Written by Stephanie Orphanacos
I love getting older.
I know that’s not something you hear very often, but I truly do. The perspective that comes from having lived on this earth for more than sixty years feels like a gift. Experience has a way of softening my reactions and widening my view of the world. And as we move toward the season of spring it feels like the perfect moment to reflect on that.
Many of us are looking at the months ahead and contemplating the significant shifts unfolding around us. We see it on the geopolitical stage, but we also feel it here at home as our country begins to reconsider long-standing dependencies on our closest neighbour. Change is certainly in the air, my friends.
And, as is often the case, my own little world is shifting too.
I am no longer a professor. That role disappeared this past winter, following political changes at the provincial level. Strangely, I’m not upset about it. I understand that life moves in seasons, and this is simply another transition.
I could spend a great deal of time trying to redefine who I am, again. Instead, I’m choosing to rest and reflect. I have learned a lot in the past five years working at a college. It was a perfect place to see transition in all her forms.
Students arrived there suddenly dropped into a new world. They had to navigate a new language, a new culture, and certainly new ideas. At first, this was unsettling. But humans are remarkably adaptable. Over time they acknowledged the change, grew curious, and began imagining new possibilities.
The students who thrived were the ones who eventually acted on those possibilities. They translated their learning into action and stepped into careers where they could use their skills and knowledge to their fullest potential.
Right now, I feel like I am standing in that same place of imagined possibility. And I feel cautiously hopeful too.
One thing I know for sure, if I allow myself to fall too deeply into the rabbit hole of worry, I won’t be able to shift my footing when opportunity appears. And the truth is, I don’t control the world around me. I can only control how I respond to it.
In moments like these, it is easy for my nervous system to remain in a constant state of alert, scanning for the next obstacle, the next demand, the next piece of troubling news. The challenge, then, is to practise remaining hopeful, grounded, and steady. This isn’t always easy especially during times of immense change, but it is possible with focused intention.
This is why neurowellness matters now more than ever.
Neurowellness is the practice of supporting the health and resilience of the brain and nervous system. It recognizes that our thoughts, emotions, and motivation are not separate from our body. They are deeply interconnected with it. When the nervous system is overwhelmed, even our best ideas can feel difficult to act on.
But when I support my nervous system, I can begin to shift, to find the clarity I need and the ability to move forward with purpose.
In times of change, neurowellness is more than a perspective, it is a compass.
Wishing you all a wonderful season.
Stephanie Orphanacos B.A. CMed
