23/06/2026
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to carry far more than their fair share?
Not because they choose to.
But because life keeps handing them another challenge before they've had time to process the last one.
I've been reflecting on this a lot lately.
In my work, I meet people who are navigating bushfires, floods, drought, financial pressure, relationship breakdowns, health challenges, caring responsibilities and uncertainty about the future. Sometimes it's one of those things. More often than not, it's several at once.
What fascinates me is that the challenge itself is rarely what breaks people.
It's the accumulation.
The constant need to adapt.
The endless decision making.
The emotional energy required to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Eventually even the strongest people can find themselves running on empty.
Dr Kate Brady talks about recovery as an ongoing process of adaptation. That resonates because whether it's a disaster, a personal crisis or a season of life that feels relentless, there comes a point where we stop asking, "How do I get back to normal?" and start asking, "How do I move forward from here?"
But what is normal anyway?
I think that's one of the biggest traps we fall into.
We spend so much time trying to get back to who we were before the crisis, before the diagnosis, before the drought, before the fire, before the loss, that we forget life has changed.
The truth is, normal isn't a destination waiting for us on the other side.
Normal evolves.
The person you were before a significant challenge is not the same person you are after it.
And that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Some experiences leave scars.
Some leave wisdom.
Most leave both.
The goal isn't to return to an old version of ourselves.
The goal is to learn how to live well with what we've experienced and continue moving forward.
That shift matters.
Because when we stop chasing the life we had and start working with the reality we have, something changes.
We begin to focus on what is within our control.
A conversation.
A walk.
A good night's sleep.
A meal with family.
Five minutes of quiet.
Accepting help.
Offering help.
None of these things solve the problem.
But they strengthen the person facing it.
And sometimes that's exactly what's needed.
One thing I've learned through my own experiences is that coping isn't always about doing more.
Sometimes it's about giving yourself permission to do less.
Permission to rest.
Permission to say no.
Permission to not have all the answers.
Permission to admit that you're struggling.
There is a lot of pressure in society to be strong.
But strength isn't pretending everything is okay.
Strength is being honest enough to acknowledge when things aren't.
If you're facing a difficult season right now, here's what I want you to remember.
You don't need to solve the next six months today.
You don't need to carry tomorrow's problems this afternoon.
And you don't need to do it alone.
Focus on the next conversation.
The next task.
The next positive choice.
Because while challenges may arrive all at once, recovery rarely does.
Recovery happens in small moments.
Small actions.
Small wins.
Repeated often enough to create momentum.
And sometimes, that momentum is enough to help us find our feet again.
Not back where we were.
But in a new place.
A new normal.
One shaped not just by what we've been through, but by how we've chosen to respond.
