A Hitchhiker's Guide to mapping your brain
Recurring flashbacks?
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Intrusive thoughts?
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Reliving Arguments?
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Recurring flashbacks? | Intrusive thoughts? | Reliving Arguments? |
Navigating your stressful experiences from the past is nearly impossible without a map.
Mind Mapping is a great way to help you heal and process stressors. Processing stressors is key to having a long and healthy career but, more importantly, a healthy life.
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Set a timer for 3 minutes.
Write your stressor in the middle of the paper and then write down emotions, thoughts, and fears that you associate with that stressor.
After the timer goes off, look at what you wrote down and read back to yourself what is on the paper.
Sit up tall in your chair with both feet flat on the ground and both hands flat on the table. Close your eyes and think about your happy place while breathing deeply. Do this until you feel calm.
Flip the paper over and repeat step 2 with no timer.
It is as simple as that. Mind mapping is not about finding the solution to all your problems. It is simply about making the problem tangible, getting it out of your mind and onto paper. Doing this twice gives you an opportunity to have two perspectives. You will be amazed at how many problems "solve themselves" when we simple acknowledge and process the problem outside of our mind. Mind Mapping can be helpful for processing calls, stressors with relationships, and overcoming addictions.
Admit it, you are an addict
-Neal Gibbons
Due to the stressful and traumatic work we do as firefighters, we have all seen addictions that start small and, over time, become overwhelming. Whether it’s something as simple as a caffeine fix, or something much harder, We all know the folks that can’t go without getting their fix. What begins as a subtle pull can quickly become something that seems to control us more than we control it.
No matter what the cause, recognizing the signs of substance use disorder early could mean the difference between a successful recovery and a lifelong battle with addiction.
Signs of Substance Abuse:
1-Physical or psychological craving to use the substance regularly
2-Persistent or unsuccessful attempts to decrease or stop substance use
3-Doing things you normally wouldn’t do to obtain substance, such as stealing or lying
4-Spending significant amounts of time taking, buying, or recovering from substance use
5-Failing to fulfill major obligations at home, school, or work due to substance use
6-Experience in extreme mood swings or irritability
7-Using substances in unsafe situations like driving or at work
8-Hiding your substance from others
If you recognize signs or symptoms in yourself, please consider help from a professional treatment provider.
