Sunday, November 1, 2020

Finding Your Sea Legs

When we are put into new situations, there are going to be things that we haven’t experienced before. Some of these things may throw us off balance

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By Michael Schroeder Hubert, CLAC Training Manager, Manitoba

Have you ever experienced the feeling of your body being out of sync with the way the earth is moving?

Maybe an example will help. Have you stepped out of a boat after a day spent on rough water and found that your legs don’t want to work? Or, have you ever wondered how much you actually weigh after jumping on a trampoline for a while, and the first few steps feel like gravity has been turned up a few notches?

Recently, I had the opportunity to provide aerial work platform operator certification training to some workers in a northern community. These guys hadn’t had any previous experience in an aerial work platform, and as part of the instruction, I let them know what to expect when they work in one of these pieces of equipment.

This included the fact that while scissor lifts and articulated boom lifts are designed to be safe, that design does not include making them feel completely stable when they are extended. They won’t tip over if you use them properly, but that isn’t to say that it’s just like standing on solid ground when you are working 25 feet (or 50 feet) in the air.

Particularly in a boom lift, the bouncing and swaying can make you feel seasick without being anywhere near the water.

I’ve logged a few hours working in an aerial work platform. For one stretch, it was every day, all day, for two months.

For the first couple of weeks, it was actually better to be in the lift than on the ground. In the evening and at night, my brain was still processing the balancing act presented by this new environment.

Even when my head hit the pillow, my brain was still trying to find equilibrium. But, over time, my brain adapted to this new normal. I found my sea legs, so to speak.

When we are put into new situations, there are going to be things that we haven’t experienced before. Some of these things may throw us off balance, and the experience of being out of balance can leave us feeling ill.

Knowing what to expect can help us deal with new situations, even if we still have to go through the getting-used-to-it phase. And having someone let you know that what you’re going through is normal, or at least to be expected, and that it will get better—even if it may not make the queasiness go away immediately—can give you the courage to keep at it until you do get your sea legs beneath you.

To the experienced and the wise, share what you’ve learned. And to those who are starting some new venture, find your mentor, look, listen, and learn, and be brave. It will get better!

Finding Your Sea Legs

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