Take care of yourself takes approx 8 mins to read. it also includes links to new self care workshops.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have tried starting this blog a zillion times. Every attempt feels inadequate and futile, and not at all what I intended. I actually want to encourage you to take care of yourself but I keep getting highjacked by a part of me who needs to rant. Therefore in the name of taking care of myself I am giving this part a voice first.
Therefor there are 3 parts to this blog so you can choose your entry point.
- Part One – full rant about recent events.
- Part two – rant about mental health situation.
- Part Three – self care is the answer.
PART ONE – RANT
Virus déjà vu
Argh! I want to scream about the virus déjà vu. I feel catapulted back into March 2020 with bells on. This time there is an ever deepening dystopian agenda clutching tightly, carrying us off into a world most would still claim is conspiracy.
From my soap box I implore you to research, to listen to the other “experts”. Many are calling out the ills and folly of the Governments blinkered, one way out and one way only, approach to this virus situation.
Did you know that in the week before Christmas when they cancelled all the excitement, Scotland had 10 excess deaths over the 5 year average, 10! What was even more interesting was this:
There were 10 excess deaths across all settings in the latest week. The number of deaths where COVID-19 was the underlying cause (167) was higher than the total number of excess deaths because deaths from respiratory causes (-77), circulatory causes (-42), dementia/Alzheimer’s (-36) and cancer (-27) were lower than the average for this time of year.
What has happened? Why are less people dying from the normal illnesses?
On top of that Covid-19 deaths, hospitalisations and ICU admissions were all falling and had been for several weeks. You can check it all out for yourself, from the horses mouth as it were. The ONS report for Week 51 details it all.
Of course we can expect to see deaths rise now, sadly they do at this time of year. Now with the added fear and distress of lockdown expect a few more.
Test trouble
The new variant of the virus seems to be the problem, but is it? Predicated on a not-fit-for-purpose test we have an enormous elephant in the room that no-one in the mainstream is talking about yet. I’d particularly like to rant about the PCR test. I’ve been researching and digging deeper, done a FOI request and written to my MP and MSP’s about it. What I’ve found out is shocking, but I’m saving that for another blog post.
Another pet peeve is the fear mongering and psychological manipulation sanctioned by Government. This is particularly destructive and is in my mind, one of the most harmful things being done. Fear is a killer. I’ve written about this before, my views have not changed. If anything they are strengthened when I read articles like the one recently written by Dr. Bruce Scott, Psychological Attack on the UK
Wiser
I could rant on for eons about the harms being done, the lies, distortion of information, censorship of decent health advice, the vaccine! But I have a wiser part who recognises that I have stated my position. I’ve blogs full of it and lots of links and information I update regularly, for anyone who wants to know more.
“You don’t have to convince anyone of anything Mairi, simply be true to yourself.” So there, I have been true to myself, yet again I state my conscious objection to what is being perpetrated on the UK population.
PART TWO – MENTAL HEALTH
Mental Health
What I really want to talk about is the escalating mental heath catastrophe unfolding. The president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists tells us that,
“The coronavirus crisis poses the greatest threat to mental health since the second world war, with the impact to be felt for years after the virus has been brought under control…a combination of the disease, its social consequences and the economic fallout were having a profound effect on mental health that would continue long after the epidemic is reined in.
As many as 10 million people, including 1.5 million children, are thought to need new or additional mental health support as a direct result of the crisis.”
10 million people, 1.5 million children!
Our mental health services could not cope prior to all this, what will happen now?
Save lives
I am so angry I could scream. Yes I am aware I’m being a bit ranty but with purpose I hope. I have written to our local MSP, who happens to be a member of the Scottish Government cabinet, about my concerns. His replies have only served to convince me that they have lost the plot. They are doing what they are going to do come what may, I quote, “The thinking is simple. It is to save lives and stop the Health Service being overwhelmed.”
Save whose lives?
The lives of all those affected by the lockdowns, who’ve lost their jobs, businesses, futures, the lives of those teetering on the edge of mental breakdowns. The lives of those not receiving treatments they need, those who have taken their own lives already and the many more who will follow.
The lives of children, education disrupted, frightened and anxious, experiencing sleep problems, nightmares. For the children locked up again in abusive homes, who is saving their lives?
People who experience mental health issues, especially if prolonged, generally live shorter lives. Those who experience poverty and deprivation live shorter lives still. Many, many lives will be lost of because of the Governments “save lives” policy.
Pandemics
There is a pandemic of hysteria going on. A pandemic of fear, of lack of sense and reason, a pandemic of corporate greed and string pulling which is not concerned about you or me and our everyday lives. We have become pawns in a geo-political game which is being played out, at our expense.
Medical model
Ok, so what to do. Ranting achieves nothing. Most people have made up their minds, the vaccine is coming hurrah! Bring on the vaccine I say, take it, the sooner the better. It’s not for me, but chatting to friends, family and neighbours has shown me that there is mass compliance and even agreement with what is happening, so lets get it done.
This one model, the medicalised model, dominates the health landscape now. When did we all agree that this was the correct way to go?
PART THREE – SELF CARE
My own story
Wondering how to help I recognised that I can share from my own story, my healing journey. Recovering from a chronic illness, CFS/ME, helped me learn a great deal about sustainable health. In the process I was relieved of the constant cycle of anxiety and depression and digestive issues I had lived with for decades.
Largely I now live a life I enjoy. It’s not perfect, there are difficulties in my family and life like any other human being, but I cope reasonably well with these, most of the time. Gone are the days of drowning in overwhelm, self doubt, self loathing and shame.
All this was achieved without the help of the mainstream medical model, without drugs, investigations, operations or medical interventions. I know this is not everyone’s choice, but for those who have tried all that and still suffer, I hope to offer some other ideas.
The medical model is only one way of understanding, treating and healing illness and dis-ease. There are so many other more natural and sustainable ways to promote health.
Take care of yourself.
Radical Self Care
My aim is to support, encourage and inspire us all to take care of ourselves. It is a truly radical act, especially when we are confronted with so many demands on our time and energy.
When we learn how to truly take care of ourselves everything changes. Radical self care is about so much more than hot baths and massages, though they have a place. It is about developing a fundamentally different relationship with ourselves and the world.
I am talking about change at a deep and profound level where we get it that we are worth taking care of and as a result stop treating ourselves poorly, driving ourselves, demanding of ourselves and generally being unkind towards ourselves.
Instead we learn self love and self compassion. The healing of ourselves and our world comes from a place of love not fear.
This is Radical Self Care.
Workshops
To begin with I will be offering simple self care and EFT tapping workshops. If these go well we can dive deeper later.
Why not let your first act of self care be booking a place on a workshop? They are offered as part of the gift economy so available to everyone no matter your economic situation. Those with capacity and abundance can gift, those with less can receive.
“With every act of self-care your authentic self gets stronger, and the fearful, critical mind gets weaker. Every act of self-care is a powerful declaration: I am on my side. I am on my side, each day I am more and more on my own side.”
Susan Weiss Berry
Disclaimer: The views expressed here, in blog posts and on the website Change Is Always Possible are those of the author Mairi Stones alone, and do not represent the views of any associated bodies. They do not diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. Information provided in this blog is not intended to substitute advice, treatment and/or diagnosis from qualified medical and nutritional professionals.
About the Author: Mairi
Hi Mairi, great to read your thoughts and we agree on many things, radical self care and knowing how to actually do this is hugely important and I relish the fact that you are helping so many people during this tricky time across the globe.
I am very concerned about the long term effects of “lockdown” both psychologically and physically and it’s so good to know that skilled people in so many fields are raising their game to help others.
While there are many concerns over “how deaths are measured” I am equally trying to push for people to follow the present restrictions as the long term effects of Covid have been so debilitating for people of all ages. While many have only suffered mild to moderate symptoms the long term effects on friends and family are anecdotally very difficult to deal with. I also suspect that “excess deaths” will have decreased drastically due to some of the restrictions as fewer flu viruses in general are now circulating. That said I have not done a huge amount of research in some of the areas you have and am grateful for you bringing this to our attention. However you do it may you be safe, well and happy.
Hi Joy, it’s interesting you mention the long term effects of Covid. This is an area I am interested in. As you know I recovered from CFS/ME which seems very similar to many of symptoms being experienced by people with long Covid. The ME charities have been contacted by many people for help and asked by the medical services to provide advice.
With my personal experience and my professional training in META Health I hope at some point to offer some ideas/support in the future. One area of particular interest to me is the emotional impact of a diagnosis and subsequently of experiencing the disease. In addition many people with long term conditions often experience an additional level of stress which impacts their immune system. This comes from their worry, fear and anxiety about their symptoms. This is often the first thing to address. I think I need to write more about this. x