Tag: mentalhealth
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Surviving Crisis
‘In the event of an emergency, put your own mask on first….’ You know the story. Remember the second half of it though: ‘…….before you help others’. Not ‘instead of helping others’. ‘Put your own mask on first’ is not about being self-centred. It’s a call to service. In times of catastrophe stay healthy –…
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Creativity Saved My Life
I fell in love with painting when I was in hospital. I’d had a heart attack. I was confused, scared, angry. My life-trajectory, and the assumptions I’d lived by, were shattered. Instead of being on a plane to run a residential performance workshop in Greece, I was surrounded by people wheezing and coughing – all…
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Perfectionism
Perfectionism ++++++ What’s the perfect relationship? What’s the perfect job? What’s the perfect family? What’s the perfect painting? Where is the perfect holiday destination? Who is the perfect guitar player? What’s this ‘perfect life’ people promise you (usually if you buy their latest product)? Absurd questions. Every one of them. My ‘perfect holiday’ might be…
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Distraction
Distraction: We live in distracted times. It’s a curse. It makes us scattered, unfocused, spread-too-thin. It deprives us of the joy of getting lost in something: a book, conversation, landscape, creativity. You can learn to focus better. I write about this in my book ‘Presence’. But before you ’force’ yourself to focus, observe your distraction.…
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Tiredness
Tiredness: When I’m tired, I get irritable. I try not to, but it’s overwhelming. Small things seem like big things. Innocent remarks seem like attacks. Everything becomes too much effort. The same is true when I get hungry. I’m diabetic. I’m get ‘hangry’. The solution? I must give myself what I need. Good food. Proper…
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Disillusionment
Disillusionment. It’s a bad thing right? You’re disillusioned with your job, your relationship, your life-choices. Things have lost their sparkle. That’s bad. Right? It would be much better to remain ‘illusion-ed’. Right? . It would be much better to fool yourself that the job, relationship, community you’ve settled for is ‘perfect’, though the evidence to…
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Living The Full Catastrophe
Have you watched ’Zorba The Greek’? Or read the book? If not – do either. Do both. They’re amazing. (Side note – Anthony Quinn as Zorba will break your heart and, while recovering, why not watch ‘La Strada’ where, as a strong man in love with a clown, he’ll break your heart all over again).…
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The shortest day: mental health in a time of change
We’ve reached the shortest day — at least here in the Northern hemisphere. Maximum darkness. Minimum light. As I look at the storm outside my study window, though it’s daytime, it’s gloomy. Barely above half-light. The clouds are low and dense. Everything, sky, earth, trees, the very air itself, sucks light in and gives out…
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How to interact online
…and not make things worse while you’re trying to make them better In bitter times, Social Media is a cesspool. I’m talking about how we choose to interact — with friends, colleagues, strangers. I’m talking about how the desire many of us have to do good, to be healthy and contribute to creating a better…
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A day of darkness
And I was so full of good intentions Some days you stride forward. Some days you stay still. Some days you must walk away. I woke today full of good intention. I reached my desk with a clear mind. Then a shadow fell. A conversation yesterday came back and I heard it differently. I wondered…