It’s a long way from negotiating with hostage-takers to touring rural New Zealand, but that’s where Lance Burdett’s career path has gone so far. He’s about to embark on a tour of rural South Island thanks to a series of talks put together by New Zealand’s local Rural Support Trusts and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Founder of WARN International, Lance has moved from working for police and training with the FBI to dedicating himself to spreading tips and techniques for people to handle difficult situations by understanding what goes on in people’s brains – starting with their own.

At a recent Rural Support Trust conference, Lance presented to about 80 people who may find themselves handling a crisis in their roles supporting rural New Zealanders.

Lance’s messages resonated so well with the Rural Support Trusts that they have worked to get him on a tour to speak to all the regions. Late last year he covered the central North island and was a resounding success.

“He’s especially good with our younger farmers,” says Katrina Knowles, Taranaki Rural Support Trust. “It’s not often you have a group of young tough men and women sitting being told about how they feel why they feel, and the session ran well over time because they just wanted to keep talking with Lance.”

The Rural Support Trusts are made up of paid and volunteer rural people who are in each region, helping farming families get through tough times.

Challenges such as weather, climate, biosecurity, financial worries and relationship problems can have a particularly strong impact on farmers and their communities. Isolation and an inability to separate work and home life are just two of the factors recognised as causing different stress to that of our urban populations. Farmers have higher suicide rates than city-dwellers and this is something the Rural Support Trusts need the skills to navigate as they get people into the professional help they need.

“Working with these rural people is especially important, because isolation can really make things worse if our stress is kept inside our heads,” says Lance. “We worry because we are programmed to manage risk. That’s how our ancestors survived – thinking about the worst that can happen and acting on it.

“The challenge for rural people is if they talk about their worries it’s often only with their partner or workers who have the same concerns, and it goes round in circles.

“It’s all about showing people how to control their busy mind, recognise how to use the drafting race in their heads, and get some tools to help deal with those negative thoughts.”

For details on Lance’s events around the South Island beginning in May, go to www.rural-support.org.nz or call 080 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP), and select the relevant Trust for your region.

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