Untying my knot

I was drawn to this quote as I often feel very knotted; knotted and tight forehead and knotted and taut nerves. At times these knots have felt like shoelace knots that are so tight they feel impossible to unpick and untie. But, over the last few weeks I'm feeling as though I've found ways to help me start to slowly and methodically untie my knots. It's a frustrating and slow process, but three things are helping with this process. The first is limiting my access to social media and cutting out from the news completely. I've been amazed by just how much I haven't missed the news, I have no curiosity about what's going on from day to day. Instead I've been reading and listening to more long-form writing which gives a greater bead on issues I'm interested in such as climate change and mental health.

Coming away from the news and social media has grounded me in reality and the day to day, these online places now seem like other universes, which is very healthy for me, as a few weeks ago I'd been living in their alternate realities and were really damaging my mental wellbeing.

Immersing myself in nature has also given me a lifeline. I've been drawing and researching what's coming to life plant-wise in spring, and this is reminding me of just how unimportant our human dramas are in the grand scheme of the planet. I've tied this botanising with going out for a bike ride every day for at least and hour and discovering and rediscovering the highways and byways around where I live. I now feel much fitter, more energised and mental much brighter.

These are early days, and I need to be disciplined to keep myself untying my knots, but they are starting to loosen.

#artandmentalhealth #sketchbooktherapy #rumi #mentalthealthjourney