We're calling it the Kalyn Ponga Strawberry Thickshake Stress-Buster Method.
It works like this: If there's chaos, confusion and uncertainty in your life, go grab yourself a strawberry shake.
In case you missed it, amid the froth and bubble over the departure of Nathan Brown, our Kalyn found himself the target of old rugby league pros.
Asked how he felt the day after Brown announced his resignation, the 21-year-old Knights fullback said: "I was at lunch having a nice strawberry thickshake, so I wasn't too sad".
Kalyn subsequently copped a big serve from a bunch of self-righteous and super self-important former pros.
Of course, they know what's right and what's wrong. They know how to behave. They know what standards are, hey?
Our first thought when we heard about Kalyn's stress-busting shake was, "A strawberry shake, yum".
Our second thought was, "Ahh, good on him - he's taking his mind off the Knights kerfuffle by having a sweet and soothing drink. Nowt wrong with that".
Thankfully, the former pros were at hand to set us straight. They gave a timely lesson to footy players and people everywhere. At times of controversy, change and panic, keep well away from shakes. In particular, don't tell anyone you've had a shake. Best to keep your shake consumption to yourself. You know, the stigma.
Nevertheless, here at Topics, we reckon we can learn a lot from Kalyn's thickshake.
Next time stress hits, we're going straight for a strawberry shake. That should put everything in perspective.
No Fun
Are you having fun? Why do we ask? Well, research shows many Australians no longer think we're a "fun nation".
The idea of the fun-loving Aussie larrikin seems to be going the way of the dodo.
The 2019 Fun Report [yes, there is such a thing], has revealed that Aussies give their own country a "fun rating" of 5.6/10.
Even worse, three in four Aussies actually feel guilty when they have fun. And, surprise surprise, only four in 10 Aussies try to find a balance between work and play.
Folks in NSW have more problems than simply being starved of fun. Almost half of us feel burnt out, 37 per cent of us work long and stressful work hours, 20 per cent suffer through long commutes and 41 per cent have a lack of time.
Dr Tim Sharp, also known as Dr Happy from The Happiness Institute, is having more fun than most.
He did co-author the report, but we're not altogether sure if he had fun doing that.
Dr Happy reckons the nation is in the midst of "a fun crisis".
"Plain and simple, Aussies have forgotten how to have fun. With people's lives getting busier and busier, Australian families aren't prioritising having fun or spending time with each other," he said.
"And when they do enjoy themselves, they feel exceptionally guilty about it. Regardless of who's to blame, all this is a signpost that something is out of balance in our lives."
Dr Happy added that there were "so many benefits to letting your hair down".
"I would encourage everyone to plan opportunities for fun in their lives - it doesn't have to break the bank or be extravagant, it can be as simple as taking the kids to the park with a football," he said.
"Change your mindset to prioritising fun and you'll reap many of the rewards."
Or, as we like to say here at Topics: "Have fun goddammit!"
