It's my birthday. Happy birthday to me. The only reason I raise this point is not to try and extract a present from you dear reader but to put the title in context.
A number of friends have been plagued with depression and anxiety which seems to be prevalent currently. I've been there as you can see from the iPad painting.
This blog is intended to show that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is not the express train coming in the opposite direction.
So mental wealth is a term I love. It builds on all the positives about our mental state without the guilt that somedays we have really bad days. Really bad hair days, days when the cat dies or days when we discover we have cancer.
My really bad day came when I realised I was having some form of mental breakdown. Parked on the side of a cliff it was only a text from someone to ask me how I was that made me sit up and think, "possibly not at my best".
I sought out counselling. My counsellor worked at Broadmoor as a day job. I did not think I was that bad.
From there the concept of mental wealth took over. I started to do things, yes get out and do things, or even stay in an do things, wow which have really helped. That may seem flippant.
Last year I tried out the concept of a Life in a Year. It way my way of turning my abstract thoughts into something more concrete. In the last year I have done numerous things including:
- Sea kayaked around Old Harry's Rocks in Dorset (Totally mad and terrifying but I did it and I will NEVER do it again)
- Walked the Cotswold Way from Chipping Camden to Bath (I am glad I did it that way around, I love the scenery at the North end, in my opinion it is more rugged)
- Went to Iceland and saw Whales and Puffins, no I'm not going to do the store joke here. If you get a chance go to Iceland. I will talk in more detail about Iceland in future blogs.
+ plenty of other things which are documented on the website
Yes, a lot of what I do to grow my mental wealth is done outside. However, on the website there are various other ideas which ensure you stay dry and warm unless the heating is broken or the roof leaks. If its a really bad day then both.
In future blogs I will highlight specific activities to highlight how I am still growing. They might work for you, they might not. They are just ideas.
However, whatever you do.
Be curious | Be content | Be you
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