What's going on? Mental health checkup

It's wonder and amazement. The global world and all it's intricacies. Do you ever stop and wonder what is really going on?

I do.
All the time.
I want this piece to make you stop, think and reflect. What is it we are learning and what are we doing to make change.

My day starts with an email check. I'm looking out for some news personal to me. Maybe I ordered something online and I'm looking for information updates. Maybe I'm awaiting a reply from a friend. etc.
From there I check the news for my impersonal information.
I take in the daily news. Markets are up or down, some celebrity has done something and made the news. The US government has done something like bombing Syria or raised interest rates or disbanded the health care system.
After the news it's time to go to work.


How does the information we have just assimilated affect us?
Once upon a time reading or watching the news gave me anxiety until I learned to stop believing it. Now I critically analyse why this specific information is being delivered this day.
Maybe Prince Harry has just gotten married, Quincy Jones has said something outrageous.
Whatever it is, it's information that is not personal to me.


Mental health is important to me. All this overflow of information can have a detrimental effect on your mental health.
I like to read book's to arm myself against mental health breakdowns. Sometimes a story I can escape into or some knowledge to make me stop and think.
To fortify our mind from the incoming assault we must train it, like any other muscle. Minds can be trained in various ways. One of the best ways is by learning something new, a hobby perhaps. Playing music is one great way to keep your mind in shape, as is painting and arts & crafts.

I have seen first hand the deterioration of mental health and it's many webs of addiction and substance abuse. It's a troublesome thought that even now if I'm stressed out from a hard week my first thoughts of winding down are having a drink. Maybe that's because in the UK the pub is a community where you go to meet friends and talk and laugh and share each other's stories.




Once your mind is armed and ready to tackle the world and all it's problems you will then need to find out your dreams and live them. Every day. Of course I mean every day. There is no point in spending a lifetime not living out your true dreams and desires. There are exceptions of course, some people's dreams are not always good for the rest of the world. If I dream of only ever being rich and powerful and find myself in charge of a multi billion dollar oil company and my dream is to drill the Amazon reef then maybe someone should tap me on my shoulder and say stop. One mans dream is a whole nations nightmare!


The great thinker Peter Kropotkin once said we should live in a world in which each should treat each according to how they would wish to be treated in the same situation. This implies that we all have access to a healthy amount of empathy. Sadly as far as I'm aware we don't all use it.




Next time you go out to the store or maybe your walking the dog. Take a good look around. Try to notice the environment we are living in. Try to feel a deeper connection to the history of the place and all the different people over the years that have contributed to it's current moment. Because tomorrow it is your turn to contribute towards the world. In the future it will be your past you are looking upon. Mine too. Look after your mind. Work on your empathy.

All images are from 'Don't hug me I'm scared' The modern gospel according to Franky Boyle