Living in the unreal reality
DISCOVERS WHY WE COULD BENEFIT
WE have been living a life over the past year that has felt anything but real.
So, it’s difficult sometimes for us to determine “what is reality” and really what isn’t.
Not only has reality felt unreal as we live our lives presently in an “unreal world.”
Our minds can be so very powerful and our brains are constantly developing as we learn more and more. Having such evolving minds means we gain more creativity, and whilst that’s great for school and for dreaming etc, it can also be a killer. Sometimes we find ourselves consumed in another world, which feels real.
We are given a new personality characterising us in a dystopian novel come to life facing our worst enemy … ourselves.
In this world, that appears like reality, you are repeatedly the one everybody fears the most; the one the real you fears the most.
This is the other person hiding inside your mind, which controls what you see and do.
You try to a relax for a day, but that inner being is darkening that soft, calm feeling, and is forcing you to be productive. Your reality soon becomes darkened by something so unreal it frightens you.
Clouds start to thunder in your brain, and you are exposed to a world where tiredness doesn’t matter, and productivity does.
Where if you don’t achieve what “it” thinks you should, there will be terrible consequences. If released from that trance you snap back into reality acknowledging the benefits of sleeping and chilling.
If this is you you’re NOT alone. This is a symptom that exists at some level for everyone; and is distressing.
The other being; the demon that puts you against yourself in your dystopian world, seems so powerful.
You feel out of control but it’s important you control it.
Just as only you can change your life, your future, then only you can challenge this nightmare realm you are stuck in.
To do this, you need to acknowledge it, maybe even give it a name (mine is called Samantha). Trying to dismiss or ignore it will only antagonise the demon in your unreal world.
Once acknowledged, then it’s time for realisation.
Tell yourself (out loud) where you are, what you’re doing, be mindful of your surroundings.
You’ll then be able to realise the exactness of your immediate reality and break out of the dimension you were stuck in. Show you’re in charge. It is much more complex to determine real from unreal in the current climate with a global pandemic lockdown?
Now (after realising the extent of the virus), we wear masks, are more cautious of our health, sit in a lockdown waiting vaccinations until reality improves.
If universally we act on the nightmare that is reality, then you can act on the unreal nightmare that is lounging in your mind.
It is simply a poor headspace that uncertainty; anxiety; trauma made you believe.
Be assured unreality isn’t permanent. YOU can change it. YOU have the power.
This may take more than an affirmation in the morning and some words from a 15-year-old in a newspaper, but I do promise you that eventually (with much patience and self-discipline), you’ll have escaped and you will be here again. You will be present again.
Derealisation and disassociation will still happen from time to time; you may still be detached from reality sometimes but noticing how it decreases day by day, week by week is an achievement.
It is healing. It is vital to acknowledge it can feel very real.
It is all a very bewildering concept to grasp, I know.
The lesson we shall take from this though is that whatever is making you feel burdened in your mind, whatever is hurting you and frightening you. It is real.
Let it know that it is, and then let it go, escape it and let yourself.
It is hard to snap back into reality from the weighty false world, but you are strong enough to do it.
A favourite quote from Harry Potter is “Of course it’s happening inside your head Harry, but why on earth should that mean it’s not real”.
Acknowledge. Take control. Live.
AS the saying goes, prevention is better than cure – and that’s a philosophy that features highly in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as does the principle of self-care – or ‘ Yang Sheng’. “Unlike Western medicine, which focuses on fixing health issues, Chinese medicine focuses on prevention alongside cure,” says Katie Brindle, author of Yang Sheng: The Art Of Chinese Self-Healing. “For example, in Chinese medicine, a bad night’s sleep or thinning hair signifies the beginning of a deeper health issue. The principle is that if you eliminate small health niggles as they arise, you’ll prevent bigger ones happening.”
Katie (katiebrindle.com) trained to become a Chinese medicine practitioner after it helped her recover from injuries sustained in a car accident.
She says self-care is a huge part of this approach to wellness, which taps into discovering energy imbalances long before they turn into physical symptoms. “The theory is that you prevent the imbalance getting a foothold in the body and turning into something more serious. Think of it as how we address our dental care – we brush our teeth daily to prevent plaque building up and turning into an issue.”
As we enter the Year of the Ox (Chinese New Year fell on February 12 this year), we talk to Katie to find out more...
ENERGY, FLOW AND BALANCE
Katie says there are three fundamental principles to Chinese medicine’s holistic mind-body approach.
Ensuring the free flow of energy – qi – and blood circulation (good circulation is seen as a foundation of health).
■ Purge and nourish (if toxicity lingers in the body, it causes stagnant qi, which may eventually lead to physical symptoms and disease, so you work to clear out what you don’t need, and nourish the body to strengthen it).
Strengthening the five key organs (Chinese medicine says ill-health will always relate to one of the five key organs – liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney – so they all need to be balanced).
Katie believes Chinese medicine is “brilliant for everything” but says it works particularly well for fertility and gynaecological issues, and skin problems.
“Depending on the person and the issue, sometimes it’s an instant fix and sometimes a gentle process that happens over time,” she says.
And although she’s a huge advocate for taking this approach to supporting your health and wellbeing, she is not suggesting anybody stops seeing their regular doctor.
It’s always important to get any symptoms or health concerns checked out by your GP.
Katie says: “In an ideal world, Western and Eastern medicine would work in symbiosis, as they work really well together.”
Boxing has become one of the biggest breakthrough trends on the fitness scene in recent years, with box-fit classes becoming one of the hottest ways to workout. Torching calories, increasing your cardiovascular fitness and improving your hand-eye co-ordination are just some of the benefits of getting into the ring. And let’s face it, it’s also a really effective way to let go of any stress and tension you’ve built up while home-schooling or working from home.
Although we may be restricted, you can still reap the benefits of a boxing class at home with a few key pieces of kit. Get yourself into fighting shape with these best buys...
ADIDAS HYBRID 300 BOXING GLOVES,
£130 (adidas.com) Boxing gloves are a must for protecting your hands, and you can rely on Adidas to create a pair that will stand the test of time. These glorious gold ones have shock-absorbing padding that keep your fingers and knuckles safe during powerful jabs, hooks and uppercuts.
As well as using a multi-layered foam technology, the gloves have a smooth satin-like lining that feels really lovely on the hands. Made with durable leather, you can slip them on with a firm hookand-loop closure for a snug fit. They also come in three different weights; 8oz, 10oz and 12oz.
BOXRAW 4.5M HAND WRAPS IN NEON GREEN, £10, (boxraw.com) Wraps are really important, as they’re used to prevent injury to hands and support our wrists. There are lots of small, fragile bones in each hand, and if you don’t take the right steps to protect them, it’s very easy to leave your session with a painful fracture or break.
This neon green pair from Boxraw will do the job without breaking the bank. They’re made from a cotton blend, have thumblock loops to keep everything in place, and are finished with a premium rubber strap.
If you’re not sure how to wrap your hands, we recommend checking YouTube for a tutorial.
MIRAFIT FREESTANDING PUNCH BAG,
£94.95 (mirafit.co.uk) Mirafit’s freestanding punchbag is a lot less expensive than its competitors, but it does the job just as effectively. To use it, you simply need to fill the bottom with sand or water and it’s ready for use.
Perfect for the garden, it has an antislip base that helps the bag absorb punches without toppling over. Although it’s not made from leather, the fabric is really durable, and won’t rip or pucker during heavy rounds.