Safety Chief Urges Daily Habits for Mental Readiness in Stressful Times

Frank Elsner, Chief of Safety and Security for the Natural Factors Group of Companies, is issuing a compelling call for Canadians to prioritize personal preparedness and mental readiness in their daily lives. Drawing from his extensive career in high-pressure roles—including undercover work, intelligence operations, dive team leadership, and tactical response assignments—Elsner argues that the most critical safety tools are not complex systems but simple, consistent habits. He highlights a concerning gap between public expectations and actual readiness, citing studies that show one in three Canadians often feel unprepared, 76% struggle with focus due to stress or digital overload, and workplaces have seen a 22% rise in preventable incidents linked to communication breakdowns. Elsner emphasizes that these are human issues, not technical ones, and that small, practical changes can yield significant improvements in clarity, decision-making, and overall safety.

Elsner outlines three actionable habits that individuals, families, and workplaces can adopt to enhance their preparedness. First, he recommends pausing before making decisions, noting that a few seconds of patience can prevent hours of damage control. Second, he advocates for handwriting things down, as studies show it improves information retention by 20–30%, a practice he personally used when returning to university as a mature student. Third, he suggests using short debriefs after stressful or important moments to strengthen future steps. Additionally, Elsner shares the importance of having a personal "reset mechanism," such as riding a motorcycle, walking, or cooking, to manage overwhelm and foster calm reflection. He stresses that silence is underrated and provides space for better judgment, a lesson learned from years in environments where clear thinking was paramount.

In his call to action, Elsner invites Canadians to choose one daily habit to improve their readiness, emphasizing that preparedness is about presence, not fear. He encourages workplaces, schools, and community groups to integrate conversations about awareness and decision-making into their cultures. By slowing down, staying aware, and checking in with themselves, individuals can strengthen their families, workplaces, and communities. Elsner's message, rooted in decades of frontline experience and leadership, underscores that these strategies require no special training but can profoundly impact personal and collective well-being in an increasingly stressful world.