You may have thought I was done talking about vacations, good weather and whatever else I could think of to make you feel jealous. Afraid not.
This week, I wish to cover a related topic which some of you may very well be able to relate to. It is something I couldn’t help but cover to some extent bearing in mind our overall focus of this blog. I mention weather again because of course this topic is directly related to it. As a species we are conditioned to crave warmth and shelter. Even those who prefer to think of themselves as lovers of the ‘great outdoors’, those who always seem to be on some kind of adventure (you know, the kind of person that will choose camping over a hotel room for some strange reason), will take a secret pleasure in those times when they have the opportunity to enjoy a nice warm bed. On that subject, have you ever noticed how this type of person will like to make a point of telling other people about this outgoing side of their personality? They may proclaim it like it’s something to be proud of, as if they’ve met some kind of challenge. Even if they’re humble enough to not talk about themselves too much around other people, you may find those other people praising them for this side of their personality in order to make up for it. They’ll speak of an admiration for them, the general feeling being that it takes sacrifice to be the type of person they are – after all, aren’t they giving up on the luxuries so many of us take for granted? You’d scarcely hear of a hermit being spoken of in the same esteem. My point is simply to highlight our natural sense of admiration towards those who give up what we perceive to be comfortable – that being, in this case, warmth. The fact of it does not tell us our craving for comfort and warmth is a bad thing, it merely confirms that we do enjoy it, and even feel a little guilty when we take it without feeling we’ve done enough to earn it – or proud when we willingly give it up. Back to the main point, then. This inherent need that we have for warmth leads us to prefer certain weather – certain seasons – over others. Now, I know there will be those of you who see where I’m going with this and may protest that winter is your favourite season. But if I was to ask you why that is, I’d imagine you’d give a reason that isn’t just about the cold. I’d imagine it would have something to do with the snow, or Christmas-time. And I’d also imagine that even when you’re enjoying winter, you still wrap up warm. Perhaps the very reason you enjoy it is because it’s an opportunity to have hot baths or sit with a blanket around you in front of the fire without feeling weird about doing that in the middle of the day. Regardless, I think the majority of us would freely admit that summer is ultimately our season of choice (yes, even here in the U.K. where the lines between seasons are considerably blurred at times). Summer is when we can go outside and appreciate the feeling of the sun on our skin. It’s when we generally find our body’s physical energy at its yearly peak. My first memory – and what I think will turn out to be one of my lasting memories – of my trip to Antigua during this Christmas break was the feeling I had when stepping off the plane upon arrival. I’m not here referring to some great spiritual or sentimental experience. This felt entirely physical. It’s something I would continue to find fascinating for the following week: the feeling of my body, having come from almost freezing British temperatures in the early hours of that same day, soaking up nutrients from the sun in a matter of minutes. I felt it in the new energy I found I had and in the way I was able to sleep better than usual for those first few nights. So what does all this have to do with emotional and mental health, or with our focus on mindfulness this month? Well, I could answer that in two ways. The first would be where I draw attention to ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ and highlight that as a genuine condition that people can suffer from, often unknowingly. But I think there’s something broader and simpler that each one of us can take from this, without necessarily getting into specifics. It is, after all, easy to forget that the physical state of our bodies directly affects the emotional and mental state of them. In labelling an illness as ‘mental’ and listing whatever unique symptoms may belong to it, we can often look past the importance of first taking care of ourselves physically. Yes, this could be something as simple as keeping yourself warm when it’s cold outside. Today, then, I ask you to be mindful of how your body reacts physically to your environment, and think about how this correlates with your general mood. If improvement is needed in this area, do your best to implement a positive change. EGS
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I'm living for right now - I'm not waiting Song first, talk later! It's amazing how well this song lines up with our February Focus of mindfulness! It's basically one giant quote! We love how the song talks about not just living in, but cherishing the present moment and not waiting for a future that may not come, and if it does may not turn out the way we expect it to. As we're on the topic, how are you doing with the Mindfulness Challenge? Are you finding time each day to just be still for a bit? It's not to late to start!
Singer Tori Kelly is not a newcomer to the music scene having competed on shows like Star Search and America's Most Talented Kids as a child, and more recently making it through to Hollywood on American Idol. She didn't make it to the Top 24, but fortunately for our ears wasn't deterred, and released EP albums in both 2012 and 13. Her Youtube channel is a delightful mix of both original work and covers you'll be sorry if you don't check out! Some of our favourites: Dear No One, All In My Head (which has a bit of a "Cry Me A River" feel to it at the beginning), and Roar (with Scott from Pentatonix). Now, you could settle in with a hot chocolate and just listen to a full Tori Kelly playlist, but the song Fill A Heart - written for a campaign to end child hunger - is more than enough to give you the warm and fuzzy feeling you're looking for! As always, enjoy! Until next time... M-J Spending Christmas and New Year away from your usual abode (as I have just done) during a six week trip is useful. Not only do you get to experience different weather conditions than you’re used to – despite the fact it was in the Caribbean and the temperature was akin to a very warm British summer (and even then I’m being rather generous to us) I’m not going to harp on about that side of things too much – but you get to enjoy what people commonly refer to as a vacation.
Of course people may mean different things by this word. They may use it to refer to an action-packed experience filled with numerous activities that stave off the boredom associated with what the slackers call ‘resting’. Others may prefer to sit by a pool, in the sunshine, and regain the energy they’ve used up all year round on a tough schedule that helps provide the very income to secure such a vacation in the first place. Some people won’t call it a vacation at all, protesting that it’s actually called a ‘holiday’ (hey, we’re British). Most of us would agree, to varying extents, that on occasion it is necessary for everyone to take a step back from work and enjoy some kind of break; something to provide change from an everyday schedule that, no matter how stimulating, will eventually become tiresome. My question would be: are the majority of people doing it right? Is it healthy to use a holiday/ vacation to collapse and recover from exhaustion, or alternatively to use that break as a means of exhaustion in itself? No doubt there are times when both of these scenarios can be desirable. But then there is the inevitable moment when you realise your vacation is fast coming to an end. Soon, you will be on the plane back to monotony, business, endless phone calls, emailing, and whatever else that your daily schedule may involve. And you may find that you are dreading it just a little. Once you have become used to not worrying about the various tasks that must be achieved throughout each day, the pressure of deadlines that have to be met, and the interactions with those difficult people your life could do without, it can be hard to go back. It feels, perhaps, almost like going back to another person’s life. The alternative for some is not to take a holiday at all, or take one that nonetheless allows for the checking of emails and occasional business call. They may argue that this is entirely necessary in their line of work (I’m thinking mainly of anyone who owns a business and just needs to stay updated on every aspect of it), and they may very well be right. In trying to compensate for the potential lengthy interruption of their work ‘flow’ they end up sacrificing periods of prolonged relaxation to stay in the mindset. Someone with this kind of lifestyle will likely be one of the most focused, committed individuals you know. Others will be blessed because of their hard work and sacrifice; indeed, many people may have a decent job because of them. So where am I going with this, then? Because it may sound very much like I’m hinting criticism of the type of person we should be praising. Well, it’s not the person I’m criticising at all. In fact, I am not even making a criticism. I am simply observing the pattern our society has taken, and picking up on the more unhelpful aspects of it. For me, this is kind of what our February theme of mindfulness is all about. Take a look back at the definition of mindfulness from our last post. It defines it simply as ‘being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on to when it changes’. Earlier, I asked whether the majority of people were doing it right when it comes to vacations. Yet the problem, as I would try to make clearer in a lengthy essay on the topic, is not with the vacation itself. Not how long it is, what you do on it, even whether or not you do a little bit of work while you’re there. Different things will work for you depending on your personality, energy levels, and biological genes. The problem I have touched on is found in the general attitude towards the relationship between work and vacation. I would like to say work and rest. However, going on vacation can in fact be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life, especially (although I’m merely speculating here) if you’re a parent with multiple children in tow. With increasingly mounting personal and professional obligations as you approach adulthood, rest is harder to come by, and is rarely found in the ‘one size fits all’ vacation period before your boss expects you back in the office ready to meet more deadlines. Yes, it is entirely necessary to step back and take stock of where you are in life. In our mindfulness challenge for you this month, though, we are encouraging you to do this daily. It’s not something everyone can afford to save until their next break from work – all that will do is make you dread returning to the alternative. Our daily challenge is about bringing a little bit of this vacation into your everyday schedule. In the process I would ask you to dwell upon your own attitudes toward work and time off. Perhaps they may need adjusting, one way or another. EGS For the past few weeks, you have all been left in the very capable, hard-working hands of OrangeMouth founder and creator, Marla-Joy, to provide you with some memorable tunes every Tuesday. I won’t lie; I think she’s picked some pretty decent ones, and will continue to do so. But you know, there are just some tunes that take someone with a slightly different style to discover and appreciate. I present one such tune to you this week. I have long been an advocate for the positive effect that video games can have on one’s emotional and mental health. Granted, this is not a blanket term; I am not talking about Fifa here. Some games may have more negative effects if, as with most things, they are not enjoyed in moderation and balanced with an otherwise healthy, active lifestyle. But enough with the disclaimer. Here at OrangeMouth we like to focus on the positive outlook of things. This week’s music video, therefore, is a tongue-in-cheek James Bond style track from one of the most memorable games I enjoyed during my teenage years. It is one that I think provides a perfect tonic to the cold, post-Christmas period we have all just endured. While this general topic is one I am sure to expand upon in a future post, for now I present to you: “Snake Eater”, written by Norihiko Hibino and performed by Cynthia Harrell, from Metal Gear Solid 3. Enjoy this one, guys! EGS |
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