Upside Stories Library

Stay curious

Explore our evidence-based insights on life’s big questions, transitions, and challenges for people across midlife and beyond, and those facing these themes ahead of schedule.

Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Life Review: Why Looking Back Strengthens the Present and the Future

Looking back isn't the same as being stuck in the past. Life review is an individualised yet structured, evidence-based approach that explores how you make sense of your experiences, resolve what's unfinished, and move into the next chapter with greater clarity and purpose.

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Subjective Cognitive Decline: When Memory Worries Become Anxiety

You sit down to tell someone a story and the name you need, whether it’s a person, a place, a film, it simply will not come. You walk into a room and forget why you went there. You read the same paragraph three times and feel the words sliding away before they settle. And somewhere underneath the ordinary frustration of these moments is a more persistent worry: Is this the beginning of something serious?

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Feeling ready: Preparing for your first online therapy session

Beginning therapy is a big step, and it can sometimes feel daunting. In midlife and later life, this step often comes alongside a busy mix of commitments, and choosing to do therapy online means you can set aside time for yourself. From creating a private space to setting a light intention, these simple steps help you feel present, connected, and ready to make the most of your time with your therapist.

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

When Caring Becomes a Calling: Psychological Growth in Dementia Healthcare Professionals

For the nurses, doctors, chaplains, and allied health professionals who dedicate their careers to supporting people living with dementia, the rewards are genuine. So too are the challenges. This article explores psychological growth in senior health professionals working in dementia care — and what their experiences can tell us about meaning and purpose, adaptability, and what it means to truly give to another person.

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Intensive Grandparenting: When helping Becomes a Health and Wellbeing Risk

Across Australia, grandparents are stepping up. With childcare costs at record highs and working parents stretched thin, many grandparents have moved well beyond the occasional Saturday babysit. Some are providing full-time or near-full-time care — managing school runs, meals, illnesses, school holidays, and everything in between (Baxter, 2022). This article explores the difference between enriching involvement and over-functioning — and what the research says about protecting your health and your relationships while staying connected.

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Concerns About Dementia in Midlife: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What You Can Do

You walk into a room and forget why you're there. A name won't come. And somewhere in the back of your mind: "is this how it starts?" Fear of dementia is one of the most common health concerns in midlife — and one of the least clearly addressed. This article explains what normal memory change actually looks like, when it's worth speaking to your GP, and what the research tells us you can do to protect your brain across the decades ahead.

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Dr Bruce Walmsley Dr Bruce Walmsley

Late-Life Depression: What It Looks Like, Why It’s Missed, and What Helps

Depression in later life is one of the most common and most missed mental health conditions in Australia. It often doesn't look like what most people picture when they think of depression, and that's why so many people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s are living with it unrecognised and unsupported. This article explains what late-life depression actually looks like, why it is so often overlooked, and what helps.

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