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[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

If a sunset passes by our condo, and no one is there to see it, does it still glisten?

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Imagine starting your mornings with a warm cup of coffee as soft clouds drift across the sky. Rain may be in the forecast, yet a sense of calm settles over you... because you're home.

There's something special about this view. It creates an immediate feeling of comfort, peace, and belonging. If you've been searching for a condo that offers a natural sense of tranquility the moment you walk through the door, you've just found a place to exhale, unwind, and build a new home on the Prairies.

#YEG #Edmonton #YEGRealtor #YEGRealEstate #ExploreEdmonton

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Does the emotion of belonging predict staff retention in rural hospitals? Here's a presentation I recently delivered on that topic.

If this inspires any ideas or questions, be sure to share them in the comments!

#abhealth

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Canada's healthcare system spent 30 years hiring $400/hour Lean Six Sigma consultants to improve processes. The MBAs insisted patients were like cars on an assembly line: "The cure is to run hospitals like an airport" they said, confidently I might add.

But, the suits forgot one critical assumption ... the car never returns to the assembly line. We send patients into the wild every day, but who is there to maintain their various parts and driveline components? Lacking community care, patients return to this assembly line every day, seeking care.

Many will say they feel like hospitals have become a revolving door, more focussed on discharge than stabilizing their underlying condition.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

The human brain is built on top of ancient architecture, with parts anchored deep within a mid-brain shared with all mammals. These deeper processes are largely unconscious but always online, monitoring and perceiving in the background. They allow us to connect with mammals and understand them intuitively.

And yet, this deeper brain architecture can't think in the traditional sense. It doesn't know you live in a city. But, it senses things like fresh air, the sun, and forests quite impeccably.

For example, a small circuit of neurons monitor if birds are still singing. When birds become quiet, our brain predicts there might be danger nearby and we become more alert.

In one study, listening to just 6 minutes of birdsong reduced anxiety and paranoia with a modestly strong effect size. Listening to 6 minutes of traffic noises, however, increased depression quite substantially.  Study authors noted that this "bird calming effect" could last up to 8 hours in a way that being immersed in trees, plants and waterways could not explain.

Many psychologists treat natural stimuli as the same. A wave is a bird. A bird is a leaf. The fact is, the audio of birds singing after a rainstorm are the oldest safety signal hard-coded within the mammalian nervous system.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

In the same way, elimination of all negative emotions does not produce happiness or joy.

Psychological flourishing seems to reflect a capacity to be flexible, to not get stuck on a low or high gear, and to adapt in a way that resonates with our environment.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Aristotle described how most human virtues reflect a balanced middle ground between two extremes, or a "golden mean".

Greatness does not flow from perfection, but rather a synthesis of two contrasting behaviours. In the right mind, imperfection fuels growth and adaptation.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

ChatGPT has shown the world how important language is for thinking.

What many have yet to realize is that people also have automated linguistic 'beings' (a.k.a., thoughts and beliefs) programmed inside their brain. This realization will shape the future of psychotherapy.

[Seth Fowler @sethlfowler]

Some goals don’t die because you lack desire.

They die because talking about them gave you enough reward to stop building.

I wrote about why some goals lose momentum after everyone hears about them.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Many clinicians fail to appreciate how giving advice can feel invalidating to the patient.

The more we teach, the less engaged (and more annoyed) our patients will feel. It's just a matter of time, since they are the experts of their life experience.

A more effective way to educate is by asking reflexive questions that guide the patient towards values-committed action.

For example:
❌ "You should stop smoking."
✅ "By chance, have you already considered the benefits of quitting smoking?"

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Depression and diabetes are highly co-morbid, with many hypothesizing that a chronic pro-inflammatory state increases cortisol and hence stress-linked disorders.

This also explains the most predictive symptom of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) quite well... fatigue. 😩

But, have you considered that we can also 'see' diabetes-associated fatigue (and perhaps your risk for depression) in the blood? Subclinical hypoxemia (SpO2 91-94%) after cardiovascular activity is frequently seen in people living with prediabetes or T2D, most noticable as exercise intolerance.

This drop in SpO2 is likely a symptom of microvascular damage and macroalbuminuria, but it goes further than that. We see a body that is showing signs of poor perfusion, and wanting to rest to conserve oxygen.

Hence, the brain perceives a body in need of fatigue (rest) and depression. Pulling yourself up by your metabolic bootstraps is incredibly hard, but so rewarding!

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Many people conceptualize depression as a period of prolonged sadness, overlooking the loss of motivation and energy shifts commonly seen.

But, depression is often marked by reductions in attention and effortful control (a.k.a., work). It is also a highly metabolic disorder.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

A gentle reminder.

When you try your best but you don't succeed, know that this empty space is also an expansive one.

No body. No one. No thing. No where. This multiple potential state exists because of ego-depletion, loss of meaning, and the collapse of timelines.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Something interesting happens when caregivers imagine "standing on the side of the road, waiting for their loved one". Many notice this urge to move forward but choosing to stay back to help. Others express worry. In most cases, this visualization activates relevant emotions.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

Have you ever thought about the psychological pull of Earth? This expansive place that holds us in place and situates us.

The gravity of Earth defines us. Yet, it also confines us.

Notice how those without a sense of place disconnect from it. Perhaps Earth is our shadow self, unexplored and unexamined, enforcing distance and separation.

[ConsortiaCare.ca @ConsortiaCares]

If you're a therapist in Alberta, why not join our Community of Practice regarding tech innovation in therapy settings?
https://t.co/RFalp7VPhe

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

We link before we think. According to Two-Factor Theories, we feel emotions following interpretation of (i.e., thinking about) physical sensations.

That's why I developed this quick assessment to help therapists locate potential emotions.

Link to Tool:
https://t.co/hlfuLcpNTt

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

We link before we think. According to Two-Factor Theories, we feel emotions following interpretation of (i.e., thinking about) physical sensations.

That's why I developed this quick assessment to help therapists locate potential emotions.

Link to Tool:
https://t.co/hlfuLcpNTt

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

"Always assume things will work out, then do the work to make it true."

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

The proposed 'permanent daylight time' change is going to create more 'night owls' (delayed phase sleep pattern) in #yeg, which is negatively correlated with several mental health and metabolic diseases.

Morning sunlight is critically important to regulating sleep patterns. With darker mornings and brighter evenings, I anticipate there will be higher rates of depression, insomnia, and chronic fatigue within a few years.

[Adam Henley, MSc, RN @northHealer]

For many people, suicidal ideation is a crisis of meaning. It's sometimes described as staring into emptiness or feeling trapped in a dark space.

Yet, the standardized questions we ask rarely explore this experience, making patients feel more alone and isolated over time.

If you're a clinician, consider the importance of asking these additional questions:
- "When you think of your future, how do you feel?"
- "What gives your life meaning right now?"
- "Did anything happen to you that makes life feel pointless or empty?"
- "Could you help me understand how life lost meaning?"