All Psyched Up: Balance

By Linda Hancock on June 21, 2025.

I have been learning so much about myself lately. For years I have treated my body as merely transportation for my brain. Even as a child I was not athletic and therefore did not place much priority on self-care. I had all the theory and am the first to admit that I encourage my clients to do all the “right” things when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and social involvement but don’t always practice what I preached.

Since moving to Calgary almost four years ago, I have focused on adjusting to the new environment, serving my clients, studying, writing and basically using my head way more than my body. Talk about being out of balance!

And then I went headfirst to the bottom of a 40-foot escalator at the airport and everything changed!

I started seeing medical professionals including a chiropractor, Family physician, surgeon, physiotherapist, optometrist, energy therapist as well as all the specialized technicians who do the ultrasounds, x-rays and assessments.

Then I started a process that felt like waking up from a dream and I really, really struggled both physically and psychologically. I couldn’t just ignore my body anymore and expect it to perform at the same functional level. I was exhausted, sad, and trying to fit all of the medical appointments into an already busy schedule.

The waking up though was slow and occurred in stages. First, I minimized everything and just tried to carry on with life as though things were the same. Then I began to realize that the healing which I would normally experience after a two-week cold was not going to occur quickly.

As a therapist for Veterans, I had learned all the theory about trauma but didn’t at first apply any of it to my situation. They say the shoemaker’s kids are barefoot, right. Well, the therapist should have known but didn’t personalize the fact that she had a Traumatic Brain Injury from the fall. That was a shock and disappointment for me, and I had to work hard to process it.

So, it is now 16 months since the accident and added to my crazy work commitments, I had crazy treatment demands. Friends and family suggested that I do something for Linda – something that was not work, writing or treatment-related. So, I did an internet search and found a wonderful vocal coach!

Now that I have my new glasses, I am able to drive. Remember, my car only had 4200 km despite the fact that I bought it almost four years ago. So, every second Friday I now drive 35 km to the north of Calgary and spend almost two wonderful hours with Marie, who is a beautiful musician and my instructor.

Now here is the joke! Her initial goal is to help me connect and strengthen my body. Our exercises include gaining balance while bouncing a ball as I sing (haven’t done that in forever!), slowly releasing breath through a straw into a glass of water and yoga!

Please don’t take offense if you don’t believe in a higher power but I do. I don’t think that God deliberately hurts us, but He does allow certain things to happen if there is a lesson to be learned. And lessons either cost us money or cost us pain. (For me it has been both).

And, at the same time, out of pain can come good. Falling down that escalator has given me a whole new perspective on self-care and woken me up to the body that I have neglected for so many years.

I am growing, learning, healing and giving thanks!

How about you? Are there parts to your life that are out of balance? What are you going to do about that? Maybe it is time for you to make some positive changes in your life – before you have to go headfirst down an escalator to wake up.

Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Calgary. She can be reached by email at office@drlindahancock.com

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