Preparing for the Harvest

Preparing for the Harvest

by | Aug 18, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Outdoor Adventures

Preparing for the Harvest

You have to love gardening. A lot of waiting and tender loving care, without the certainty that the results will be worth all the effort.

Will it be worth it? You might ask, putting yourself through the work necessary without any guarantee of reward? Initially, when we first plant our seeds, we just have to hope it will. After time goes by, suddenly out of nowhere, our tomato plants are laden with fruit.

Windsor is home to some of the worldā€™s largest pumpkins. Magical things happen here.

In our monthly Maintaining Health series, we are witness to similar growth and change. No matter what stage of recovery people may be in, sometimes seeing what is possible provides us with the fuel and confidence we need to continue.

Fall is a great time to start sewing your seeds of change. A number of programs are about to start. Call us now to see what works best for you.

Warm thoughts,

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

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

by | Jul 14, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Change, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Recovery

Are we there yet?

In any journey, itā€™s easy to get hung up on the destination. ā€œAre we there yet?!ā€ our internal voice demands, wanting to know when the point of arrival has come. Iā€™ve shifted my mindset around this concept in recent years, realizing that half the joy lies in the journey itself. Itā€™s something my parents seemed to have figured out given the numerous adventurous road trips we took together as a family. The journey was the whole point.Ā 

Trauma recovery is similar, in that there is never actually an end point. This doesnā€™t mean itā€™ll always be hard, but continuous movement is part of ongoing health.Ā 

Join the movement by pre-registering for one of ourĀ fall programsĀ today. Ā 

Warm thoughts,

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

Striving to be more

Striving to be more

by | Feb 24, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Courage, Friday's Inspiration, Growth

Striving to be more

Itā€™s easy to define ourselves in terms of our work.

Pushing hard, staying within a single lane, the temptation is strong to lose sight of the rich scenery and possibilities around us.

Last night my husband Joe came home beaming. Heā€™d had a great night of hockey, stating that it may have been ā€œhis best game everā€. The night before that, he spoke excitedly about having had a great evening of tennis. Tonight he has a bit part as an Oompa Loompa in The KES Junior schoolā€™s rendition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Joe seems to have mastered the talent of being many things. Iā€™ve always been grateful that, come a zombie apocalypse, heā€™s on my team. At some deep level, he’s understood the importance of staying engaged in many diverse aspects of life, not simply driving in a single lane.

Getting and staying healthy is about diversifying our investments, not putting all of our eggs in one basket. Iā€™m particularly aware of that as I approach the latter half of my life. Over the past year Iā€™ve worked hard to deepen my interests, explore new hobbies, and challenge myself to discover things that might intimidate me. At the end of my life, I doubt Iā€™ll be asking myself if I worked enough. Rather, I expect Iā€™ll look to relationships, hoping I have been authentic, honest and trustworthy. Both inside and outside of my work, I never want to stop striving to be more.

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

Kicking isolation to the curb

Kicking isolation to the curb

by | Jan 27, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Growth, Recovery, Support

Kicking isolation to the curb

We all know the darkness we deal with in our various lines of work. Intimate knowledge of trauma can separate us from others, at times, creating a divide from those who might not have shared experiences. Wanting to protect those we love from the details of the job, itā€™s easy to sit alone.

When in the job, people often face hard things together, working as team to overcome adversity. Following injury or end of service, the journey can become a lonely one. This loneliness can have devastating consequences.

Itā€™s often easy to connect over lighter aspects of life, but more rare to find authentic connection over the challenges. Finding a way to communicate such intimate thoughts and experiences to others is not easy.

Trauma is connected to such deep emotion that it draws us in. Anyone who has done a group program knows how fulfilling and rewarding it can be. Leaning in together, we see not just the darkness, but also the light. In some of the most difficult moments can shine moments of courage, truth and beauty.

Recovery is about finding a place, and community that we can call home. Being willing to sit in the discomfort, with others, long enough to understand and transform it.

We hope that you join us on this journey.Ā 

Warm regards,

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

Triggers or glimmers? Itā€™s all a matter of attention

Triggers or glimmers? Itā€™s all a matter of attention

by | Oct 21, 2022 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Gratitude, Growth, Resilience

Triggers or glimmers? Itā€™s all a matter of attention

PTSD is a condition where our central nervous systems are constantly scanning for potential threats. Itā€™s our brainsā€™ way of keeping us safe. The problem is, itā€™s easy to miss the good stuff. By hyper-focusing on danger, we overlook signs of safety.

We may have a good sense of triggers,Ā those are theĀ people, places or things that create a sense of danger or unease.Ā  In contrast, Trauma Specialist Deb Dana introducedĀ the termĀ glimmer to describeĀ experiences that foster a sense of safety.Ā  GlimmersĀ are small momentsĀ that help shift our system towards calm.Ā 

This month in our Maintaining Health group, we worked on recognizing Glimmers. Itā€™s really about intention. Noticing both sides of the equation.

Hurricane Fiona created challenges for many. It also brought out the best as communities bonded together to help one another. A tree may have fallen on my veranda, but the plentiful rain produced the best crop of carrots I have ever had. Iā€™ve never seen such abundance. Thatā€™s my glimmer.

If you catch yourself focusing on the threat or problem, take a mindful moment to balance the equation. Notice the simple things that bring you peace: the crisp fall air, colourful leaves, or pumpkin people dancing on the lawns of Kentville.

Donā€™t forget to enjoy the glimmers.Warm Regards,

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