The Military Lifestyle

You never know where life will take you. For Bruno Guevremont, it took him into the Canadian Armed Forces for 15 years, including two tours in Afghanistan. It also took him on a battle with his own mental health, one where he got help, and is now helping others. Special Guest Bruno Guevremont was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for 15 years including time in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy. In addition to being a mental health advocate, Bruno does high performance coaching with organizations and individuals. Highlights Bruno's backstory. The experience of dismantling roadside bombs. 4:41 How he knew he needed help with his mental health.  Impact on his family life. 10:49 You can only connect the dots looking backward.  What he would tell military members and their families about mental health. 17:47 What really changed things around for him.  The power of the expedition to the North Pole.  Would he do anything different? 24:24 This journey of mental health is something you constantly work on. Quotes"The military told you you can no longer serve in the military. But nobody told you that you could no longer serve your country. We need you in the communities we need the training that you've done. Nobody puts the amount of money in training you all around and all kinds of things like the military does. Basically, the average price between basic training to fully trades qualified, whichever trades you're picking up in the military is about a million dollars, you're worth a million dollars, you're a Million Dollar Man. So use those skills because they are needed in community." - Bruno Guevremont "And that starts by making a plan of before while you're joining in basic training and all that and, and really creating that support system around you and saying, hey, guys, what if? Because it might happen. And what if it happens, how we're going to deal with it?" - Bruno Guevremont  "If you want to find out who you are, the military will show you that. It's the right platform to really find out what your abilities are, what you're capable of, and who you truly are at the core." - Bruno Guevremont Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Bruno's website True Patriot Love Expeditions Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Food can do many things, it fuels us up, keeps us going, brings friends and family together. A healthy diet, so many positive effects on our lives. But during times of stress, it can be hard to keep the motivation.  Special Guest Alli Jones is a health promotion specialist at CFB Esquimalt. Highlights Canada's new food guide looks way different. Micro and macro nutrients. 7:13 MUFAs and PUFAs. Eat a variety of foods. A few good habits. 15:21 Having a plan is setting yourself up for success. Staying motivated by you're cooking solo, or cooking solo for kids Staying motivated through isolation and loneliness.  Quotes“All of us engage with food very differently. So it's really about figuring out you know, what triggers you? You know, if you're feeling low or if you're feeling lonely? Is your comfort found in food? Do you crave those maybe those higher fat foods when you're feeling low or when you're feeling tired? The first step is awareness and understanding, you know, what drives me to make these choices or what triggers me to make these choices."  - Alli Jones Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Health Promotion Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Now, some believe if you work harder, you'll be more successful. If you're more successful, then you'll be happier. Maybe not that simple. Living in the military lifestyle can be a handful, but wouldn't it be great to feel more productive living the life. Special Guest Sarah Francescutti is mindset coach with Exhale and Thrive Coaching.  A former military member, she also works at CFB Esquimalt's Transition Centre. Highlights Prioritizing the things that are important in life. 4:09 Filling yourself up. Writing out what you should focus on. 8:34 Using your schedule as an intention setter. 10:19 Inside-out scheduling. Look at your life, what you do with your time and assign it a number. 15:48 Even robots need maintenance. For military families, each transition presents an opportunity. Quotes“You've probably heard about filling up your own cup first so that you can help others it's the same kind of concept. But I think of it more like a vehicle. Most everybody has a car. And you know, if you're running on empty fuel, you're likely gonna burn out, run out of gas on the side of the road and be stuck between here and wherever you're trying to get to. And the same sort of concept comes to mind, in your work and your personal life."  - Sarah Francescutti "It's more around, working less hard, making things easier, prioritizing the things that are important. And when you know what those are, then you can choose where you put your focus and your time and your energy, then your productivity soars." - Sarah Francescutti Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Exhale and Thrive Coaching Inside-Out Scheduling Guide Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Relationships are great, but they're not always easy. Got to make time for each other, got to communicate. If you're in a relationship with a military member, in the context of the lifestyle, it's just more complex. This episode explores what you need for a healthy relationship and some things to watch out for. Special Guest Holly Flower is a social worker and counsellor with the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre. Highlights Characteristics of a healthy relationship Financial issues can be massive. 10:44 The importance of trust  11:58 Anger gets a bad rap. Red flags 16:36 Communication and how we are showing up in the relationship Do not take relationships for granted. Quotes“It's really critical that we're prioritizing our relationships, that we're not taking them for granted, that we are learning how to turn towards one another, how to communicate with one another, how to have each other's back when it does get difficult."  - Holly Flower Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Healthy Relationship on CAF Connection Family Information Line Member Assistance Program Holly's Recommended Book List "Hold Me Tight - Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" by Dr. Sue Johnson "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by Dr. John M. Gottman Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Trauma. Postal Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those words might spark a reaction in you.  Imagine being able to change the culture around trauma and PTSD. Imagine when people seek treatment, it feels the same way as recovering from any other injury.    Special Guest Dr. Tim Black is an Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria. He has been working with the Canadian military and Veteran community for over 20 years and has delivered programs to help people with trauma. Highlights What causes trauma in a military setting 5:28 The effects of a traumatic injury How do you know if you need help? Stigma 19:06 Could receiving treatment for trauma be as accepted as getting physiotherapy on a knee injury With trauma, it is a social responsibility for us to foster resilience 26:12 The role that families can play Quotes "If you're suffering you're suffering, you don't have to have anybody's permission to seek help when you're suffering. If you're upset and you're suffering, go talk to someone. I wouldn't wait." - Dr. Tim Black "Part of the reason I agreed to do this is really trying to help people understand when someone's traumatized, they're just not finished a process, and their brain is trying to finish it. And that's why and it's exhausting. When your brain continually tries to finish off this process, it's exhausting, because it never stops, it never takes a break. So if we can help people finish what they need to finish and support them to do that, then they can come out the other side." - Dr. Tim Black Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Wounded Warriors Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Military postings can be as easy as ABC, but there's still a lot to think about a lot of fine details. So let's explore what to do before you get your posting message, after you receive it, then after your move. Special Guest A former military member, Carole Lajoie is the Director of Education and Collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman's office in Ottawa, Ontario. Highlights Updating your budget 2:54 Important questions to ask before you get your posting message Post Living Differential 8:27 After you get your posting message Things to consider during a house hunting trip What needs to be done after your move Quotes“The best way to get through a posting is that you share the load when you consider the conditions now, all you have to consider, it can be overwhelming, but it's at the same time. There's so many tools. It's cool to have that so you can have a look before you actually get the posting instructions."  - Carole Lajoie Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links The ABC's of Military Postings CAF Ombudsman House Hunting Trips - Information on Different Community Conditions Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Mindfulness is everywhere nowadays. Schools, companies, smartphone apps, even the military. Mindfulness has gone mainstream. For some it's a buzzword, big business, a product. If you strip away all the packaging, what exactly is it? And how can you apply it to military life? Special Guest Patricia Galaczy is the Founder and Director of The Art of Dialogue, Associate Faculty with Royal Roads University, and Associate Faculty with the Justice Institute of British Columbia's Centre for Leadership. As a Leadership Educator specializing in Mindfulness and Organizational Effectiveness, and Associate Faculty with Royal Roads University, Patricia has accumulated over 20 years and 10,000 hours teaching People Leaders. Highlights What exactly is mindfulness?  Myths that exist What it means to be a mindfulness person 10:23 The value to the military community How to get started 15:15 Sandra Pinard offers a deeper military perspective  19:56 A short guided meditation by Patricia Galaczy Quotes“When we can be more aware and compassionate of our own hearts and our own minds and our own bodies, we're able to offer that to others. Really importantly, mindfulness when we think about the military, we think about action, and taking strategic action taking wise action. When action comes from a place of calm when it comes from a place of non reactivity. That's when we're our smartest selves. So we're actually taking our most strategic actions when we're practicing mindfulness, the benefits are infinite."  - Patricia Galaczy Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links The Art of Dialogue Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

For couples experiencing a military deployment, a homecoming isn't always like the movies.  Reintegration can be a challenge.  Let's take a look at what people are feeling and a few tips to have a smooth reunion.      Special Guest Sandra Pinard is the Deployment Coordinator at the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre. She previously appeared on a previous episode to talk about preparing couples for deployment. Highlights What people are feeling leading up to reunion Is reunion stressful? 5:38 Homecoming is not what you see in the movies Communication tips 8:38 Give yourself the same amount of time as the length of the deployment Intimacy 16:50 All feelings are normal 19:25 Discourage surprises Ease back into things Don't be too firm on scheduling things Quotes“Couples have to renegotiate all of the different parts of being a couple, not just the intimate part, not just the who mows the lawn."  - Sandra Pinard "So homecoming is not what you see in the movies. It is not this military member is in their white uniform, running down the jetty to their spouse who's in a dress and high heels and then they go off into the romantic sunset. That is not generally the case of what homecoming is like."  - Sandra Pinard Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links MFRC Deployment App Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Back with more episodes starting Wednesday September 16th, 2020. The military is not just a job, it's a lifestyle. Join Jon Chabun from the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre as he explores the world of deployments, postings and transitions. Each episode will feature interviews with MFRC staff, experts in the community, military members, veterans or military-connected family members. The lifestyle can be dynamic and all encompassing but it can be learned. In this second season, we examine the journey further -- resilience, health, and relationships within the military community. Get ready to dive back into military life with season two of "The Military Lifestyle."

Military Families learn to be resilient through living the military lifestyle. A pandemic might be the perfect time to lean in on those skills. Let's examine how life has changed and what can help military families through this experience. Special Guest Pauline Sibbald is a social worker with the Transition Centre at CFB Esquimalt.    Highlights 2:28 Lives have been turned upside down and Covid-19 as a significant life altering event. Grieving the loss of our lives. 12:22 Talking to kids about the pandemic. 20:14 Military families might have the skills to handle the pandemic. R2MR The Road to Mental Readiness and its application to Covid-19. Can we distract ourselves nowadays? Staying connected in a world that preaches physical distancing. Quotes “We are truly stronger together. When you live this military lifestyle, you kind of live your life in two to three year increments. That's the cycle of deployment. That's the posting cycle. That's career progression. But with that there's all this adaptation that comes into play as well. Part of living the military lifestyle. There have been opportunities along the way, where people may have been able to learn some skills to help them cope through when dealing with COVID.” – Pauline Sibbald Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links R2MR – The Road to Mental Readiness Member Assistance Program Family Information Line Thank you Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

The military lifestyle can be hard on kids, especially when part of their support system is away. Maintaining good physical and mental health is so important. Let's examine the factors for good health and some things for you to do to set your military-connected child up for life. Special Guest Maryse Neilson is Health Promotion Manager at CFB Esquimalt and a member of the MARPAC Health and Wellness Strategy. Highlights The different kinds of health to consider. 5:11 The factors for good health. Easier to establish good behaviours when a child is young. Recommendations to military families. If you start early, what does it look like? Be creative. Shop together, clean together, garden together. 18:36 Try to promote spontaneous play. Promoting good mental health habits. 23:03 All behaviour is communication. Quotes “At a family level, we have to create family patterns and behaviours and structures that promote our health." - Maryse Neilson Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Health Promotion Program Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

The Canadian Armed Forces says it must reflect the diversity of the country that we defend, and that we need a military that looks like Canada. Dr. Lisa Gunderson is back for the second part of the discussion on things that military families can do to help embrace diversity and ways to reduce bias.  Special Guest Dr. Lisa Gunderson is an award-winning educator and frequent guest speaker on racial issues. Highlights The need to see yourself represented. 7:09 What military families can do to embrace diversity. Ways to reduce bias. 15:39 Important to realize and recognize your own biases. Take little steps, know that you're going to make a mistake. Quotes “Know that you're going to make a mistake, or two or three, and that is fine. Make it, learn from it, say you're sorry, and keep going on.” – Dr. Lisa Gunderson Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the Canadian Armed Forces Canada's Defence Policy – Strong, Secure, Engaged Harvard Implicit Bias Test Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

In Canada's Defence Policy (“Strong, Secure, Engaged”), it says the Canadian Armed Forces must reflect the diversity of the country that we defend, and that we need a military that looks like Canada. You often hear the phrase “stronger together” here in the military family community. If the military wants to reach its goal, families will be a big part of the process. Dr. Lisa Gunderson discusses privilege, bias, and a few things for the military community to consider. Special Guest Dr. Lisa Gunderson is an award-winning educator and frequent guest speaker on racial issues. Highlights Privilege and if the Canadian Armed Forces is a privileged institution. 9:48 Implicit bias. Examples of bias in a military setting. 16:01 A perfect example of implicit bias. Some things for the military community to consider. 26:03 Culture change is absolutely possible. Quotes "Having these kind of conversations with people that's going to support the Canadian Armed Forces larger goal. But it relies on all of us having conversations about these things to kind of make it a reality." -Dr. Lisa Gunderson Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the Canadian Armed Forces Canada's Defence Policy – Strong, Secure, Engaged One Love Consulting Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

It can be a challenge to find child care in Greater Victoria. If you're a military family, you also have to find care that matches the lifestyle requirements. Lisa Yates and Erin Holler from the Child Care Resource and Referral talk about where to start and their perspective on this challenging issue. Special Guests Lisa Yates and Erin Holler work with the Child Care Resource and Referral. They have two office included one in Victoria and one serving Sooke and the West Shore.  Highlights Licensed group, licensed family and registered licensed not required. 4:03 The state of waitlists in Greater Victoria. Need to sign up well in advance. Know the temperament of your child and find a fit. Need to followup with daycares. Need to be creative if you need care with early openings, late closings, evening care. 14:22 What you need to be a child care provider in your home. The cost of child care plus ways to bring down the cost. 23:07 Recommendations to military families in the area. Quotes “Be open to trying different type of care. Visit a lot of different places and you'll know it when you when you get there, it'll feel right for you." - Erin Holler, Child Care Resource and Referral Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Child Care Resource and Referral Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

Kim Mills is a writer that has been living the military lifestyle for close to 20 years. Through her writing or storytelling and sharing her personal experiences, military families everywhere have connected to her work at She is Fierce. In this episode of The Military Lifestyle, she speaks about deployments, anxiety and what she has learned from living the lifestyle. Special Guest Kim Mills is a writer and military family member living in Edmonton, Alberta. She is well known in the Canadian military community for her storytelling and is a frequent guest speaker at events hosted by Military Family Resource Centres. She is also the author of the Way Home series of books. Highlights Advice for a new military spouse/partner. Important to ask questions of your partner. For deployments, you take everything with a grain of salt. 6:51 What has helped her deal with anxiety. 14:32 How to live with the risk that comes with the lifestyle. Social media and the high level of connectedness. 20:20 The great parts of the lifestyle. Really need to put effort into the lifestyle to be successful. Quotes “I couldn't have made it this far without, you know, building into my community and doing so took real effort.” - Kim Mills, She is Fierce Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links She is Fierce Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

The military is a complex system. There are a lot of policies that govern the way it operates and that system can be complex for even the most experienced person. If you ever feel like the system's failed you, that you've got a complaint and think you've been treated unfairly, there's a formal way to move forward with help from the office of the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman. Special Guest Greg Lick has been the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman since 2018. His previous work experience includes the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves.  Highlights The role of the Ombudsman in three parts. 6:53 Most popular way to contact office is by phone. Walking through the process from the initial contact. 13:02 Issues they see on a daily basis. Ombudsman view of important family issues for military families. 18:42 Healthcare availability is the biggest issue right now. Upcoming initiatives at the Office of the Ombudsman. Quotes “You always get to talk to a live person when you phone us. And even if you leave a message will always call you back. We have very clear service standards, which actually make sure that we do call you back that live voice is really important where somebody has a complaint because most people when they have a complaint, they want to be heard.” – Greg Lick, CAF Ombudsman  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman Website Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

If you're a single military member and getting ready to deploy, you might be excited without a care in the world. But there are things for you to think about before you leave. So if you're single, single-ish, a parent of a single military member, or in a position of influence over one, let's dig into everything you need to take care of before a deployment. Special Guest Sandra Pinard has been the deployment coordinator at the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre for over 15 years. Highlights Financial matters to have in order before you leave. Expect the unexpected. 10:24 Income tax. Legal things to have in place like will and power of attorney. Vehicles, driver's licenses, passports. 17:19 Information to share with friends and family members. Expectations of communication. Pet talk. Children talk. Importance of developing an Emergency Family Plan. Quotes “It can be a challenge for a mom or a dad to have their 19 year old go to off to basic training and then suddenly be shipped across the country. That's an adjustment for the entire family.” - Sandra Pinard  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Instagram Links MFRC Deployment app Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

Military families have to recreate community with every posting. For some military spouses or partners that can mean looking for work in a new place and rebuilding from scratch. So, let's break down how military families can address resumes, references, informational interviews plus a few skills that you can highlight.   Special Guest Kim Dillon is the Community Relations Coordinator at WorkLink, an employment centre with locations in Langford and Sooke here in Greater Victoria.  Highlights How to address having lots of shorter-term jobs or gaps in resumes. 3:25 You can put it in your cover letter but you don't have to spell it out. Do employers have an unconscious bias against hiring someone that might leave in a few years? 7:54 The importance of references and informational interviews. Conducting yourself in a professional way – in person and online. 13:00 A few transferrable skills that military-connected family members can highlight. How to fully populate your LinkedIn account. Quotes “Having your spouse or partner leave for a number of months or having to change completely the town that you live in is hard. And that brings a lot of growth and skill. If you can highlight how resilient you are, and how hard working you are, that's huge.” - Kim Dillon  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links WorkLink WorkBC Military Spousal Employment Network Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

Stress can impact anyone, including kids of all ages, but it can be managed and you can help your child through the process. Let's talk about what stress is for a military-connected child, what it might look like and a few strategies to deal with it.  Special Guest Dr. Linda Scott is the former Program Manager at the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre and a trainer with the Psychology Foundation of Canada. She's currently retired, but she has a years of experience working with families.  Highlights Children also experience stress. 3:27 Stress is a normal part of life. 9:25 Body, mind, feelings, behaviour. The science of stress. A few factors to consider such as goodness of fit. A few strategies to help children deal with stress. 19:28 Preventing stress in the first place, managing stress and then adaptation. Quotes “When I first started looking at the Kids Have Stress Too materials, I couldn't believe that it was for three year olds. Because I thought, as an adult, I'm trying to learn how to manage stress. But imagine if you started gaining some of those tools when you were three years old. What a difference that could be.”  - Dr. Linda Scott  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links Psychology Foundation of Canada Kids Have Stress Too Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

Military life is different and so are your finances. There are deployments, postings, you might not have family close by and you might have businesses willing to give you a “great” deal.  Let's examine financial planning from a military perspective.   Special Guest Suzie Fines is a financial planner with SISIP at CFB Esquimalt.  She has over 15 years experience in the financial services industry. She works exclusively with serving and released Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.   Highlights How postings and deployments factor into financial planning. 7:31 Military provides some terrific financial benefits. 13:01 Advice for someone just starting out in the military. Stay away from car dealerships. 20:03 The benefits of the military lifestyle. The importance of communication. Education is so important. Quotes “A failure to plan is a plan to fail. So the sooner you start working on a plan, and getting an idea of what the future can look like, then understand what it is you need to do to close the gap.” - Suzie Fines  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links SISIP Financial Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

If you have a child and work takes you halfway across the world, you are parenting from afar. So what can you do before, during and after a deployment to make this whole experience better?  Special Guest Tracy Beck has been facilitating workshops for children for over 20 years.  These popular workshops for kids ages three to 12 are a great way to keep kids connected to the deployed parent.  Highlights 3:41 Every child goes through it differently Every family is different. There's no right way, no wrong way. Every situation is different. 4:57 Know how your child will react. Do lots of things together before a deployment. 10:23 Calendar and a map 14:10 Capturing important moments during a deployment. Don't plan too much after reunion. Quotes “Some of them are a little bit shy of the military person coming home. Others are just right in there like yay. Again, everybody is different. It's hard in that the military member, sometimes thinks things are the same.” - Tracy Beck  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links Deployment Workbooks and Parent Guide Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

The transition from the military to the civilian world represents a huge cultural shift. Let's explore why it is such a big adjustment, the different kinds of transition, loss of identity, what the challenges are, and what helps during the process.  Special Guests Dr. Anne Irwin served in the Canadian Forces Reserve for 15 years, retiring as a Military Police officer with the rank of Major. Her PhD thesis (“The Social Organization of Soldiering”) was based on extensive field research with a Canadian Regular Force infantry unit. Anne has taught courses in military anthropology both at the University of Calgary and at the University of Victoria. She facilitated the Good to Go course at CFB Esquimalt back in 2015.  Pauline Sibbald has been a social worker with the MFRC since 2010.  She facilitated the Good to Go course with Dr. Irwin at CFB Esquimalt in 2015. She currently works at the Transition Centre Esquimalt.  Highlights What is transition in a military setting Anticipated vs unanticipated transition 7:32 Why it is so particularly challenging Loss of identity 10:23 The military is a particular subculture of Canadian society. Finding sense of purpose, what a good transition looks like. Holding on, letting go. 14:30 Don't recognize themselves as a veteran, they identify themselves as a retired military member. 20:45 Rites of passages in three phases, importance of knowing you are in liminal phase Solution is no “one size fits all program.” Different people respond to different programs. Quotes “I think that research shows that our brains are actually hardwired for that kind of lifestyle. But most of us don't actually have that experience. We don't live in that kind of lifestyle, but members of the military do. So I think that there's probably something that's very profoundly rewarding, or that feels like it's like a fit for people in the military. And then having had that experience, and leaving it behind, can be very, very challenging.” – Dr. Anne Irwin  “The military is not like a job where you walk away at the end of the day, and you can leave it behind, it claims your whole identity.” – Dr. Anne Irwin  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links Canadian Armed Forces Transition Centres Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.

If you have a special needs child, a family member with extra needs, or an elderly parent needing care, you might be overwhelmed with information, processes, and where to go first. Navigating Systems looks at the big hurdles that military families face, how to plan and self-advocate, and how to tackle this daunting challenge.   Special Guest Colleen Cahoon is currently the Manager, Regional Services Vancouver Island for the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. Before that, she spent over 10 years helping families with complex and special needs navigate systems as the Family Navigator Coordinator at the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre.  Highlights 3:08 The biggest hurdles for families to overcome is what direction to go, what questions to ask, who to go for what, when. Systems are complicated and hard to understand Not having a family doctor is a huge barrier to accessing services 11:15 Really sit down and develop a plan Ask questions. Ask everyone. 12:51 Self-advocacy With each transition there is a new system to navigate 16:39 Gather as much information about the services that exist and the systems. Saying to a service provider, I want to work with you to get this achieved. 20:00 It can be a great learning opportunity If you've done it once, you can do it again. Quotes “If you've done it once, you've got this, you can do it again. Is it hard? Absolutely. And it's a lot to take in. And I think it's just the planning piece is really important. There's also a lot of other people going through this. If you get connected with the right people, it's really important, and it can really help you from feeling isolated.” – Colleen Cahoon “Ask questions. Ask everyone.  I remember for myself, for example, and I had a family member and I was navigating systems. One of our best advocates was an occupational therapist and speech pathologist who had absolutely nothing to do with me accessing services, but they knew how those services worked. Other parents know how those services work, ask questions, reach out to people, you'll often find people who are in a similar situation who can give you tips and then you figure out the best plan of action for your family.” – Colleen Cahoon Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook  Links CAF Connection Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.   

Helping Couples Prepare for Deployment looks at the challenges of a military deployment, a few tools for managing it, coping strategies, goal setting, common errors and the importance of good communication. Special Guest Sandra Pinard has been the deployment coordinator at the CFB Esquimalt's Military Family Resource Centre for over 15 years. Highlights 3:07 Learning what are the expectations for yourself as a couple. Learn as much as they can about what life is going to be like for that person during deployment. 6:13 May detach from each other or argue with each other leading up to the deployment. Having those face-to-face conversations is key. 8:56 The importance of having a deployment budget, bill management, emergency planning, mindfulness. MFRC deployment app The importance of getting to know other people going through the same experience. The importance of having a support system. 17:55 Timezones and communication Quotes “But sometimes if you're stressed out in one little thing happens, it could be enough to send you into a downward spiral for that day. So just preparing on those little things in advance is really helpful and I think it can offset those chances for you to blow something small out of proportion.” – Acting Sub Lieutenant Michelle Scott  “The most common error is that people don't prepare for deployment. They don't think about it, they think, oh, I've got this, it's it's only three months, you know, and it's only six weeks. It's the shorter deployments, I find, where people more commonly don't prepare for they think but six weeks out what possibly go wrong in a six week period. And something could go wrong on your way home from work today.” - Sandra Pinard, Deployment Coordinator, Esquimalt MFRC  Connect Podcast website Twitter Facebook Links MFRC Deployment App Everything Binder Thank you This podcast is made possible by funding from True Patriot Love Foundation. Thank you to Organized Sound Productions for their help bringing this podcast to life.  

The military is not just a job, it's a lifestyle. Join Jon Chabun from the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre as he explores the world of deployments, postings and transitions. Each episode will feature interviews with MFRC staff, experts in the community, military members or military-connected family members. The lifestyle can be dynamic and all encompassing but it can be learned. Get ready to dive into military life with season one of "The Military Lifestyle."