Blended Hearts Course #1 - Oxygen Mask Axiom

That oxygen mask – the one tucked up into the ceiling over your head as you sit and wait for the plane to take off. Someone in the flight crew is trying to make you aware of it – because it just might save your life. Yes, that oxygen mask!

The instructions are clear, put the mask on yourself first, then reach over to help others beside you.

Simple. Direct. Potentially lifesaving if followed, and yet, many passengers tend to ignore the light attendant, too busy looking out the window, rummaging through the contents in the mesh pocket on the back of the seat in front of them, or head bent in prayer. And when the masks drop down – panic.

Applying the Oxygen Mask Axiom is crucial for impacted family and close friends who want to support their loved ones struggling with any and all forms of suicidal ideation, a suicide attempt, problem gambling or substance addiction, trauma from domestic violence, suicide loss or having survived a murder-suicide. 

We instinctively want to “fix them, protect them from harm, but just like the passengers on the plane, our focus is misplaced.  We IFFs must stop, pause and remind ourselves that we must take care of ourselves first before we can be of any support to our loved ones. It is a hard lesson to learn.

This first course includes two worksheets that you can download HERE. They offer an opportunity to make a self-assessment. One is Frozen in Time, the other, Fear and Control Do Not Equal Love. 

We kept the instructions simple. And while they were intended to be done within a roundtable setting, we had enough requests to be able to offer these on demand, so we agreed to create this IFF Resources site. Completing the worksheets may not necessarily be emotionally easy. It can be a challenging self-inventory to help you evaluate your own attitudes and behavior. 

This first introductory course is available at no cost. The next 11 courses will each have three worksheets for a modest fee to download. Funds will be reinvested in the development of more resources.

Keep reflecting on the Oxygen Mask Axiom – “Am I doing enough to keep myself balanced so I can be of support to others?  Is it possible I may need to adjust what I say or do to be of help?”

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Better identify and acknowledge their own attitudes & behaviors

• Recognize the need for continued self-assessment to maintain their mental wellness

• Engage with and support other family & close friends