29th July: Baths & Walks

My head's been a bit all over the place, this week, to be honest. The vibrations have felt a bit off in and around me for a few weeks now, and that was rubber stamped yesterday regarding some health news in my family. But through the rollercoasters of life, one thing I've learned - which perhaps I wasn't fully aware of a few years back - is how to manage your mental health, in ways which specifically suit you. For myself, that often begins with blasting some of my favourite tunes. The endorphins released through music are perhaps the most powerful of all, and I once heard that the type of music you listen to, represents who you are as a person, in your soul.

For example, if you listen to a lot of heavy metal or rock & roll, chances are... You're somebody who has a lot of anger deep inside. The rock & roll is your way of expressing that. A lot of hip-hop, and you're probably somebody who carries materialistic morals (flash cars, jewellery etc). A recent social study found that of 100 men who enjoyed music by the artist(s) 'Migos' - who were recently found to have cheated on their partners - for example, 84% of listeners also admitted a willingness to cheat when in a relationship. My passion has always been EDM, which is a high-energy form of dance music, focused on parties, happiness, and spreading positivity to those around them. What that says abut my personality, I'll allow you to figure out. 

Two of the most powerful healing tools for any form of 'cabin fever', or mental strife, I've found, are walking, and baths. The former, was something that only really became clear to me through the words of Tyson Fury, and through the initial COVID lockdown. The daily walks were a real form of relief to the same four-walls in isolation, and the serotonin released from mild yet enjoyable exercise combined perfectly with the cool air of sunny Spring nights as I'd regularly breathe in my surroundings and enjoy the nature around me. These days, I try to (outside of COVID) partake in at least 1 hour of walking per day. I've not been able to this week, and I've certainly felt the impacts of that. 

The other, is a bath. For some, it's a quick splash 'n' go, a place to be productive, rather than meditative. But for me, it's a whole experience. Truth be told, I'm happier in water than on land anyway. I love swimming and during Summer Holidays, I'd always rather be in the pool than on the sun lounger. These days, I'll run a bath, plop a colourful bath bomb in, soak in the aroma, and place a few candles around the edge. I'll listen to a speaker, and pop a cool drink beside me. I'll often just close my eyes and lay there for hours, completely switched off from the outside world. That's my therapy, but everybody's is different. If there's one thing I implore you all to do today, it is this...

... Find your own therapy.