Hello again! It’s been a while, ey? Don’t worry, I’m not dead, I’ve just had 6 months of feeling fairly “meh”, lacking the motivation to do much other than work, eat, sleep and walk the doggo. Not depression or anything, just – I suspect at least – mental fallout from a testing couple of years for everyone.
By the end of 2022 I was feeling quite misanthropic and pessimistic about humanity’s chances of surviving long-term given how badly we (particularly those in authority and the unregulated bullshit-storm that is social media) handled Covid, and increasingly disconnected from society.
I’ve spent 2023 working to improve things, attacking the ennui through :-
- Reading up on Buddhism (though not to the point of embracing orange and taking the Bic razor to my head) and practicing mindfulness meditation – worked well if I was already feeling fairly calm, not so much when anxious
- Taking CBD Oil to reduce anxiety and be more calm generally – again it seems to work to some degree, though it’s impossible to quantify to what extent it helps and tastes like you’ve been licking an ashtray.
- Having weekly sessions with a local psychotherapist to tackle some of the reasons what this anxiety is about and what may have happened in the past to cause triggers – if it’s good enough for Tony Soprano it’s good enough for me. This has been really helpful, and while not cheap I would recommend it for anyone feeling like they have mental knots they need to detangle. It’s amazing how many “lightbulb moments” you have while during sessions.
- Taking a month’s break from work to relax and get some spring cleaning and chores caught up with.
With another UK trip locked in for August and an exciting new permanent job set to start next week I’m feeling much more positive and upbeat about the future, for now at least.
bodecott.blog 