He is an incredible motivational speaker with a fascinating background that has helped to develop his own resilience.
Burdett has worked with elite international tactical units across police, the military, emergency services, prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He specialised in suicide intervention and on predicting violent behaviour in his 13 years as a crisis negotiator and instructor for the New Zealand Police.
He gave presentations to farmers and rural professionals at events across the South Island, supported by the trust.
He spoke to Nelson, Richmond, Marlborough and Golden Bay audiences with more than 60 people at each event. He talked about the science behind how our brains function and building resilience in our rural communities.
With farmers having a lot on their plates, from discussions about climate and carbon to dealing with Mycoplasma bovis it was encouraging to see so many people turn out for these talks.
Audiences were engrossed by the practical examples of how the brain responds to stress.
He discussed the nature of human reactions over time, from the era of cavemen to a modern setting.
This included examining today’s busy daily lifestyle, our constant connection to devices and how we’re always alert.
The advice was that we need to switch-off so we can relax and recover and that taking care of ourselves and valuing our health is important for the modern farming business.
I’ve picked out a couple of points Burdett made, which struck a chord with me at the Nelson meeting.
“In this modern world our brains are too busy. They are in overload much of the time. The average person has 70,000 to 90,000 thoughts a day and it exhausts us.
“Our brains all function the same. We suffer from two types of stress. Stress from fear or excitement and stress from worry. Worry happens at night and robs us of good sleep.”
Burdett gave tips to control worry and to get a good, restful sleep.
He suggested walking for 20 minutes every evening, breathing techniques to relax and strategies to change thinking.
There were helpful tips for building resilience to get us through the rough times, which are inevitable.
It’s the simple things, such as daily exercise, finding time for enjoyment, having a laugh. Focusing on happy things will change our overall mood.
He suggested making small changes for a month and melancholic moods will begin to lift.
We were encouraged to make positivity a way of life, even when it might feel difficult to do so.
The Rural Support Trust is very supportive of the messages Burdett spoke about.
We want our rural communities to be strong, manage stress well and support each other through difficult times.
At some stage you might want to check how you are doing overall.
We strongly recommend the Farmstrong Under the Pump checklist.
It asks you questions that can help you recognise stress you might not otherwise have picked up.
If you need extra support the trust is always available, whether it is just for a conversation over a cuppa or more extensive, ongoing assistance for the tougher times.
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Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
