The Cruise Texts 4 Stepping off the Ice

Last year I was asked to write a series of blogs for publication. As ever, they disappeared down a rabbit hole, having just uncovered them, they are I feel ripe for release so here they are. Written whilst on a cruise around the North Sea and the North Atlantic on the P&O Cruises cruise ship Aurora organised by Laura Childs of Pure Travel. Hence Cruise Texts.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to improve your mental health.

In fact it will save you money!

You really don’t, especially with the advent of the world wide web. There is so much information available to us all. Often the bigger challenge is filtering out the nonsense.

But with the increasing awareness now becoming apparent in our world the amount of very valid organisations and charities have a wealth of quality information available.

Like anything though keep it really simple.

What’s always been the first thing we are taught as children if anything is wrong, and I mean anything? Tell someone. 

Communication is always king.

If it’s really bad and there’s no-one available to you, call the Samaritans. Free anonymous service. They are on 116 123

Or get up and go for a walk. Get some air and breathe.

A colleague of mine who is a psychologist takes anyone who comes to him that is depressed for a walk. Actions Cure Things ACT. Poor mental health loves stagnation. Positive mental health loves activity.

Take responsibility for yourself. That might be the single biggest step you can take for a positive Mind health.

Realise that you have a choice. Always.

Take a minute before you respond to that statement.  Many people argue on that point.

What could you have done differently at any point, that would have brought about a different outcome?

In my case, I had to address the problem I had created with alcohol before I could deal the with my difficulties with anxiety.

I know that no one else could help me stop drinking until I made that decision. Thus, I would never insist to anyone who has difficulties with alcohol to stop. They wouldn’t hear me. Just as I wouldn’t have done.

I thought it was the solution, until I knew it wasn’t.

Not only did I feel better, almost instantly, when I stopped drinking alcohol, but I saved enough money in a month to have a holiday. 

Stopping drinking didn’t cost me anything, it saved me a fortune.

Then I could look at managing my anxieties, which incidentally were far less when I was alcohol free.

I did buy a lot of books, I love reading, but they cost a lot less than the beer I drank, so I was still financially in front.

What I learnt was that what ever I was feeling I had a choice about how I managed it.

I am aware of my conscious thoughts all the time.

I choose to think and act slowly.

Slow the Mind.

If my thoughts start becoming negative, I have a pattern interrupt. A band on my wrist, andI snap it when I start having negative thoughts. The science says it reprograms the synapses in my brain. Works though.

Talk to yourself positively. What you hear often enough you will begin to believe. Think about it, it’s true.

Tell someone they are idiot enough and they will believe it.

Works for the positive stuff too.

There’s a part two here somewhere.

You don’t need to spend money on mental health, if you think positively about it, it will save you money.

Positively.

Simon Pollard   July 24

P.S. The photo, One foot is on the Langjoquil Glacier in Iceland. One on dry land.