The pile of paperwork sitting in the corner

The pile of paperwork sitting in the corner

by | Feb 17, 2023 | Balance, Belinda's Thoughts, Compassion, Friday's Inspiration, Plan

The pile of paperwork sitting in the corner

Itā€™s there, staring at me. I know you get it. We all have such piles.

Our heap of ā€œto dosā€ that weā€™ve not yet had the chance to get to.

Hereā€™s the interesting thing. The more anxious I become about it, the less likely I am to actually do it. The anxiety associated with the task takes on a life of its own.

When we avoid small things, they start to feel very big. If we can bring ourselves to respond to them in the moment, we take away their power. It may involve asking for help from others or leaning into challenging emotions. It doesnā€™t have to become a big weight to carry.

Feeling anxious about things doesnā€™t change them.

Leaning into them does.

Iā€™m dedicated to spending the next few days leaning into my areas of discomfort: taking a look at my piles and developing a strategy to address them. I want my exterior and interior worlds to be aligned.

I donā€™t have to do it all. Just bite size pieces over the next week.

Perhaps you have a similar corner that youā€™d like to work on.

Join me.

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

I am the work

I am the work

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Plan, Recovery, Support

I am the work

People often speak about the discomfort they experience having to leave their jobs following injury. Theyā€™re eager to push through their symptoms, trying to get back to work as quickly as possible. The interesting thing is, pushing to speed up recovery often has the inadvertent consequence of slowing it down.

When it comes to recovery, you have to go slowly in order to progress quickly.

What does this mean?

Recovery isnā€™t a vacation as others might think. We all know itā€™s a period of time requiring intentional work.

Instead of asking yourself the question ā€œWhen can I go back to work?ā€ It might be more helpful to consider the following statements:

I am the work.
There is no other work.
Recovery is my mission.

Processing traumatic events is a part of being a first responder. If you donā€™t do it while youā€™re operational, youā€™ll likely be forced to take time off to deal with it later. Itā€™s like putting off paperwork. It never actually goes away.

The skill of emotional processing is a necessary component of health but is something that is not often awarded the time and space it needs.

This my friends, is the work.

Warm regards,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Ticked off by the cold?

Ticked off by the cold?

by | Feb 3, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Friday's Inspiration, Outdoor Adventures, Wisdom

Ticked off by the cold?

Well, winter is finally upon us. Iā€™ll admit it, Iā€™ve been a bit smug up till now, enjoying balmy off-season Nova Scotia temperatures.

Well, those days are gone!

As we find ourselves plummeting into the low twenties, Iā€™m still smiling, in fact, even hoping it stays cold. Why you ask? Well, Iā€™ve found the glimmerā€¦the silver lining to this cold front.

True fact: Several consecutive days of sub -12 temperatures can harm tick populations. Intense temperature fluctuations during winter such as we’re having now do the most damage. The tick population has been exploding in recent years, primarily because of our warm winters. When it stays warm, they populate. This bout of extreme weather will give them a run for their money.

Please join me in the cold celebration dance, even as the cold blasts of air freeze smiles across our faces.

Where we focus our attention, and how we think about things, truly does impact the manner in which we experience the world. By making equal air time for the good news, we naturally nudge out the bad.

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Magic Lamp

Magic Lamp

by | Jan 26, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, joy, Love

A few years ago I purchased a magic lamp for our Christmas table.

I loved it so much that I began bringing it out at the beginning of the month and illuminating the kitchen each night as we gathered for a meal.

It also proves to be handy for power outages, bringing a sense of wonder to what otherwise could be a cold evening.

My colleague Deb Eaton was so moved by it’s magical glow, swirling snow and vibrant red cardinals that she too had to have one. She shares that on cold days it makes her feel warm inside, bringing back memories of yesteryear. Deb bought a second one for her mother, as I did last year for my father.

I should really think about buying shares in the company given that such a simple item can bring such immense joy.

Itā€™s a true gift to find joy in small packages and unexpected places. Do you have any items that do the same for you?

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Magic Lamp

Magic Lamp

by | Jan 26, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Gratitude, joy, Love

A few years ago I purchased a magic lamp for our Christmas table.

I loved it so much that I began bringing it out at the beginning of the month and illuminating the kitchen each night as we gathered for a meal.

It also proves to be handy for power outages, bringing a sense of wonder to what otherwise could be a cold evening.

My colleague Deb Eaton was so moved by it’s magical glow, swirling snow and vibrant red cardinals that she too had to have one. She shares that on cold days it makes her feel warm inside, bringing back memories of yesteryear. Deb bought a second one for her mother, as I did last year for my father.

I should really think about buying shares in the company given that such a simple item can bring such immense joy.

Itā€™s a true gift to find joy in small packages and unexpected places. Do you have any items that do the same for you?

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Magic Lamp

Magic Lamp

by | Jan 26, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Self-Awareness, Wellbeing

A few years ago I purchased a magic lamp for our Christmas table.

I loved it so much that I began bringing it out at the beginning of the month and illuminating the kitchen each night as we gathered for a meal.

It also proves to be handy for power outages, bringing a sense of wonder to what otherwise could be a cold evening.

My colleague Deb Eaton was so moved by it’s magical glow, swirling snow and vibrant red cardinals that she too had to have one. She shares that on cold days it makes her feel warm inside, bringing back memories of yesteryear. Deb bought a second one for her mother, as I did last year for my father.

I should really think about buying shares in the company given that such a simple item can bring such immense joy.

Itā€™s a true gift to find joy in small packages and unexpected places. Do you have any items that do the same for you?

Warm thoughts,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong