#202 Dr Teimojin Tan on survival skills, medicine and how to survive being alone!

August 24, 2024 Ian Dawson Mackay ALL PODCAST EPISODES, LEVEL UP YOUR HEALTH, LEVEL UP YOUR SKILLS, MINDSET & MENTAL STRENGTH, REAL-LIFE INSPIRING 1:24:11 0 Comments

TODAY's GUEST IS Teimojin Tan!

Today’s guest is Dr Teimojin Tan! 

Teimojin grew up in Montreal and had a very worldly upbringing. From taking his first steps on a plane as a child to solo traveling through developing countries in his youth, he was never one to feel stuck in one place. Through his travels, he developed a fascination and appreciation for indigenous cultures. As he learned about plant-based medicines, survival, hunting tactics, and local customs, he was also exposed to the health disparities and challenges facing impoverished communities.

Seeing people in need and feeling helpless to render aid inspired him to work for non-profit organizations in South America, Ghana, and East Africa and to pursue a higher education. But coming from a single-parent household, he wanted to be financially independent so at the age of 17, Teimojin joined the Canadian Army Reserve as an Infantry soldier. He took a special interest in Cold Weather Warfare & Survival and would spend weeks to months in the Subarctic learning how to make improvised defenses, conduct patrols, assaults, search and rescue missions, and employ strategies to procure food and shelter that he learned from the native Cree Rangers.

Eventually, Teimojin found his way to medical school at Michigan State University and became a doctor. Now, he is a full-time ER doctor working in rural Maine and teaches Survival Medicine in his free time. These contrasting experiences in fighting and healing, with a healthy obsession with survival and the outdoors, led him to specialize in Wilderness Medicine.

Teimojin’s dream is to teach Survival Medicine internationally while working as a physician in underserved indigenous communities and being involved in community development projects.

Teimojin started Survival Doctors™ to teach people how to prepare for medical emergencies in survival situations. He hopes to share his unique perspective on medicine so that others can venture out in the wild confidently and safely.

Partnered with other medical professionals, military veterans, survival experts, and search and rescue specialists, Survival Doctors™ offers an educational experience like no other.

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KEY POINTS, Links & Actions

Here are some key points that I would advise you to concentrate on:

  • You are not who you say you are, you are what you do. Do what you say and you will build your character. 
  • The average person cannot last or deal with any emergency in their life, and might crumble with things become scary or challenging. We no longer have the rituals and the rites of passages that our ancestors had, life is too easy now. We need to challenge ourselves on as much as possible, so we learn new skills, build resilience and grow in confidence and leave the comfort zone, that is holding them back. 
  • A lot of accidents and injuries are caused by our own issues, poor diets, stupid actions, no common sense etc. We need to be responsible for our own health, as much as our children, partners, team members etc. Lead by your skills and intelligence, not by the ego! 
  • Dr Tan is a big fan of getting your footing, box breathing, and bracing down, as you feel your senses, to remain grounded during difficult situations. 
  • Through meditation, and spending your time alone, away from distractions, you can learn about yourself, the environment and the world, and reconnect to the universe. Try ‘Headspace’ and it’s guided ten minute meditation walk-through, and it gives some amazing benefits, including better focus, less anxiety etc.
  • Dr Tan mentions how by looking to help others, to do things for others rather than just focusing on your own issues, gives you a certain kind of power, a level of power to rise about your own issues and lead and help others and not sit and ruminate. 
  • Learn to hunt, purifying water, grow vegetables, work a radio etc. Leanr key skills to survive if anything happens, don’t expect others to save your life, if the worst happens, shit will hit the fan and help might not come in time. Learn to save yourself and others. 
  • Dr Tan spent some time touring the world, he visited other cultures, other setups, and learnt about the world. Too often we stop looking and learning in life after school, and its a way to stall our development. Keep reading, keep touring, keep learning. 
  • An emergency can create a lot of stress and make you feel panicky, with the adrenaline flowing. Dr Tan explains how he used his training and experience of being challenged, leading and practicing the skills he needs, as he understands how we fall back to the level of our training and not rise to the level of the challenge. Dr Tan talks about how by learning through failure in his training, he learnt how to make plans on the go, step back when in an emotional spike, plan, remain calm and put a plan in operation. Training is where you make mistakes, and fail. By failing, you learn what doesn’t work, you learn how to fix issues, improve your decision making, and learn to deal with emotional spikes. Never stop training, never stop learning, you never know when you might need it. 
  • We discuss the skill triangle, the need to learn survival, medical and combat skills to keep ourselves safe, and is something that all men, and our kids, should learn. 
  • There is a world of difference between true needs and discomfort. We have an easy life on the whole, and too used to a full belly, warm house, and dry clothes. We really need to challenge ourselves, step outside our comfort zone, face our fears etc as much as possible, so we can deal with issues as they arise. 
  • ‘I am’ is a very powerful thought, you need to make sure what follows that statement is positive, kind and encouraging and not destroying, as you believe deeply what you say about yourself. 
  • One of the key components of a Next Level Guy is someone who gives back to others and helps others. Dr Tan spent time helping out in less fortunate cultures and people, and learnt a lot about life and himself, during this time. What could you do now, to help those less fortune and learn about yourself at the same time? 
  • It doesn’t matter the scene, we all die the same, scientifically to some degree. There are key responsibilities you need to focus on to keep someone alive till help or treatment is possible. I would advise a basic first aid course for everyone listening. 
  • Dr Tan explains how with some basic learning, we can deal with a lot of the issues that arise, by learning the key 7 areas, that he teaches in his course. 
  • We cherish too much crap in our lives. As ‘Fight Club’ says, things we own, end up owning us. Stop hoarding and chasing new cars and fancy watches, focus on who and what you can do, and become a man that leads and helps others, not tries to make them envious. 
  • You just need to do one hard thing a day. Then do another, then another. Just one hard thing a day and it will change your life. 
  • We need to be grateful for what we do have. Start  a gratitude journal, and everyday write down three things your are grateful in your life, and you will realise how much you have going for yourself, and it will help you think more positively. 
  • To prep for what could happen, you need to work on building your survival AND your medical skills to survive for any length of time, if the worst happens. Learn skills, not follow your ego.
  • It can be difficult to rise above the situation and deal with the problem, and not get caught up in it. Dr Tan explains the importance of box breathing to control your emotions during stressors and bearing down to force pressure in your system to control your heart rate.
  • Dr Tan was a star on season 9 of ‘Alone’. The show taught him how we tend to focus and put importance on the wrong things in modern society. We struggle when alone, without company, when dealing with just ourselves and our thoughts. Dr Tan made connections in the wild, to connect with the land and our history. He used the time to connect to the universe, to himself, and to the world, so he could focus on larger things, rather than the small issues he was experiencing, he let it take over the more niggling issues he was facing. 
  • Aim to be fit for life, not just fit for the disco muscles. Build your cardio, endurance, general health, flexibility, be able to deal with life, not just looking good. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is always a fantastic option to be healthy for life, physically and mentally! 

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Key lesson from this interview 

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About the Author
I’m a podcaster who interviews great examples of people to discuss and highlight the methods, hacks, tips and procedures you can use in your own life to help you develop and better your life. I would definitely not consider myself an expert, so to improve, I ask them and action it in my own life! My personal journey has been marked by awkwardness and awesomeness, OCD and ‘OMG’. I have suffered with depression, shyness, unhappiness and lack of focus and motivation so I know what’s it like to feel lost and hopeless. Back then, I wished I had a podcast to listen to and find actual fixes and concrete action steps and not just unobtainable suggestions and promotion of their products but couldn’t find it … so I made my own!

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