{"id":6415,"date":"2025-04-22T12:33:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T03:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/?p=6415"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:52:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T05:22:30","slug":"spotlighting-the-future-of-wellbeing-promotion-meet-elli-and-aria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/2025\/04\/22\/spotlighting-the-future-of-wellbeing-promotion-meet-elli-and-aria\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlighting the Future of Wellbeing Promotion: Meet Elli and Aria"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Meet two rising stars shaping the future of mental health promotion\u2014one research-driven, one media-savvy\u2014and discover how students are changing the wellbeing game.<\/p>\n

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Recently, I\u2019ve had a few moments where I\u2019ve thought, \u201cI could imagine this person taking my job.\u201d<\/em> And I mean that in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

Two standout examples come to mind.<\/p>\n

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First, meet Elli Kolovos<\/strong> \u2013 Mental Health Promoter, PhD Candidate in Psychology, and Associate Lecturer in Mental Health and Wellbeing (Workplaces and Communities). Elli is presenting at our inaugural Wellbeing in Practice<\/em> session, hosted by BetterU. You can find more about the series here:
\ud83d\udc49 Wellbeing in Practice<\/a><\/p>\n

Elli\u2019s mission is to work towards a future where the prevention<\/em> of mental illness and the promotion<\/em> of mental wellbeing are not just aspirational ideas, but everyday realities. She\u2019s creating change through high-quality research, teaching, and community engagement.<\/p>\n

She understands that the abundance of wellbeing advice\u2014and the societal pressure to \u201clive well\u201d\u2014can be overwhelming. She also recognises how frustrating it can be to find mental health support that\u2019s both accessible and tailored to individual needs. That\u2019s why her approach emphasises strategic action<\/em>: helping people identify and focus on the handful of priorities that can make a real difference in their daily lives. It\u2019s not about doing everything\u2014it\u2019s about doing what matters most, in a way that fits your context.<\/p>\n

As part of her PhD, Elli is leading a series of studies exploring how wellbeing-related knowledge and behaviours influence positive mental health outcomes. She\u2019s collaborating with researchers at Flinders University, Be Well Co, and the University of Twente in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

To bring her vision to life, Elli is currently developing and testing a new 7-day online program called Live Well Your Way<\/em>. The program is designed to help people discover and act on their unique priorities for living well. Recruitment for the program will begin shortly\u2014keep an eye out, or come along to the Wellbeing in Practice session to learn more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elli\u2019s contributions already span designing and facilitating mental health interventions, contributing to a large-scale systematic review of positive mental health measures, and exploring how subjective age shaped people\u2019s responses to COVID-19 disruptions. She\u2019s also the co-creator and teacher of Flinders\u2019 Certificate and Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Wellbeing (Workplaces and Communities).<\/p>\n

She\u2019s an active member of both the Flinders Institute of Mental Health and Wellbeing (via The Generations Initiative) and the National Network of Mental Health Promotion Practitioners.<\/p>\n

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The second is Aria Bradley<\/strong> \u2013 a medical science student at the university <\/span>who\u2019s been steadily building a wellbeing-focused space across podcasting and digital content creation. You can explore her work via her Linktree:
\ud83d\udc49 Aria\u2019s Linktree<\/a><\/p>\n

Aria very kindly invited me onto the podcast for an episode, which you can listen to here:
\ud83c\udfa7 Spotify: Gareth on Aria\u2019s Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

I apologise for any fruity language I used.<\/p>\n

But in a short period of time, Aria has produced a lot more content than just that episode. Just check out some of Aria\u2019s episode titles \u2013 it’s wellbeing in the context of academic life, right in the wheelhouse of your average uni student:<\/p>\n