Your Mental Health

[SoundsAboutRight]

@MerchantOfEnnis Some great posts with some great advice here fella. If I may add one thing, Turn off the fucking news.

Seriously, there's not much any of us can do about it, but constantly imbibing the negativity is of no help to anyone, especially if they're not feeling so great themselves.

Good luck, hope things turn soon for you and for anyone not feeling that good.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7545541520523349270

Thought this was very good on the constant binging on the news. It's on TikTok so might be frowned upon here

 

[Great-Bit-O-Stuff]

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Philosopher and novelist Albert Camus on self-care:


"Go out for a walk. It doesn't have to be a romantic walk in the park, spring at its most spectacular moment, flowers and smells and outstanding poetical imagery smoothly transferring you into another world. It doesn't have to be a walk during which you'll have multiple life epiphanies and discover meanings no other brain ever managed to encounter. Do not be afraid of spending quality time by yourself. Find meaning or don't find meaning but "steal" some time and give it freely and exclusively to your own self. Opt for privacy and solitude. That doesn't make you antisocial or cause you to reject the rest of the world. But you need to breathe. And you need to be."


Source: It is debated whether Camus actually wrote the above passage, which may have been altered over time. But he does have a number of passages about pausing the day to be alone, to walk, and to be simply present, including Carnets I and Return to Tipasa.
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That's from an email I get once a week from the a guy called James Clear. Link to the newsletter below for anyone that wants it.

3-2-1 Thursday newsletter

jamesclear.com

 

[Happyhonkaman]

How’s the head MOE? Hope things feeling a bit better this morning

 

[Browser Brody]

Philosopher and novelist Albert Camus on self-care:


"Go out for a walk. It doesn't have to be a romantic walk in the park, spring at its most spectacular moment, flowers and smells and outstanding poetical imagery smoothly transferring you into another world. It doesn't have to be a walk during which you'll have multiple life epiphanies and discover meanings no other brain ever managed to encounter. Do not be afraid of spending quality time by yourself. Find meaning or don't find meaning but "steal" some time and give it freely and exclusively to your own self. Opt for privacy and solitude. That doesn't make you antisocial or cause you to reject the rest of the world. But you need to breathe. And you need to be."


Source: It is debated whether Camus actually wrote the above passage, which may have been altered over time. But he does have a number of passages about pausing the day to be alone, to walk, and to be simply present, including Carnets I and Return to Tipasa.
_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's from an email I get once a week from the a guy called James Clear. Link to the newsletter below for anyone that wants it.

3-2-1 Thursday newsletter

jamesclear.com

Did this yesterday,
Felt shite all day and went for a 2 hour walk. Stopped to chat to a stranger and pat a dog on the head.

Was fine after……although i did discover my old runners are now giving me blisters

 

[Happyhonkaman]

Did this yesterday,
Felt shite all day and went for a 2 hour walk. Stopped to chat to a stranger and pat a dog on the head.

Was fine after……although i did discover my old runners are now giving me blisters

It was possibly your socks that gave you the blisters - 2 hours is a long time to be on your feet exercising if everything isn't right on your feet. If they re loose or really worn you have a problem.

I took delivery of a new batch of running socks yesterday for that very reason, the old ones are starting to wear through so time for change. When I run i never listen to music or go with anyone - my runs are the only time in the week when i get to be by myself, with my own thoughts, and I dont want anything taking from that. I have full blown conversations in my head as I go! I tend to run along the coast or through the park, nature is a fascinating thing

 

[fed up]

It was possibly your socks that gave you the blisters - 2 hours is a long time to be on your feet exercising if everything isn't right on your feet. If they re loose or really worn you have a problem.

I took delivery of a new batch of running socks yesterday for that very reason, the old ones are starting to wear through so time for change. When I run i never listen to music or go with anyone - my runs are the only time in the week when i get to be by myself, with my own thoughts, and I dont want anything taking from that. I have full blown conversations in my head as I go! I tend to run along the coast or through the park, nature is a fascinating thing

It's the sea for me, just sitting on rocks in an isolated place listening as the waves break. All thoughts drain from my mind and I just go into a tranquil peace.
I come away feeling totally recharged.

 

[Two Pour Bore]

I think I said it already, maybe, but "diary-ing"/"journaling" has been very helpful for me. Getting my thoughts down on paper where they look real and I can engage with them, and the processes going through my mind has been really helpful. Not only that but as I write I really tease out what's going through my head and get to a much deeper level of consideration of what's bothering me, or even buoying me. I've come to a lot of realisations doing this for just a few weeks. And one of them, in a quite stark manner, is just how fucking active the human mind is.

All those thoughts that fly around your head, sometimes annoying you, sometimes upsetting you, and sometimes something positive, are very quick to enter and give you grief, and when you deal with them they bubble down again, and they disappear for a bit making you feel like those few hours of upset weren't real, or were a waste of time. Getting them on paper makes them actualities. It's amazing to see how actually active I am. From the immediate, physical level of just doing stuff to benefit my life, all the way to the very philosophical level of engaging with aspects of my personhood and life. The journal is organising all those things running through my mind, helping me deal with them and see them as real, and showing me just how much I actually get done.

 

[Cormac]

@MerchantOfEnnis Some great posts with some great advice here fella. If I may add one thing, Turn off the fucking news.

Seriously, there's not much any of us can do about it, but constantly imbibing the negativity is of no help to anyone, especially if they're not feeling so great themselves.

Good luck, hope things turn soon for you and for anyone not feeling that good.

This, this and f*cking this!

We don't have to know or care about every issue, or conflict or injustice in the world.
We are led to believe we must, that if we don't care about Palestine or Trump or whatever then we are inconsiderate, uncaring or heartless.
It is complete and utter horse shit.
There is nothing wrong with keeping your focus narrow, to concentrate on just yourself and your family and your friends.
To not have an opinion on anything and everything doesn't make you selfish, it just shows you have your priorities right.
'Ignorance is bliss' might be a bit simplistic but there is absolutely a modicum of truth in it.

You say you don't want to bring kids into this world because the world is f*cked, well if that is your reasoning then its evident that you are letting too much of the world into you.
I brought two kids into this world not so long ago (well technically speaking my wife did but hey.. I played my part too, giggidy) and they have put everything in perspective, they have shut out all the noise and crap and irrelevant nonsense that I used to consume and they have shone a light on all that is good in my world.
I'm not saying to go and have kids, that that is the solution but don't let an misrepresentation of the world due to an over consumption of negative news cloud your judgement on whether you should or not.
The world has always been f*cked to a certain extent it's just we didn't have so much access to it all before social Media and 24hr News.

Speaking of social media, it is an absolute disaster, I applaud Honk_y for keeping his young fella away from it for as long as possible because the effect it is having on people's mental health is absolutely catastrophic.

My daughter had a sleepover at a friend's house recently and her friend was using a tablet in bed. My wife also stayed over as the other mother and her are also childhood friends.
My wife was fretting that our daughter was now going to want a tablet but after about 15mins my daughter walked out and asked could she sleep with her instead because "there was too much happening" with the noise and light from the tablet.
All my daughter wanted was a bedtime story and some quiet.

Truth is we all need that, the world has become so noisy and loud and over consumed with news and ads and shite that we have become blinded to the pitfalls of it being that way.

Look after yourself MOE and keep talking, whether it's on here or to someone in real life, whatever you do just keep talking but also don't forget to have the quiet time too.

 

[Two Pour Bore]

This, this and f*cking this!
...
There is nothing wrong with keeping your focus narrow, to concentrate on just yourself and your family and your friends.

Even more than this focusing on what you can change (AA Serenity Prayer up in here) is a lot more valuable. Family and friends, sure, but your community, too. Whether your community is a small geographic area or a cohort of people affected by something that are scatted throughout Cork, Munster or Ireland.

You've got eejits online screaming about everything under the sun and achieving sweet fuck all apart from impotent rage. All the people I know who've made an actual difference to the world, or just their small community, focused on the small things they could affect. You'd wear yourself out worrying about massive, global stuff, outside of having some level of awareness of the rights and wrongs, but making a difference to the lonely fella down the road, or the woman with a disability you talk to on the phone, or write letters to, is something real.

I'll never have a meeting with Trump so what do I get worrying about him, other than getting my jollies laughing at the moron. Focus on the things within your reach and don't extend to things you'll never change. Push yourself towards the things you can make a difference on and you'll reap the rewards. And if you're feeling shitey at the moment you push yourself towards making a difference for yourself. You can't do a thing for anyone if you're in a bad way. There's plenty who'll be outraged at that, looking after your own situation, but fuck them. They're a bunch of privileged, arrogant begrudgers. If you're feeling awful you're of no help to international or even national issues. Sort yourself out and then you can go further, when you're in the right way. And you'll be better for it, and achieve more, long term.