This blog shows you how you can use Logosynthesis® to make a difference in your life without being stuck in stressful patterns. Reduce stress. Calm reactions. Unlock your potential.
Shifting your energy to create work-life balance: We often work hard to achieve work-life balance – both a fulfilling personal life and a meaningful career. As we strive to be successful in all areas of life, we often encounter challenges that get in the way of ‘balance’. Logosynthesis, a transformative coaching model developed by Dr. Willem Lammers, offers a unique perspective and precise technique to address these challenges. By shifting limiting beliefs and memories, Logosynthesis can help professionals find inner … Read More
Food intolerances can be a distressing experience for many people. Symptoms of food intolerance can range from mild discomfort to severe digestive issues, skin problems, headaches, and more. Noticing patterns and documenting details of symptoms can be very helpful to diagnose any underlying health concerns. At times, food intolerances cannot be traced to any medical conditions. There are integrative approaches that can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall health. Here are some approaches to aid relief: 1.Special Diets: Properties of … Read More
This Logosynthesis podcast for therapists and coaches highlights how it is being used to support healing, healthy living & personal growth! Each episode offers insights from a certified Practitioner or Master Practitioner in Logosynthesis® related to their speciality of work. If you’re a therapist or coach looking for a powerful model to support your clients’ healing and personal growth, you might want to check out this podcast. Hosted by Cathy Caswell, a Master Practitioner and Instructor in Logosynthesis, this podcast … Read More
Many people struggle with workplace dread – feelings of dread or anxiety about going to work. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a toxic work environment, a difficult boss, or simply feeling overwhelmed by your workload. If you are experiencing this type of dread on a regular basis, it’s important to take action to address the issue before it takes a toll on your mental health and overall well-being. You don’t need to stay stuck … Read More
Mental imagery influences how you feel. Many people recognize the connection between visualizing pleasant mental images and relaxation. Research is also showing an important connection between intrusive mental imagery and distressing emotions: “Involuntary images and visual memories are prominent in many types of mental health issues. Patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and psychosis frequently report repeated visual intrusions corresponding to a small number of real or imaginary events, usually extremely vivid, detailed, … Read More
What triggers our emotions? Our emotions play a powerful role in how we experience the world around us. They can motivate us, inspire us, and bring us joy, but they can also hold us back and cause us pain. Understanding how our emotions are triggered and learning to manage them is an essential part of personal growth and well-being. One way that our emotions are triggered is through mental imagery. When we imagine a situation or experience in our minds, … Read More
Have you ever felt like you should be doing something, even though you don’t really want to? Maybe you feel like you should exercise more, or you should spend more time with your family, or you should be able to do work faster. These “shoulds” can be overwhelming and can lead to a sense of guilt or failure when you don’t live up to them. They can also affect your physical and mental health. In this post, we’ll explore why … Read More
Conversations can be stressful. They can be especially difficult when it’s an important topic and each person has a firm position on the outcome they desire. Often, the conversation gets muddled with reactive behaviours, leading to a poor result. Logosynthesis offers a solution to better conversations. By guiding you to recognize what bothers you before you have the conversation, you are able to resolve the underlying triggers to stressful reactions. You are better able to approach the conversation from a … Read More
Watch recordings from Logosynthesis Day 2023 The online conference held on January 11, 2023 offered a wonderful opportunity to come together to better understand how this model is being used in therapy, coaching and self-coaching. We are excited to offer the recordings of each session so that you can view any that you may have missed and/or watch presentations again. You are welcome to share the videos with friends and colleagues. To learn more about Logosynthesis, you can subscribe to … Read More
It is common to think that you need to ‘change’ yourself or your situation to achieve your potential. But what if you already possess your full potential? What if your work is to simply shift the memories and beliefs that get in the way of realizing this potential? Rather than expending energy to change yourself and others, you simply notice and shift the triggers to your stress response. The result is that more of your energy is available to act … Read More
Mental images are normal. As humans, we automatically create mental images in response life’s experiences. Some are pleasant. Some are not! And for the most part, they stay with us unchanged over time. We often hear of people reliving an accident or cherishing the memory of a loved one. Mental images can trigger physical and mental symptoms. What’s important is that it is not just the image that stays with you. When the image is activated, all the sensations associated … Read More
Start with what bothers you. We all experience things that bother us in everyday life. It’s a normal human response. An annoying boss. A coworker who doesn’t do their share of the work. Too many demands on your time. Worry about your children. Financial concerns. The list goes on…. Over time, how you react to these everyday situations take a toll on your health, your work and your relationships. It is common to think that if something bothers you, you … Read More
Tapping into Wisdom with the Serenity Prayer If you are looking for peace and calm in these very turbulent times, the Serenity Prayer offers valuable guidance: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” What do you accept? What do you change? How do you know the difference? I’ve known this prayer since my childhood. I prayed for acceptance, courage and wisdom. … Read More
Integrative psychotherapy can be helpful in treating a number of different mental health and psychological issues. Research offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of available methods in an effort to improve health outcomes. On September 8, 2022, Dr. med Suzanne von Blumenthal offered a poster presentation on the pilot efficacy study on the effectiveness of Logosynthesis at the Congress of the Swiss Society of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Logosynthesis was offered as a treatment modality for patients with depression or anxiety … Read More
World Suicide Prevention Day encourages you to be the light. Creating hope through action encourages you to gain confidence so that you can become a beacon of light to those in pain: “You can be the light.” (IASP, 2022) Suicide is not a comfortable topic, especially when someone close to you is struggling. It can trigger feelings of worry, fear and anxiety. The topic can trigger strong physical sensations and distressing thoughts. It can be difficult to know what to say … Read More
Sylvie contacted me because she was struggling at work. “I’m having a hard time at work again. It’s causing me bad headaches. I have lower back pain. And I had a panic attack before going into work today.” Sylvie reported that apart from work, she was doing well. She has been experiencing tension headaches for the past couple of weeks and based on past experiences, she is worried that things were going to continue to go downhill. I guided Sylvie … Read More
A stressor is defined as ‘a stimulus that causes stress’. (Merriam Webster) To reduce stress in your everyday life, the work seems clear: To eliminate the stimulus that is causing stress. And yet, ‘stimulus’ is a normal and necessary part of everyday living. Life would be very dull if you avoided all the stimuli that resulted in stress. Thus you learn to cope and live with the stress. And yet the faster the world changes, the greater the pressure to … Read More
Amber is recovering from coronavirus Amber joined our Zoom session out of breath. She had tested negative two days earlier but still experienced difficulty breathing any time she walked. She had no breathing issues prior to covid and she ‘knew’ that she may still be recovering, yet she felt annoyed. She was trying not to panic but she was definitely concerned about long term symptoms from the virus. She could feel the tightness in her chest. ‘I don’t want to … Read More
Times of war are distressing. Not only does war upset stability in the world around us. War upsets our inner stability. For Kay, Logosynthesis is the best way to reduce stress and to feel calmer. ‘Now there is a very special stress for me here in Germany. I know I have to be stable for my family and my students and yet I am really worried. I don’t feel calm. I feel the stress in my body, especially my shoulders.’ … Read More
Symptoms of Long Covid are distressing. Many people are struggling with a variety of distressing symptoms that persist after covid. Brain fog, fatigue, loss of taste and other symptoms are cause for concern. Many people don’t feel well and are suffering, wondering if they need to learn to live with debilitating symptoms. Logosynthesis offers a solution from an energetic perspective to provide immediate and sustained relief of symptoms. Doctors are using Logosynthesis to heal Long Covid. Logosynthesis is being used … Read More
Are you stressed heading back to school? Nancy works in a school and she was feeling the stress of returning to work after the holidays amid a surge in coronavirus cases. She was not feeling safe. She explored this issue using the guided video in the Essence: Unlock Potential Coaching App. The level of distress before the Logosynthesis sentences was at a 9 on a scale of 0-10. (0 being ‘no distress’ and 10 being ‘maximum distress’). The level of … Read More
Many people struggle with negativity in team meetings: Beth was interested in experiencing Logosynthesis so we met on a late afternoon Zoom call. I know Beth, so we had a brief chat before settling in to explore a topic. She is a team lead and is currently working from home. She notices that it is harder to interact with others. A lot of people are stressed out and although she is doing well in her current situation, she notices more … Read More
Many athletes struggle to competitively return to their sport after an injury. The physical injury may have healed and yet the fear of re-injury can hold them back from achieving their potential. Logosynthesis can offer immediate relief. Hannah fractured a bone in her knee in a non-sports related incident. Although the bone, the muscle was weak from wearing a brace for weeks. She was scared that her knee would pop when she put weight on it. I asked if she … Read More
Struggling with demanding workloads can be stressful. ‘A pile of work’ can feel intense! Many people struggle with stress, tension and anxiety related to priorities, demands and responsibility. Shoulders get tense. Stomachs ache. It can be difficult to concentrate on any one topic because everything feels important. In this position, it can be challenging to do your best work. The following example describes how Logosynthesis offers instant relief. Does your pile of work feel intense? In a coaching conversation with … Read More
Many people want to relieve pain from accidents. Many people want to relieve pain from accidents. Even after things ‘should’ be ok, they often continue to struggle with a variety of symptoms. We guide people to use Logosynthesis® to quickly eliminate the energetic triggers for sustained relief. This post describes an example of this work. The distress: I was recently speaking with Amanda, who had experienced an accident involving a significant hit to the top of her head. Tests confirmed … Read More
Images can feel distressing. Do you find yourself struggling to get certain mental images out of your head? While mental images can be helpful for understanding the world around us, they can also trigger unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that impact our well-being. Fortunately, there is a solution. Logosynthesis can help resolve distressing mental images. Logosynthesis is a comprehensive model for healing and personal growth. It uses the power of words to release the frozen energy structures that create … Read More
Do you experience food cravings? Food cravings can certainly offer comfort in the moment. Yet the ‘feel good’ feeling doesn’t usually last long. Feelings of guilt, shame and discomfort are normal. There can be a lot of negative consequences to food cravings. Many so-called comfort foods are low in nutrient value and high in sugar, fat and caffeine. This can affect your mood, your weight, and other aspects of your health. The more you give in to the craving, the … Read More
Your beliefs feel like ‘fact’. It can be challenging to change your beliefs. Your beliefs help you to make sense of your world. They are conclusions that you have reached based on your experiences, your culture and the authority of others. Although your beliefs feel ‘right’, they are frozen energy patterns that can keep you stuck in a limited view of the world. This is a normal pattern of being human. It allows us to survive. When new views are … Read More
Why it is important to be aware of our reactions: Our reactions can get in the way of what is beneficial for our own health and wellness. Yet our reactions are often based on conditioned responses. We often don’t recognize them. We focus on changing things around us to make us feel better. It can be liberating to be able to change our reactions. We can then focus our energy on meaningful action. Learning to resolve our automatic responses also … Read More
We are living in uncertain times. Most people look forward to the holiday season. Parties with friends. Shopping sprees. Family rituals. And now we are told that we cannot do the things we enjoy. In addition, we are worried about our parents, our children, our coworkers, our businesses and more. We don’t feel safe when we go out in public, especially when other people are not doing what they should be doing. We feel the impact. Some of us feel … Read More
Burnout is a response to our environment. Burnout involves a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that reduces your ability to accomplish your goals. It is not a medical diagnosis. Each of us responds to what is happening in our world based on our patterns of reacting. If we are conditioned to work hard and the demands increase, we work harder. If we are conditioned to hurry up and suddenly more people need our help, we get busier. If we … Read More
Change and uncertainty can lead to intense feelings It can be helpful to be able to release feelings of intensity as a result of the amount of change and uncertainty in our world. I routinely use Logosynthesis to release unwanted feelings. My experience this summer has been one of relaxed focus to write another book. For me, life doesn’t get much better than to spend my days writing in my comfy chair by the lake. A cup of coffee or … Read More
Acknowledge my situation I am parenting in the pandemic. I am living in extraordinary times. My life is not normal. I am not in control of the world around me. This can feel uncomfortable and even painful at times. As a parent, I feel additional pressure because I am concerned for my children. I may want to change the world to make it safer and more supportive for them. This can take tremendous energy. I have come to appreciate that … Read More
During our extraordinary times, we struggle between human vs humane. There is a call for more kindness and compassion. And yet we observe more intense, emotional and irrational behaviour that often feels angry and frustrated. When we encounter this behaviour, we react defensively. We seek more humane behaviour at a time when our human nature overrides these behaviours. When life doesn’t feel comfortable, we react. When our world doesn’t feel comfortable, our human response is fight-flight-freeze. Our automatic responses are … Read More
Learning to feel better. #Getreal challenges us to get in touch with what we are feeling. We are human. We react to change and it doesn’t always feel good. Growing up on a farm, I was introduced early to the idea of learning new ways to get the job done. The farming community was great at sharing new ideas and so, I was also introduced to the importance of learning from those around me. We didn’t have all the answers … Read More
When I can’t control the world around me, it helps to let go of the feelings about whether or not I am ok and touch base with ‘I am’. A compassion for what is. A calm for what is to come. My power is within so I can better support others. We are in it together.
We react to sudden changes and uncertainty We are human and we all react to the current global pandemic. We may experience a range of distressing thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in response to situation. Mathias Egger is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist based in Switzerland. He shares this example of working with a client and using Logosynthesis as a tool to help a client resolve a panic attack related to coronavirus. An example of using Logosynthesis to resolve panic … Read More
Working from home can be stressful. You can start now to relieve stress when working from home. As a working parent, it is normal to be pulled in many directions. There is lots of advice to direct what you should do but often what you need it the peace and calm to listen to your inner voice. You can benefit when working from home by learning to pay attention to what bothers you and resolve the triggers to stay present … Read More
Grief can feel overwhelming I love the change in season from winter to spring. The days are longer, the sun is warmer and the colours are more vibrant. Yet not everyone is in a position to look forward with anticipation. I was speaking with a colleague yesterday who was struggling with moving forward since her mother passed away before Christmas, at the beginning of winter. ‘I want to be on pause’. She was connecting with a sense of not wanting … Read More
What is ‘positive mental health’? The Canadian Public Health Agency defines mental health as: “the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity” – Capacity to feel, think and act. This definition recognizes that to be healthy, each … Read More
We may know that ‘worry’ is unproductive and that it stresses our immune system, however it is a natural emotion in this situation. This emotion is triggered by frozen perceptions from past experiences. When we resolve the trigger, the distressing thoughts, emotions and sensations disappear.
I know that the cows come first. I was raised on a beautiful, busy dairy farm. Everyone had an important role to play, whether it was milking cows or cooking supper or simply waiting for a load of hay to arrive at the barn so that we could quickly unload before the rain. We had lots of time to play but we clearly understood, the cows came first. Putting cows first is understandable when they are needed for the financial … Read More
How to let go of fear of coronavirus: The basic protocol for Logosynthesis offers a fast and easy approach that delivers results. Working with a trained guide can support your efforts to deliver surprising results. Stephen Carter, CEO and Founder of Stress Solutions LLC, shares this example of using Logosynthesis to help a client let go of fear around coronavirus: I received a Facebook PM from a longtime client asking if Logosynthesis could help with shortness of breath. This client … Read More
Use this guided meditation to experience relief related to coronavirus. It is normal to be reacting with worry, fear and anxiety related to coronavirus. Whether it is concerns related to finances, our own health or simply the media, coronavirus can be constantly on our minds. We can even experience symptoms in our bodies from the distress. Are you looking for relief? Willem Lammers has developed a specific Logosynthesis protocol to use the power of words to feel better. Simply set … Read More
I don’t like to lose my cool. When life gets busy and demanding, I have been known to lose my cool. It is not something that I like to admit but I notice it in the tone of my voice, the tension in my jaw and the squinting of my eyes. I get in a reactive mode and in the moment, my concern is not about the feelings of others but rather that others pay attention to me. And although … Read More
One photo has the power to spark very different reactions in people. My reactions are based on my experiences and my beliefs, which are part of the family and the community in which I live. One photo can feel fun and playful to one person and yet trigger very raw feelings of distress in another. My work is to resolve the perceptions that trigger my reactions so that I can have a higher level of compassion to support others to … Read More
Feeling safe influences how I react in my world. I perform my best when I feel safe. I make better choices when I feel safe. I enjoy life most when I feel safe. I recognize that heights, black ice and speed elicit a nervous reaction. I can relate the feelings to past experiences. I recognize that stepping outside of my family norms triggers me to pull back. We share a strong set of beliefs and values. I recognize that being … Read More
Our frame of reference is how we approach the world. Frame of reference is defined as ‘a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, or understood.’ (Merriam-Webster, 2019) Each of us has a unique frame of reference that is embedded in our culture, education and experiences. It provides us with a structure to make sense of the multitude of stimuli that constantly bombards our senses. Dismiss. Our senses perceive external stimuli. When this … Read More
Growth comes from being able to resolve two conflicting truths. Our reactions provide us with information that allows us to resolve our frozen perceptions, also known as our beliefs. Redefining Truth. Our simple definition for ‘truth’ as a fact or reality is closed, exclusive and reactive. It does not support growth, inclusiveness or creativity. According to Merriam-Webster, an additional definition is a judgment or idea that is true or accepted as true. Judgment is defined as a formal utterance of … Read More
Rational explanations do not explain current leadership behaviour. Given the pace of change and the increasing pressure of demands, leaders at all levels are responding based on their instinct, beliefs and attitudes. When pressure is applied to retrieve rational explanations, perceptions are triggered that ignite inflammatory thoughts and emotions. Policies are put in place to correct and prevent, yet policies rely on rational thought to be effective. We push down irrational responses and yet the increased pressure fuels a higher … Read More
On this 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day, we are moved to remember. Each in our own way. Each with our own stories. Each with our own past. What we know is that somewhere in all of the fighting was a desire for peace and calm for our families and future generations. And as we now stand here on November 11, 2018, the world is changing so rapidly that we struggle to feel this desired peace and calm. This morning, I … Read More
Recognizing our natural reactions. Trauma. My natural reaction to the word is to close in, back away and shut up. It is not comfortable for me to talk about suffering and I don’t like to talk about things that are not comfortable. I was born into a culture and a family where we didn’t spend a lot of time talking about our emotions or our reactions. I learned to be resilient. I handed my suffering to God and moved on … Read More
“Real power is, I don’t even want to use the word: ‘Fear.’” Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump in an interview with Bill Woodward and Robert Costa, March 31, 2016 Fear is a derailer ‘Is fear real power?’ Certainly many will respond with a ‘Yes’ because it triggers a response and it drives action. But fear simply implies ‘power over others’. Fear relies on position and authority to trigger reactions in others. Fear does not allow space for others to generate … Read More
Why improve productivity? Improving productivity allows us to achieve more with less. We often think of this as achieving more financial benefit with less of the organization’s financial resources. There is also great opportunity to achieve more with less of our personal resources. Think for a moment of the time and/or energy that goes in to building our personal resources: exercise; healthy eating; sleep and others. Significant energy expenditure in order to build our personal resources to have energy available … Read More
What if we can relieve our distress rather than have to learn to live with it? Think about this for a moment. We live our life and events happen. We react with a wide range of emotion, depending on the nature of the event. Distress is a combination of emotions, sensations and thoughts that result in a feeling of discomfort. We may notice that we get stuck in habitual reactive patterns as a result of this distress. The symptoms can … Read More
Confidence through experience is crucial. Self-reliance, resilience and self-awareness are all rooted in experiences. To be reliant on our own efforts and abilities requires that we gain confidence through our experiences. This confidence influences our resiliency, known as our ability to recover or adjust to misfortune or change. This confidence also influences our own awareness of our behaviour and emotional characteristics. Self-reliance supports growth. In the book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Harari, 2015), the author makes the argument that … Read More
We are undergoing immense change and uncertainty. We all want to put students first, yet look around and it is easy to recognize an escalation in the pace of change. All of our systems are feeling the pressure of adapting to intense uncertainty and the external demands often exceed the ability to cope, resulting in breakdown. Schools feel the intensity every day, as children arrive with tensions from home, as parents react out of fear and frustration and teachers, … Read More
Anxiety is common in Canada. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, mood and/or anxiety disorders are common and individuals are active in learning more about the condition: In 2013, an estimated 3 million Canadians (11.6%) aged 18 years or older reported that they had a mood and/or anxiety disorder. Most people with mood and/or anxiety disorder(s) are currently taking, or have taken, prescription medication(s) (93%), but few (20%) have received psychological counselling to help manage their disorder(s). 83% said that … Read More
Love and kindness as feelings. Love and kindness. If we consider these words as feelings rather than choices, we recognize the sensations as coming from the heart and not the head. When we feel love and kindness, we experience sensations in our body, generally in the area of our heart. We often see a person or hear a voice that triggers these sensations. Different people will trigger varying degrees of intensity of emotion and we will feel different sensations in … Read More
Actions are often reactions: MYActionsMatter is a campaign by the Government of Canada to mark 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The theme provides a strong callout to reinforce that our actions are not just meaningless behaviours. Our actions make a difference to everyone around us. The actions highlighted in the campaign messaging are common behaviours that are often excused or discounted. We think that we are making deliberate actions when in fact, most of these behaviours are reactive … Read More
We like to fix things, take action and solve problems. Logosynthesis can support us to challenge these beliefs. We live in a culture where we are praised for having passion to do things right and to do the right things. The more demanding the situation, the harder we work. It can take a great deal of energy and yet we continue to be faced with the same repetitive issues. What if we do nothing and avoid the situation. That doesn’t feel … Read More
Traditions are more than memories: Diversity and inclusion are important. We may know this yet we often feel discomfort. As I scrolled through Facebook this morning, I was greeted with a post of group photos from past Terry Fox Runs. This was a tradition in our office. Sometimes I went on my own, sometimes with my family. But we did this annual 5 km run, rain or shine. I was blessed with a boss who valued tradition and made time … Read More
Do men have to lose power to make room for women? This morning I reflected on Justin Trudeau’s talk to the Women in the World convention held earlier this week in Toronto. I applaud his efforts towards fairness! It feels invigorating to have a proud feminist fight for the rights of women! But there is a watch out. I got stuck on the reference to the notion that men will have to lose power to make room for women. I … Read More
The world should be fair. Justin Trudeau was asked about his number one priority for the next two years at a recent Women in the World convention. He acknowledged that there was a lot to be done but the big one was around fairness, stating a desire that ‘everyone has a fair chance to succeed in Canada. … Everything I can do, everything we can do, to shift the world in the right direction continues to be something that I … Read More
An interesting debate is heating up in Canada between the government and the self-employed. The Liberal platform states ‘We’ll ask the wealthiest 1% to pay a bit more so middle class families can pay less’. It goes on to say: ‘Our plan to help middle class Canadians: Create jobs. Strengthen the economy. Grow the middle class.’ When Bill Morneau introduced the proposed changes to make this happen, they proposed that they would close three ‘loopholes’ that allowed wealthy Canadians to … Read More
We all react. I have surrounded myself with great, intelligent men. I consider them my peers, I value their insight and I rely on their counsel. Yet they frustrate me with their decisiveness and their different perspectives. I react. In turn, they react to my impatience and frustration – sometimes with avoidance, sometimes with frustration. Bottom line – we don’t maximize our effectiveness. Through my work with Logosynthesis, I have come to appreciate that the exercise is for me to … Read More
‘A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.’– Mahatma Ghandi – Supporting health at the level of ‘hearts and soul’. Humans can feel the power of ‘hearts and souls’ through music, dance and prayer. Humans come together to connect, mourn and celebrate in life’s most meaningful moments. This energy supports healthy living. Humans can also feel stuck in their lives because of painful memories, limiting beliefs and fantasies about life. This ‘stuck’ energy limits … Read More
We strive to create a world where we can all enjoy life more fully. We rally behind causes such as gender equality, racial acceptance and religious accommodation yet these are the topics whereby unrest continues to create news headlines. We send our children to school and our employees on courses to reinforce our commitment to change. We publish books, produce shows and host conferences to discuss the importance of these humanitarian topics. So why is it that in 2017 where … Read More
We aspire to care for others. Global Health Individual Well Being. We are born into this world with aspirations to make it a better place for all. We care about the kid next door and the family halfway around the globe. We want everyone to be happy and healthy. Our career aspirations often involve the caring and healing professions. We want to take away pain and suffering for all. We have the capacity to love and we want to love … Read More
Creating space for growth. As our country is aglow with Canada150 celebrations, we see a strong message emerge, symbolized by erection of a tipi on Parliament Hill. Not all is comfortable in our land! What if we had a technique that would allow us to acknowledge these feelings of discomfort and release the energy in these reactions so that we could create a space for growth. While Canada150 is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with family, friends and neighbours, it … Read More
Strength is viewed as a sign of success. We aim to strengthen ourselves both individually and within organizations – and there is ample material to tell us how to achieve this. I think of strength as a matrix, with each experience representing a bond holding together individual points. The quality of these experiences impact the quality of the bonds and hence, the strength of the individual and the community or organization. As I collect thoughts for a 4-H post to … Read More
Celebrating our diversity. We are truly a mosaic worth celebrating. This year, we celebrate an important milestone in Canada’s history, marking 150 years as a nation. Strong and free. Humble and proud. We are keenly aware that our cities, towns and rural communities were both carved from the wilderness and overtaken from communities native to this land. All to create a space for a vision we know as Canada. What has happened in our past is responsible for creating the country we are today. We carry … Read More
Our Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a special, private meeting with Pope Francis yesterday. Listening to his interview following their conversation, it was evident that he was deeply moved by the personal, reflective discussion. I understand that there is a great deal of pressure and scrutiny on our leaders to say the right things and to have the right look. They need to be warm, friendly and authentic but not ‘too’ warm and friendly because that is not authentic. … Read More
Let go to create space for success. I am strong and successful. I have worked hard for what I have and for what is important to me. Things haven’t always gone my way but I have carried on. That is not an option. But I have also come to realize the beauty in being able to let go. I have come to realize that by letting go, we can create a space for success. Life happens but we can still let go. Life … Read More
Think for a moment about the power in the word ‘believe’. To know something with confidence yet without proof. How do you know with confidence? You feel it. Your experience tells you it is so. Your culture embraces it. At times, we are extremely passionate about our beliefs. We work hard to convince others that we are right. We are prepared to fight for our beliefs. We feel discomfort and fear when our life is not as we believe it should … Read More
I would like to write something profound today as I bring one phase of my career to a close and open the door to something new and unknown. The word that has been capturing my attention lately is ‘courage’. The ability to do something that frightens one. There are lots of quotes on courage from Nelson Mandela to Winston Churchill, with the encouragement to draw on our strength in an effort to overcome our failures and achieve success. As life happens, … Read More
I can appreciate that people may not understand what drives my passion for Logosynthesis. For quite some time, I had a very rationale explanation. Despite reading lots of books and trying lots of techniques, I was unable to let go of my reactive behaviours. In fact, the busier I became, the harder it was to control. Logosynthesis was a unique technique and I was open to explore. I became highly intrigued and the more I learned, the more the work drew me in. … Read More
This morning I read a post written by Dr. Willem Lammers, the founder of Logosynthesis, on work he is developing in the area of life transitions. As always, I am interested in applying the concepts to my everyday life. Top of mind is the current labour dispute between government and the teachers union in Nova Scotia. Here are some thoughts for consideration: Kicked out of comfort zones: According to Willem, we tend to cope in life by avoiding discomfort and finding stability through coping techniques, … Read More
Tension leads to stances: As tension escalates on contract negotiations between the teachers union and the government, the public is left feeling very angry and confused. The situation is reactive and irrational. The latest straw to fuel another work-to-rule mandate was our premier’s ‘clarification’ that the teachers two ‘new’ days off were for marking and classroom preparation. So I view this as new material to apply and I have identified the importance of stances, defined as a way of thinking about something, especially … Read More
The teachers in Nova Scotia have been telling us they are overwhelmed and they want change! Their union has been negotiating with our government to come to an agreement to improve working conditions. In the interim, students, parents and taxpayers are not feeling their needs are being met. When it comes to educating our children and future leaders, we all have strong beliefs about what is required. I am offering my perspective based on what I have been hearing: Teachers are … Read More
I am curious: I am curious about the role of spirit in mental illness. The Mayo Clinic website offers that ‘Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behaviour.’ It basically relates to anything that does not have a physical cause. We know health captures body, mind and spirit. Spirit is energy, emotions and feelings. Are we combining both mental and spiritual aspects of health under the topic of mental illness? If … Read More
Leaders listen to embrace diversity. What happens when leaders listen? At the Community Town Hall in Dartmouth, NS last evening, our Prime Minister listened to questions from a ‘friendly’ audience. I attended with a question to ask but as I observed the dynamics, I received my answer without needing to stand at the microphone. As I listened, I noticed how he was able to disarm controversy by acknowledging diversity of opinion and respecting the concerns of individuals. As he accepts the responsibility of … Read More
Leaders assume important roles at all levels of our society. We rely on them to set the direction, focus the group and prevent things from becoming overwhelming. We expect a great deal of our leaders and often forget that everyone leads based on their own beliefs. And what each of us believes is different based on personal experiences and societal norms. My reactions are an indicator of the energy tied to my beliefs. We all react. In the reactive state, our energy is not available for productive, creative thought. Change and … Read More
I live in Nova Scotia and on Monday, my children will not be attending school as a labour dispute between teachers and the province escalates. I am observing the reactions from the perspective of my lessons in Logosynthesis and I am going to offer a few words in an attempt to broaden the conversation. The common theme on social media is ‘If you care about our children you would …’. Yes, we should all care about our children! But our reactions … Read More
We all react to everyday life events. Some reactions are beneficial to our success and others hold us back from achieving our goals. However I have come to recognize that even the reactions that are beneficial to an individual’s success can be damaging to the team. And reactions that are beneficial to the team, may hold an individual back. As leaders, parents and people of influence, what is needed to get the job done may be clear. The energy bound in … Read More
My summer has been much like any other. Great trips to visit family, connecting with friends, watching my daughters’ soccer games, playing catch up at work and enjoying quiet moments by the lake. This year, however, I have experienced it through a different lens. I have become more aware of the energy I bring to these experiences. I take time to note my less-than-desirable reactions and to release the energy bound in my beliefs that fuel my responses. I feel less stressed and less reactive to … Read More
I am not proud of the fact that I tend to overreact when things bother me. I have worked very hard over the years to manage my reactions using some highly recommended techniques: Exercise: A good run certainly energizes and recharges me. Sleep: A rested mind makes it easier for me to think clearly and objectively. Avoidance: Walking away is often better than escalating a stressful situation. Talk: It is therapeutic to find a friend or coworker who can sympathize with my … Read More
Spiritual health is one of four dimensions to well-being as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), which include physical, social, and mental. Although spiritual health was not included in their initial definition of health in 1946, it has evolved to recognize that “the spiritual dimension plays a great role in motivating people’s achievements in all aspects of life”. The complete description of the spiritual dimension as articulated by the World Health Assembly in 1984 through resolution WHA 37.13 is as follows: The spiritual dimension is … Read More
Letting It Go: Relieve Anxiety and Toxic Stress in Just a Few Minutes Using Only Words (Dr. Laurie Weiss, 2016) This book explains Logosynthesis in a concise manner that is easy for all to understand. It is designed with straightforward instructions to learn how to stop worrying about things you can’t control and to help manage challenging situations. The following description about the author, provided on Amazon, speaks to the fascinating nature of this work: After over 40 years practicing psychotherapy and coaching, … Read More
Why do I believe that Logosynthesis® can benefit everyone? We can all benefit from having our energy available to create in the present rather than react to our past. I believe Logosynthesis® is a unique approach to health and wellness because it recognizes our Essence (life energy) from a creative perspective and it guides us to identify and dissolve our unique emotional imprints that trigger us to react to our past. Most stress management techniques provide us with coping skills to manage our … Read More
Spiritual health is recognized in our constitution. We place a great deal of emphasis on health in Canada yet spiritual health is placed in a separate bucket from physical and mental health. Our healthcare system demands evidence-based research yet our constitution recognizes the supremacy of God. When the Canadian Constitution was amended in 1982 to entrench the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the following wording was incorporated: ‘Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and … Read More
As I reflect on my conversations around LOGOSYNTHESIS, I recognize that we often hold a great deal of emotion in our beliefs. The stronger the emotion, the more adamant we are that we are right and the stronger the conviction to get others to change. Consider how the following statements may be limiting: I don’t get along well with others because they have issues. I am not the one who needs personal development work. My frustration at work is due to other people not doing things … Read More
It’s been four months since Dr. Lammers joined us for an evening to talk about LOGOSYNTHESIS. Since then, I’ve had many interesting conversations trying to better understand the topic and how to convey its grace and eloquence to others. The more I learn, the more intrigued and fascinated I become. I want to share it with everyone but I have been struggling with trying to explain the details, trying to understand who is ready for it and worrying about what will … Read More
In my daily routines, I get stressed and I interact with a lot of stressed individuals. I don’t work in health care. I don’t work with illness. I have a regular job and I am involved in my community. I appreciate the great people that are involved in my life. I notice that some of our stress is individual and some is collective. I notice that we often react in manner that is a little more dramatic than what others can appreciate. I notice that … Read More
Life Happens. Life is not as it should be. We are stressed. We react irrationally to things. We suffer in silence. 2 in 3 people suffer in silence fearing judgment and rejection. (Canadian Medical Association) What if we could adopt a simple practice that would allow us to let go of these feelings? LOGOSYNTHESIS is a beautiful system that can be incorporated into our daily routines to help us let go of the feelings that cause our fears and anxieties … Read More
The holidays are over. We have finished the first week in a new year. Do we take time to acknowledge any stress we experienced or do we just push forward? Get over it. Move on. At work, we just finished a challenging year with lots of change. Some of us took a few days off to recharge. We are now full swing into the next set of targets. Do we take time to acknowledge the toll it took or do we … Read More
I admit that my job can overwhelm me at times. I have been in the same position for the past 10+ years. As the process in my role continually increases, I have difficulty keeping up with the workload. I feel like I am playing ‘pop-a-mole’. The faster I work, the further behind I get. My computer doesn’t respond fast enough and new systems continue to add process. I work to get everything under control but don’t feel like I am having success. It is very easy … Read More
I believe we all want to be good parents but what we hold in our heads and our hearts isn’t always in line with the behaviour we exhibit. As parents, we hold fantasies of how our children should be based on our beliefs and past experiences. And when things aren’t as we had imagined, we react. Often we are not even aware of what triggers our reactions. What are some of our fantasies? ‘My child will be the best athlete or the … Read More
It is normal to react to situations in everyday life Self-coaching puts you in the driver’s seat. You learn how to notice what bothers you and take action to feel better and to achieve your goals. You are human and in everyday life you make choices. You also react to what happens around you. At times, these reactions can impact your health or get in the way of what is important. While this is normal, learning to resolve memories and … Read More
My life ‘should be’ different. But it’s not. Things happen in my life which ‘should not’ happen. But the fact is, they do happen. I do things that I know I ‘should not’ do. But I do them anyway. People around me do things that they clearly ‘should not’ do. But the fact is, they too, do them anyway. There are things I ‘should have’ known to prevent something. But the fact is, I did not know. And I have come to … Read More
As I prepare for a public presentation to introduce LOGOSYNTHESIS® with the founder, Dr. Willem Lammers, I want to share some important observations: People are intrigued and want to learn how to better cope with stress but most people are too busy to attend due to valid work or personal commitments. Our schedules are so full that we are challenged to find a time to talk about stress as a community. I am waiting to get engagement from government and health care professionals. There … Read More
Over my career in dietetics, marketing and sales, understanding how to effectively break habits and change behaviour has been a key goal. Additionally, I feel a need to change my behaviour in my roles as mother, spouse, coworker, friend and community member. Our traditional approaches ask us to identify the behaviours we want to change and then put in place action items and timelines to change them. The general thinking is that if we can stick to our new plan … Read More
We readily talk about how stressed out we are. We can explain in great detail how our work, our family, our friends and our chores wear us down. However, we rarely take time to quietly sit back and get in touch with what our stress feels like in each situation. It can be uncomfortable to get in touch with these feelings so we avoid the sensations by adding more things to our ‘to do’ list. Instead, we create more stress for ourselves and for those … Read More
I have been working on my personal development for a long time. I am versed in stress management, physical fitness, healthy eating, parenting techniques and the list goes on but even with knowing what I needed to do, I still reacted to the same things the same way. With the introduction of LOGOSYNTHESIS™, the triggers that cause me to react no longer have the same effect. I believe I have lots to work on but I do feel that I … Read More
Teachers get paid to teach a pre-determined curriculum to our children however we all recognize that their role is far broader and more important than the course material. They are the adults that influence, mentor and support our children. They are on the playground when children are bullied and in the classroom when students struggle for answers. They are charged with teaching children who come to school too tired, too worried or too stressed to learn. And teachers are human, bringing to … Read More
I am the daughter of immigrants who came to Atlantic Canada with nothing. My parents were able to create something special on the banks of the Miramichi River through hard work and determination. What was the secret of their success? I challenge that a significant factor was their experiences as children. Growing up during World War II in Holland imprinted that when times got tough, they had no choice but to work through the challenges. They knew that they didn’t need much … Read More
THE HEALTHY LIVING PLAN is a forum to share my learnings and perspectives on personal development with the aim to stretch all of our thinking beyond our comfort zone so that we can build upon but are not limited to our habits and the teachings of our parents and our professions. I am a dietitian but this is not in the scope of dietetics practise. I have an MBA and although organizational behaviour theory has certainly plays a role, this is … Read More
Losing my cool as a parent! As a parent, I truly want to do a great job raising my children. However, I admit that I get stressed. I have been known to raise my voice and lose my cool when things don’t go as I feel they should. I know what I should be doing and how to do it but in the moment, all good intentions are put aside and I react. The key motivator for me to work on … Read More
Healthy living is not about running the furthest or looking the best. It is about enjoying life with vigour and engaging in meaningful relationships. It is about finding peace, contentment and fulfillment right where we are. In order to do this, we need to acknowledge that emotional events from the past shape how we see the here and now. They trigger feelings of fear the future and pain about the past. They limit our beliefs about who we are and … Read More
Everyday life can get busy and feel out of control! When we are stressed out, we tend to react with habitual behaviours. It is common to look back at a situation and say ‘Oh no! I did it again!’. Despite our best resolve to change, we continue to repeat unwanted behaviours. Logosynthesis is an powerful model that can help you to focus on recognizing your stress, identify the emotional imprints from past events that trigger your reactions and … Read More
Do you feel like stress is controlling your life? At THE HEALTHY LIVING PLAN, we know that everyday life can be stressful. Our aim is to help everyone, young and old alike, reduce chronic stress and anxiety. To change behaviour requires more than knowing what to do and we will introduce LOGOSYNTHESIS® as an interesting tool to incorporate in your healthy living plan.
