WARN International Ltd

Home
New Zealand
Auckland
WARN International Ltd

WARN International provides consultancy and training in managing challenging situations to minimise

22/08/2025

Something on your mind? 👉 Talk, read, write.

20/08/2025

Do We Try Too Hard?

It’s something I’ve been reflecting on – not just for myself, but for many of us.

Whether we’re at work, supporting family, helping others, or simply trying to be a good friend, we often give everything our best.

And when it’s not quite right, we push even harder. But trying too hard can come with a cost.

We start to overthink, feel lost in the details, and sometimes get stuck in self-doubt.

The harder we push, the more disconnected we can feel – from others, and from ourselves.

Neuroscience shows that this kind of chronic striving activates the brain’s threat response, increasing stress and narrowing our focus.

In contrast, when we shift into a state of calm engagement, we access the parts of the brain responsible for empathy, insight, and wise decision-making.

Maybe the answer isn’t always to try harder, but to trust more, and be more present.

Because sometimes, our best work and our deepest connections come when we stop forcing and start flowing.

Trying too hard is overwhelming and debilitating. However, trying to be our best is fulfilling and motivational.

Let’s talk!

17/08/2025

I’ve noticed it. You’ve probably felt it.

People seem angrier than ever before. Road rage, online rants, short fuses, simmering frustration and emotional outbursts that feel out of character.

So, what happened?

The answer, in part, lies in the 2020 lockdowns:
🔒 We were isolated.
🧠 Our brains were flooded with stress hormones.
💔 We lost connection, control, and certainty.

According to recent neuroscience, the amygdala, our brain’s threat detector, was on high alert for months.

The prefrontal cortex, which helps us regulate emotions, was overwhelmed. And the brain stem, our hard-wired survival centre, took over. We were wired for threat.

And when that wiring stays active for too long, it changes us.

We become more reactive, less patient and more prone to anger.

But here’s the good news:
🧠 The brain is plastic - it can change and adapt.
💬 Emotions can be unlearned.
🤝 Connection can heal.

If you are feeling more irritable than usual, know that you’re not alone and you are not broken.

You are responding to an extraordinary time in history.

Let’s talk!

14/08/2025

Why is it important to be kind?

13/08/2025

"Who cares if one more light goes out in a sky of a million stars?"

Powerful lyrics in the song One More Light by Linkin Park.

When we are in pain, it can feel like our light is fading. Like no one notices and no one cares.

We convince ourselves that our struggles are too heavy, too personal, too much for others to carry.

The disconnection becomes a wall - thick, silent, and dark.

In our work, we have seen how powerful it is when someone finds the courage to speak. To let someone in and say, “I’m not doing so well.”

Because there are people who care, and people who will sit with you in the dark.

People who won’t try to fix you, they simply want to be there for you.

It starts with a conversation. And in that moment of connection, the healing begins.

So, if you are hurting, please know that:
❤️‍🩹 You are not invisible.
❤️‍🩹 You are not a burden.
❤️‍🩹 You are not alone.

Who cares? We all do. You just have to let people in.

It will take a bit of courage, yet you have already shown courage by working through your pain - so you know courage well.

One step, one short sentence, one massive leap for your recovery.

There is a reason we always end our posts with two simple words – because it works.

Let’s talk!

11/08/2025

Some people just like to argue, regardless of what you tell them.

There are several ways to manage this type of person. The best way I have found is to make it all about them, more than you would with others. Use sentences like "You make a great point" or "I can see where you are coming from."

The difficulty arises when you can't actually help them. For example, company policy means you can't do what the customer is asking of you.

Honesty is the best policy but with an explanation as to why. I call it 'the reason for the reason'.

Policies are developed for two reasons;
- To protect the company
- To protect the customer

Often we will say, "I'm sorry but I can't do what you are asking because it is our company policy". You know what the customer hears when we say this - "We have rules for situations like this and I can't change them".

Try explaining to the customer why the policies are in place, to protect them.

Something like, "Lance, I apologise that I cannot do any more for you. We value our customers and have policies in place which are designed to protect everyone".

Finish off the conversation by giving the customer something that they can take away, it need not be tangible although this would be more helpful. It could be as simple as “What I am going to do is to mention your situation to my supervisor as you raise a valid point”.

Always do what you say you are going to and don’t over-promise. Under-promise and over-deliver.

The bottom line, sometimes people will need a reality check!

Let's talk!

08/08/2025

Keep moving forward, but don't forget to look back to see how far you have come ❤️‍🩹

06/08/2025

Majoritarianism is the idea that the majority rules, but what happens to those left behind?

It can leave us with feelings of isolation, invisibility, frustration, resentment, and thus a lack of motivation.

Growing up with challenges in learning, no meaningful friendships and poor socialisation skills, I retain a small insight to how that can feel.

I often believed I didn’t belong!

I know I'm not the only one; many of us have felt that way for a variety of reasons.

Belonging happens when we feel truly seen, when we're accepted as we are, and not when we’re trying to match the expectations around us.

We live in a world that often celebrates the loudest, the strongest, the most popular.

But real strength lies in listening to the quiet voices, and the ones who have experienced adversity.

If you’ve ever felt like the minority – whether in thought, background, or belief - know this: your perspective matters.

A strong culture is one where every voice is heard and valued. That's when we all win.

Have you ever felt like the odd one out? What helped you find your place?

Let’s talk!

04/08/2025

We often hear that adversity builds character.

That may be so, yet why must lessons be so difficult to remember - we seem to repeat them.

And why is it that we must endure pain, loss, and struggle to truly develop?

It’s uncomfortable to admit, but growth rarely comes from comfort.

Our brain does not want to remember the comfortable because that is safe; it wants to remember the uncomfortable to keep us safe from harm

Growth comes from being stretched, challenged, and sometimes broken.

I’ve seen it in crisis negotiations, in trauma recovery and in my own life working through depression.

The most profound transformation often commences in the darkest of places.

Lessons are not learned in our darkest moments; it is the start of our transformation.

When everything familiar falls away, we’re forced to confront who we really are. And that hurts!

Pain teaches empathy. Loss teaches gratitude. Struggle teaches resilience - how to cope with adversity.

However, I don’t believe tough times are meant to be. I don’t believe suffering is necessary; I believe it’s simply part of being human.

Yet when we do go through adversity, we tend to come out knowing.

Knowing what it was like, knowing the effort it took to get us through, knowing we are stronger than we thought we were.

Importantly, we now know how to avoid those situations again or manage them differently should we face them.

We can choose to let adversity harden us, or we can let it shape us into something stronger, wiser and more empathetic.

So, if you’re going through a tough time right now, know this: You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re becoming.

What’s one challenge that changed you for the better?

Let’s talk!

01/08/2025

You are not your thoughts 💭

Self-compassion is not about letting yourself off the hook or ignoring areas for learning. It's about managing yourself with the same empathy and care that you would offer to others.

30/07/2025

Why Am I So Stupid?

It’s a question many of us ask ourselves.

In my workshops, I talk about how we speak to ourselves more than we speak to anyone else. And yet, the voice inside is often our harshest critic.

We beat ourselves up over mistakes. We worry endlessly. We feel like an imposter, even when we’re doing well.

We put ourselves under pressure that no one else would dare to apply.

Yet here’s the truth - this inner critic is designed to protect us. Our brains are hardwired to survive, not for happiness.

At the core of this wiring is the brain stem, the oldest part of the brain. Its job is simple, to keep us alive.

It scans for danger, reacts instantly, and doesn’t care about nuance. It’s where the fight, flight, or freeze response lives. And it’s always switched on.

When we experience stress, the brain stem kicks in before our rational brain (the prefrontal cortex) even has a chance to weigh in. That’s why we spiral into negative thoughts so quickly; it is a reaction, not an action.

Neuroscience shows that negative thinking is sticky. It activates the amygdala, floods us with cortisol, and shuts down the parts of the brain responsible for logic, empathy, and creativity. It’s a loop that’s hard to break because it’s designed to be hard to break.

Worse still, our brains have a negativity bias – we remember criticism more than praise, fear more than joy. This bias was useful when danger lurked around every corner. But today, it means we’re constantly fighting ourselves.

So, how do we stop this cycle?

We don’t fight it, we retrain it:
🧠 Mindfulness can help us notice the spiral before it takes over.
💬 Self-compassion calms the brain stem and activates the soothing system.
🧩 Cognitive reframing rewires the neural pathways, replacing fear with fact.

You’re not stupid.
You’re not broken.
You’re human, with a brain that’s doing its best to keep you safe.

Start communicating with yourself like you matter, because you do.

Let’s talk!

27/07/2025

Working in local councils across Aotearoa is challenging; they are facing relentless pressure.

Pressure from the public, pressure from central government, pressure from the weight of expectations that often feel impossible to meet.

But amid this storm, there is something that can hold them steady.

In fact, it can hold us all steady when tough times hit – our values.

Neuroscience shows that when we act in alignment with our core values, we activate the prefrontal cortex.

The PFC is responsible for clear thinking and emotional regulation, which helps override the fear and reactivity driven by the amygdala.

Values help us cope and give us purpose. Purpose activates the brain’s reward system, increasing motivation and buffering against stress and burnout.

This is why reconnecting with our why, our purpose, can reignite our energy. Even when the challenges feel overwhelming.

Values also help us reframe hardship.

A setback can become a chance to learn.
A criticism can become a call to listen.
A fright can become a reality check.

This kind of cognitive reappraisal rewires the brain for resilience.

More importantly, our values connect us.

Acting with kindness, loyalty, and fairness releases oxytocin, strengthening our relationships with colleagues and communities.

These connections are lifelines.

In times of crisis, values remind us of who we are. They anchor to our identity and for protection of our mental wellbeing.

Take a moment to consider:
What value keeps you grounded when the pressure mounts?
How have your values guided you through a recent challenge?
How can we help each other reconnect with our values in this demanding environment?

Because when we lead with our values, we don’t just endure, we thrive.

Let’s talk!

Address

Auckland

Website

http://www.warninternational.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when WARN International Ltd posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Auckland?

Our Story

With 22 years policing experience at the highest level, Lance has expertise in responding to emergencies and communicating in challenging situations. Lance specialised in su***de intervention and on predicting violent behaviour in his 13 years as a crisis negotiator and instructor for the NZ Police.

While working at the 111 Emergency call centre, Lance's resiliency programme was adopted nationally and formed part of the mandatory training for all Police call centre staff. This led to the founding of WARN International, aimed to enable organisations to mitigate the effects of stress on their employees by enhancing communication skills, managing their safety & security, and by providing personal resilience coaching.