I was brought up on a sheep farm, and one of the most fascinating features of that farm was the tracks the sheep made across the paddocks. Right in the middle of a field, you’d find this narrow, well-worn path — pressed down by hundreds of hooves, over and over, […]
Mental Health Recovery
13 posts
The most vulnerable point of change is at the beginning, but if we can catch the little foxes that spoil the vine, those things that would want to kill new growth, then we can find the change. It’s spring here in New Zealand, and for grape growers, it’s the riskiest […]
This didn’t feel normal AT ALL, but when they offered the words ‘That’s normal and you’re going to be ok’, a flood of reassurance swept into me. After they had told their story, the psychiatrist looked at them and, with quiet compassion, said these words. For what you’ve been through, […]
Sometimes we can find ourselves stuck in a dark hole and feel like we are going down, but there is hope when we open ourselves to the connection and support from others. One property I work on as a gardener is a small farm, and I get to use a […]
Our brains can be so busy that it can feel like a concussion, but we can help the brain recover by finding some still waters to rest next by. When I wrote the first draft of this post, I was sitting next to a small stream. There wasn’t much water […]
‘Power over’ was normal, but ‘power with’ was what they needed. When we listen deeply, we move forward. Mental health flourishes when power is shared. She was small in stature, and I think she also saw herself as being a little person, insignificant. She was also quiet and never really […]
We all want immediate results. A change to our situation, but Mental Health recovery takes time, so let’s be patient with ourselves and others. ‘I wish this would go away’ were the unsaid words messaged in the face of despair, looking at me. I had seen that gaze many times, […]
Nurses, doctors, counselors, etc. can all make a difference to our mental health recovery, but the more lasting help will come from a committed companion — someone like Ruth who will break bread with us. It was like a revolving door of people entering their life and then leaving it. […]
When you don’t want to wake up the next morning, pray that God may gently wake you up to the goodness happening all around you. Then soak yourself in it. Take it in and let it mindfully grow throughout your soul. Last week, I was out doing some garden work […]
The change was barely noticeable unless you knew them well enough to know that this was significant. It was a small change in their behaviour, a problem that had plagued them for most of their life, but now it was gone. They wanted a miracle, like the over night delivery of […]