When disaster hits close to home, it knocks the wind out of you. This past week, the fire in Bridgewater left so many of us in a state of shock. When you walk or drive past a place every single day, seeing it upended by crisis brings a heavy, sinking feeling straight to your gut.
In the immediate aftermath, our crew at Go Rock sat around talking about what we could possibly do to help. We felt out of our depth. We’re broadcasters, not emergency responders. We aren't experts in crisis management, and we certainly don't know how to physically rebuild someone’s life from scratch.
We got word that the Salvation Army was stepping up to lead the efforts. Suddenly, the that little light turned on in my head . We didn't need to have the answers; we just needed to join the people who did.
I made the decision to head down to the Salvation Army to do what I do best: tell the story. I wanted to use our platform to reach people, raise awareness, and explain exactly why our community needed to rally.
As I was carrying bags from peoples cars to the building, that sinking feeling in my gut started to loosen. I went there entirely focused on helping other people, but I walked away realizing that the experience had done something profound for me. By talking about the crisis and physically participating in the solution, I felt remarkably better.
It turns out, there is a legitimate psychological reason for this. Psychologists often refer to it as the "helper's high." When we experience a community trauma, our brains go into a state of high alert, leaving us feeling stressed and powerless.
Volunteering acts as an emotional circuit breaker in a few distinct ways:
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It restores a sense of agency: It moves you from a passive bystander watching a bad situation to an active participant making it better. You regain a sense of control over your environment.
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It triggers a neurological release: Physical service and human connection release endorphins and oxytocin—the brain’s natural mood lifters and stress reducers. It is the natural antidote to a low mood.
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It cures isolation: Tragedy can make us withdraw. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with others changes our behaviour, reminding us that we are part of a resilient, connected collective.
If you are currently going through a rough patch, feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, or carrying a heavy heart over a local crisis, I want to offer a simple piece of advice: Try volunteering for just a couple of hours.
Find a local organization, a food bank, or a community assistance programme that is already doing the heavy lifting, and ask how you can pitch in. You don’t need to be an expert in emergency relief. You don't need a specialized skill set. You just need to show up.
You might go into it thinking you’re only there to give your time, but you will likely find that rolling up your sleeves and being part of the solution is exactly the medicine your soul and your mental health needed all along.
Mental health struggles often show up quietly. It could be irritability, withdrawal, a change in sleep or drinking habits. If you notice something seems off with a friend or co-worker, don’t brush it off. Ask. Listen. And if needed, suggest they check out a resource like Mental Health and Addictions Nova Scotia. It’s free, anonymous, and available 24/7.
Mental health isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a community one. And around here, we’ve always looked out for each other.
At 107.9 Go Rock, we’re encouraging everyone to keep those chats going, and to make space for what really matters.
