Join Brandi and James as they interview Geoff Whiteman, LMF discussing his research on resiliency and cross cultural workers. His study was completed by 892 workers representing 41 nationalities and serving in 148 countries. He will be speaking a Missio Nexus in September https://missionexus.org/innovate-2021/ on what the data said about organizations and resilience.

Visit his website at ResilientGlobalWorker.org to find out more and sign up for his newsletter.

Grab your copy of the UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEEDS WHEEL and other go-to interventions Geoff uses to help promote resilient growth among global workers at: bit.ly/RGWpodcast

Resource Recommendations:

Notes from the episode

If the number of people depressed globally every year represented a country’s population, it would be one of the biggest countries in the world ( Globally, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression annually (WHO).) In this first episode James and Brandi discuss what depression is and how and why it might be more prevalent amongst cross cultural workers.

I had a black dog, his name was depression (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc)

World Health Organization (WHO) At its worst, depression can be a frightening, debilitating condition. Millions of people around the world live with depression. Many of these individuals and their families are afraid to talk about their struggles, and don’t know where to turn for help. However, depression is largely preventable and treatable. Recognizing depression and seeking help is the first and most critical towards recovery. In collaboration with WHO to mark World Mental Health Day, writer and illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the “black dog of depression”. More information on the book can be found here: http://matthewjohnstone.com.au/ For more information on mental health, please visit: http://www.who.int/topics/mental_heal… Disclaimer: This video may contain links and references to third party-websites. WHO is not responsible for, and does not endorse or promote, the content of any of these websites and the use thereof.

A Christian perspective of Depression (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXecSlwVBTQ&t=333s)

One thing the globally mobile lifestyle requires from us all is to adjust to change. In Third Culture Kids: Growing up among Worlds, David C. Pollock and Ruth Van Reken introduced the concept of ‘building a RAFT’ to help ease us and our children through moves to new cultures.

RAFT stands for: 

1. Reconciliation
2. Affirmation
3. Farewells
4. Think Destination

But RAFT is not only for moves across cultures. It is a change model for transitions of all kinds and can help us adjust in times of rapid change, ambiguity, even turmoil, such as what we are experiencing today.

(For full details on RAFT, please refer to Third Culture Kids, now in its third edition, by David C. Pollock, Ruth Van Reken, and Michael Pollock.)

https://www.figt.org/blog/8857196

(Third Culture Kids)

Families in Global Transition resources www.figt.org

Lauren Wells coaching, training & resources www.tcktraining.com

Interaction International resources https://interactionintl.org/resources/

TCK Connect groups https://interactionintl.org/programs/tck-connect/

Third Culture Kids

In this publication, the authors explore the experiences of those who have become known as third culture kids (TCKs) – children who grow up or spend a significant part of their childhood living abroad. The book is rich with real-life anecdotes and examines the nature of the TCK kid experience and its effects on maturing, developing a sense of identity, and adjusting to one’s passport country upon return. The authors give readers an understanding of the challenges and benefits of the TCK life and provide practical suggestions and advice on maximizing those benefits. (Amazon)

Feelings Wheel

http://feelingswheel.com

Active Listening Skills

• S – S stands for sitting squarely. So you sit and face the person that you are talking to. We should sit attentively at an angle to the person, so that we can look at them directly and show that we are listening to them and paying attention to them.
• O – O stands for having an open posture. Do not cross your arms as this can make us appear anxious or defensive.
• L – Lean forwards to show we are interested in what the person is talking about. It also means that the person can lower their voice if they wish to, if they are talking about personal issues, for example. 
• E – E stands for eye contact. Maintaining eye contact again shows that we are interested and listening to what the person has to say.  It doesn’t mean stare at the person as this can make them feel uncomfortable, but maintain good, positive eye contact.
• R – R stands for relaxed body language. This shows the person that you are not in a rush to get away, but are letting them talk at their own pace.
• https://www.acsedu.co.uk/Info/Psychology-and-Counselling/Counselling/SOLER-A-Counselling-Skill.aspx

Join Brandi and James as they discuss how to make resolutions stick and the science behind making change.

Subscribe to “Shop Talk” a podcast with Brandi and James. Available on Apple Podcast and Android and GooglePlay

To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

Professor Rubin also notes that the definition of the SMART acronym may need updating to reflect the importance of efficacy and feedback. However, some authors have expanded it to include extra focus areas; SMARTER, for example, includes Evaluated and Reviewed.

(https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm)