Find the whole #TravelswithmyMonkey series here <<Previous post: 7 Reasons Why the Present Moment is the Best Place to Be About twelve years ago I discovered something important about myself. I was a recent graduate working my first “proper” job as a teaching assistant, I was engaged, and I was struggling with obsessive, intrusive thoughts and anxiety. I learnt a lesson during this time that I have used as a mental health survival strategy ever since. What I discovered had to do... Read more
Find the whole #TravelswithmyMonkey series here <<Previous post: Windmills of Your Mind: The Tyranny of Thought Next post: How Paying Attention to My Mood Helps Me Cope with Anxiety and Feel Better >> I know, you’ve heard it a thousand times. Stay present… live in the moment… just be here now! This little nugget has been popping up all over the place for thousands of years, and like many of our genuinely good ideas, it’s become a cliché. But don’t be... Read more
The unprecedented global impact of COVID-19 is affecting us all in different ways. Whether it’s the stress of loneliness, specific fears about health or money, compounding family and work pressures or a general sense of dread about the uncertainty we face, anxiety levels are soaring. While fear is a natural response, prolonged anxiety is unhealthy and counterproductive for us both individually and collectively. It’s more important than ever that we find ways to prioritise and protect our own mental health,... Read more
Find the whole #TravelswithmyMonkey series here <<Previous post: Is Happiness Even a Thing? Next post: 7 Reasons Why the Present Moment is the Best Place to Be >> Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel … like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind! We humans are thinking experts. We really are quite brilliant at it. Our powers of thought have... Read more
Find the whole #TravelswithmyMonkey series here <<Previous post: Have You Ever Felt Beaten Up By Your Own Brain? Next post: Windmills of Your Mind: The Tyranny of Thought >> Everyone wants to be happy. It’s one thing we all have in common. Even those people who we are convinced wake up every morning with the sole intention of being a massive pain in the backside – however seemingly twisted and unfathomable their methodology – even they are trying to be... Read more
Next post: Is Happiness Even a Thing? >> Allow me to introduce my monkey. This loveable rascal assumed residence in my cerebrum around the time I hit puberty and has been my traveling companion ever since. She’s a mischievous little scamp, always chattering away and frequently up to no good. Over the years I have found ways to tame her, but it’s not exactly been plain sailing. The monkey mind is a Buddhist idea that refers to the endless inner chatter... Read more
Thousands of UK students are taking the day off school today to demand action on climate change. According to the UK Student Climate Network, these are their demands: The Government declare a climate emergency and prioritise the protection of life on Earth, taking active steps to achieve climate justice. The national curriculum is reformed to address the ecological crisis as an educational priority. The Government communicate the severity of the ecological crisis and the necessity to act now to the general... Read more
From the outset I shall assume that you, dear reader, are aware of the severity of the current global environmental crisis. I assume that you have decided to trust the overwhelming majority of scientists, rather than the despicable distraction attempts from oil and gas giants and self-interested politicians. Climate change is happening. And this is very, very bad news for anyone who happens to call this planet home. Although we can’t be sure exactly what the effects will be, we... Read more
By D.S. Leiter, AssertiveSpirituality.com I have a confession to make. Although I teach and study and write about stress, trauma, and conflict communication, I’ve been keeping myself a bit apart from the recent news that missionary John Allen Chau was killed going into one of the remaining isolated tribes in this global civilization. There are lots of reasons why I was holding myself back. But a friend finally drew me into the discussion recently, and I realized that my particular... Read more
A few months ago my good friend Katie van Santen preached a sermon entitled “Connectedness”, which I thought was pretty great. The following is an adapted version of that sermon. ‘[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.’ (Romans 4:25) This statement from Paul might seem reasonably straight-forward at first glance. It’s a condensed version of the gospel message, right? A few words that essentially sum up what Jesus came to do. But what... Read more
Emma Higgs
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