential workshop options with journal)
Research shows Mindfulness training is one of the keys to cultivating our ability for resilience. A mindful brain allows us to problem solve and navigate change with a clear, calm mind. Mindfulness has been proven to help reduce stress and enhance work satisfaction, productivity, general happiness, and health. With a host of far-reaching benefits, it can effectively aid leaders and teams in achieving the maximum results in the workplace, both on an individual and an organisational level. We'll explore the philosophy of meditation, the science behind its benefits, give you a 'how to guide' and experience practical examples that can easily be adapted for even the busiest people. Mindfulness Deep Dive (1 hour, 1.5 hour or 3 hour experiential workshop options with journal)
In this workshops we'll explore:
• A definition of Mindfulness
• Look at why we need Mindfulness in the 21st Century now more than ever
• The link between mindfulness and resilience
• It's far-reaching benefits and the research behind the efficacy of Mindfulness
• Practical everyday application of Mindfulness, for busy people
Minimise Distraction, Maximise Productivity
With the nature of open-plan offices and constant multi-device digital connection these days, our attention is constantly being hijacked. Research shows it takes us up to 25 minutes to refocus after a distraction, which means we're not efficient with our time in an already time-poor era. In this workshop, we'll explore strategies for designing our work day to work with the brain's wiring to minimise distractions and increase our focus and productivity. Minimise Distraction, Maximise Productivity
In this workshop we:
• Explore why we are more distracted now than ever
• Learn 3 x powerful research-backed tools to minimise distraction and 3 x tools to maximise productivity
• Make a plan to get your focus back and your flow on
User Guide to your High Performance Brain
Our brain dictates everything about the human experience, from the quality of our thinking and how we regulate our mood right down to our physical health. Yet most of us don't know too much about our brain and how to work with its wiring. We'll give you a user guide for your high-performance brain and arm you with 10 x easy hacks to optimise your thinking, creativity, focus and productivity during the work week User Guide to your High Performance Brain
During this workshop we:
• Learn 10 x easy science-based hacks to supercharge your brain power
• Give you time to assess which changes you think will have the most impact on your workday
• Create an action plan for a high performing brain
Make Sleep Your Superpower
Over half of Kiwis say they wake up without feeling refreshed. Staggeringly, insomnia costs NZ businesses $40 million a year in lost productivity! Sleep is vital for our physical, mental and emotional health, yet many of us simply don't get enough hours. Learn science-based tips to unlock your body's natural ability to sleep soundly so you can boost energy, improve focus, and your physical health, feel happier and dramatically improve virtually every function of your body and mind. Make Sleep Your Superpower
In this workshop we:
• Explore the negative effects of sleep deprivation and the positive benefits of quality sleep
• Bust common sleep myths with science
• Take a test to discover your own sleep chronotype and work out your own personal sleep calculation for you perfect wake up time
• Understand what good quality and quantity sleep is characterised by
• Learn the perfect conditions our bodies need to enjoy proper sleep with science-backed sleep hygiene
Kristy was a fantastic facilitator and we loved the practical strategies shared. So far I’ve had amazing feedback from the leadership team - a new and different type of learning in the offs ... keep reading HSBC
It has been a pleasure working with Kristy. She has a down-to-earth, practical approach to wellbeing in the workplace (and at home), with people and the business in mind. Kristy has a wealth of knowledge in this field and our team really enjoyed her presentation style. The content was relevant and interesting and staff were able to walk away with a tool kit that is simple to implement.
We wanted to provide some practical tools for our people to help them in life and work. The mindfulness sessions followed on nicely as a continued learning experience after our stress less wellness programme that we rolled out last year. The content is beautifully simple and backed by scientific research. The practical, no-fuss approach has been one of the factors that made this programme so popular amongst our staff. The ability to provide a programme that is practical, engaging and simple for people to implement is often underestimated. Kristy beautifully brings this to life because she has worked in an office environment at senior management level, so she understands the demands of corporate life. She is able to hold this space for people to share their own experiences. Kristy is relatable and pragmatic in her approach which people appreciated. She also has a lovely calm energy which is a testament to what she is teaching people. I have had several people tell me how they have now implemented the learnings from the programme into their life and how that has personally really helped them to move forward. We are holding some more sessions in a couple of weeks and have had a 60% uptake in the business which is a testament to how impactful this has been for our people.
Kristy brought the most amazing energy. We listened to her speak about mindfulness and stress management. Her wisdom and understanding of these areas really connected with all of us. Kristy has the ability to deliver powerful messages in a way that is easy and enjoyable to comprehend, there were some fantastic golden nuggets. The theory of mindfulness can often feel a bit airy-fairy, but Kristy was able to use science-based facts to help really connect her thinking, which was incredibly powerful.
Such a great session, the team loved it. Personal, clear, good, simple suggestions. So many Aha moments! I loved that the content was science-based and focused on the brain but with a real-life lense.
I found the whole experience to be so professional, insightful, easy to understand and empowering. I loved that the key messages were simple, intuitive and human-centric. Kristy was exceptional in her delivery and manner, really easy to listen to and follow.
Kristy delivered another outstanding keynote for NZ Golf's Annual Summit. We are very pleased to report that our delegates scored her 95% - a remarkably good rating.
I just wanted to thank you for today’s conference. Hit the mark perfectly in terms of the science and the practicality of what people can do. We've had remarkably good feedback.
Kristy's presentation was informative with very practical tools. Kristy was warm, positive and a had a wonderful energy about her. She engaged well with the group and encouraged interaction.
Kristy was an extremely engaging presenter. She is obviously very passionate about wellbeing and health. I especially appreciated that she backed up all of her statements and examples with the scientific basis, which was great for an audience of scientists! Everyone I talked to after the presentation was very happy and motivated to put a few little steps in place to help make our lives that little bit better and healthier. We would love to work with Kristy again if we get the opportunity.
