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To calm my mind I work to reduce:
& to increase:
Meditation is something I have felt for years I should do, but didn’t. Just last week I started a new daily practice. I had difficulty with apps and podcasts and YouTube videos because of the capitalist need for $urvival. When the path to inner peace features billboards I tend to lose focus. So I started doing it myself. I’m recording the sessions and will share them to encourage others who may be like me. I intend to show that maybe it’s not so difficult and foreign to pause and breathe and talk to oneself. In no way am I following any meditation tradition. I considered coming up with another label but felt that meditation would be the one most easily understood. I have joined this community and will post my meditation series here in the next week or two.
My name is Rob. I’m 51. I’m an abstract expressionist painter. My diagnoses (received in my early 20s) are ADHD, major depression, and eventually bipolar. I have taken many prescriptions. I have attended much therapy. I’m not doing either at the moment, for a combination of financial and DIY/philosophical reasons. I do not judge the course others take on their route to survival. At least I aspire not to judge. It’s one thing I’m working on, including in meditation.
P.S.
I experienced mild anxiety as I wrote this comment in the form of these thoughts:
Great answer. I'm not overwhelmed by the replies, so feel free to write to your heart's content hahah. It helps me and maybe it'll help others too.
I look forward to your meditation videos, it's a very interesting approach.
I have a lot of trouble with capitalism as well. Sometimes I feel that I've lost my sense of self. It's like I've turned into a part of a big machine, that is going to a place where I don't want to be.
The things you said to increase, like walking, nature appreciation, creativity (I'm a musician) help me to regain my sense of self and to find meaning in what I'm doing. Unfortunately, living in a third world country, with a lot of work for little pay, makes it hard to have energy left to pursue those things. But I'll keep on trying.
Thanks for your reply and wish you the best.
I don't want to give you and undeserved anxiety, I just want to say this is really good advice and something I want to save for later.