Podcast with Roz Rimes

Overview of Podcast with Roz Rimes at Live with Zest

In this podcast, Roz Rimes, founder of Live with Zest, Australia, introduced us to Lucille the Labradoodle puppet, and we also experienced ‘Rafa’ the Australian Labradoodle singing.

Roz shared how wellbeing literacy, particularly intentionally interacting with her wellbeing dog at home, has positively influenced her family’s ecosystem and helped them to flourish academically.

Roz also unpacked her experience in Canine-Assisted Education and Canine-Assisted Coaching in schools and higher education, with insightful takeaways.

Key Terms Include:

PERMA

PERMA is a well-being model by psychologist Martin Seligman PhD, outlining five key domains for a fulfilling life:

1. Positive Emotion: Experiencing joy, gratitude, and optimism.
2. Engagement: Being deeply absorbed in activities that challenge you, leading to a “flow” state.
3. Relationships: Building supportive and healthy connections with others.
4. Meaning: Finding purpose and contributing to something bigger than yourself.
5. Accomplishment: Setting and achieving personal goals, fostering a sense of competence.

Later, a sixth domain, Health, was added to represent the importance of physical and mental well-being.

Dogs as Psychological Assets

“Dogs as psychological assets” refers to the significant psychological benefits that dogs provide to their owners, particularly through non-judgement, emotional support, love, and companionship. This concept highlights how dogs enhance their owners’ wellbeing by offering meaning, engagement, and pleasure, akin to the psychological intimacy usually attributed to human relationships. These benefits are valuable to all individuals, including those who are socially and economically successful, contributing to their overall happiness and self-actualization, despite their busy lives.

Savouring

The capacity to notice and appreciate positive experience; however, it also includes layers of complexity, such as processes whereby people attend to their positive feelings by considering past, present and future.

Mindfulness

Using our senses to be more aware of positive and negative emotions, non-judgementally, in the present moment.

‘Walk Talk Savour’™ Practice

Using movement, solution-focused coaching, and savouring to improve wellbeing.

Wellbeing Dog

A Wellbeing Dog, which combines therapy dog practices with wellbeing science, can serve as a psychological asset, decrease anxiety, build relationships, improve school attendance, and enhance school and community belonging.

Wellbeing Literacy

Defined as the intentional use of wellbeing-relevant vocabulary, knowledge and language skills to maintain or improve the wellbeing of oneself, others and the world.

Wellbeing Science

Wellbeing science is a multidisciplinary field that studies the factors contributing to individual and collective wellbeing. This field combines insights from psychology, sociology, medicine, and other disciplines to create a holistic view of what contributes to human flourishing.

Where Can I Go for More Information?

• Roz Rimes, Live with Zest
• University of Melbourne Centre for Wellbeing Science
• Dr Tiffani Howell, Senior Research Fellow, La Trobe University
• Dr Mia Cobb, Canine Welfare Science, University of Melbourne