Moira Shire’s one-year flood anniversary event at Nathalia Recreation Reserve saw renowned trauma recovery specialist Dr Rob Gordon address the crowd.
Dr Gordon has been working in the field of trauma recovery since 1983 and met with council workers, administrators, emergency service personnel and residents.
Talking to the Courier after the speech, Dr Gordon emphasised that maintaining good mental health, not rushing into a decision and taking time out were crucial for disaster recovery.
“If people are rushing, they don’t make good decisions,” Dr Gordon said.
Dr Gordon said when talking to farmers affected by catastrophes like the 2022 floods, they had admitted they exhausted themselves in the immediate recovery and much of their work had to be done again.
Dr Gordon pointed out that farmers were not unique in that respect.
“I’ve certainly had lots of people who’ve said the decisions they made in the hurly-burly straight after (disasters had struck) were not good,” he said.
Dr Gordon was also keen to emphasise the importance of taking time out and still finding time to enjoy the activities those impacted loved.
“You don’t have to disrupt what you’re doing. Because it’s about quality, not quantity,” Dr Gordon said.
“So make sure you have times in your day or in your week in which you just let go of everything you have to do, and you just have leisure, just do what you feel like doing.”
Dr Gordon said those who took time out to enjoy themselves tended to be more efficient, and that when dealing with disaster recovery, people must think about the long term.
“The important thing is not how I’m going now, but how will I be in three months and six months, and people create severe crises for themselves if they don’t break that up (with leisure time),” Dr Gordon said.
The Nathalia event isn’t the first time Dr Gordon has addressed a Moira Shire audience, having met with council workers and residents in February, six months after the October 2022 floods.