Taking Care

It is hard to help others if we get into trouble ourselves. We push ourselves to do more, better, faster and we expose ourselves to injury. There is no shame or weakness in practicing safe stress. It is both smart and practical. There is no shame or weakness in getting injured and doing healthy healing.

Randy Weekes

May 8

Resilience in the time of COVID-19

Let me begin by thanking CANADEM deployees and all other international workers who are working on the front lines or remotely, in your home offices. You are ...

Randy Weekes

May 5

The Stress of Nice New Places

It wasn’t a war zone. It wasn’t a hardship post. The power stayed on, the food was delicious. Beyond unpredictable drivers and the occasional underpaid co...

Randy Weekes

May 4

Practicing Safe Stress

I lay in a hospital bed, just months after I started my first international job. I had swollen joints, blurred eyes, high fevers and no diagnosis. Doctors ...

Randy Weekes

May 3

The Incredible Shrinking Hippocampus

It didn’t feel good. Worry was a feeling in my chest and it woke me up at night. Fear made my heart pound, my ears ring and my voice go funny. Depression ...

Randy Weekes

May 2

The road to burnout is paved with good intentions

We joined the “Let’s make the world a better place” club to help other people. We didn’t join to get hurt. And many of us, at some point in our career, have ...

Randy Weekes

May 1

If bad things happen – to me

It will happen to some of us. In a long career away from home something that causes physical or emotional injury – or creates the fear that we will be kille...

Randy Weekes

Apr 30

When trauma happens to someone we know

It was a nice afternoon. Quiet. People were finishing their day’s work and planning their evenings. The drive home and a bit of shopping and time with fri...

Randy Weekes

Apr 29

Coming Home: Understanding the Challenge

When I ask whether going on an international mission or returning home is more challenging, most people say that coming back is harder. That has been true fo...

Randy Weekes

Apr 28

Coming Home: Process the past... Plan the future

When I came back from my first international placement, I was stuck for many, many months. I couldn’t figure out where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do...

Randy Weekes

Apr 27

PTSD Support: with compassion and corny humour

Dr. Dee Rajska is a Canadian clinical psychologist who has a blog and website directed towards helping military service personnel manage and recover from the...