Why do so many of us suffer from anxiety and depression?
Why do so many of us suffer from anxiety and depression? I absolutely love this TED talk by Johann Hari. It is such an honest, powerful discussion about anxiety and depression. He talks about how important it is to overcome loneliness, and how we can do this by forming collaborative groups to help one another. He also talks about how important the natural world is, and describes how coming together to build a garden helped some people to overcome their depression.
As someone who has struggled with anxiety for decades, I find him very inspiring to listen to. I had a period of my life where I was taking antidepressants, but I never found them to be particularly effective. Johann explains how some doctors are now using social prescribing to replace antidepressant drugs, and I think this could be a revolutionary move towards improving treatments.
To me, it all links back to the importance of having a purpose in life. Johann spoke to lots of doctors in the research for his book. One of them told him “we live in a machine that is designed to get us to get us to neglect what is important about life.” I can certainly relate to that.
It’s important for us to try to disrupt that machine, by finding meaning and purpose in our lives. We can change our values and make healthier choices. But before we can do this, we need to recognise our anxiety and depression for what it is – a signal that something is wrong. Once we truly listen to how we are feeling, we can start to make the positive changes that will improve our lives.
Project 365
I set up this website after deciding that I want to build a more creative life for myself, so I can give up my job and be in control of my own destiny.
I have set myself a goal of publishing an article on my website every day this year, to document my journey from employment to self-employment.
The name I chose was Project 365 because I see this as a year that I have dedicated to learning and self-development, as I countdown to freedom. It started on 1st January 2021, so I have 335 days to go!
Why not check in on a regular basis to see how I am progressing, and what I have discovered?
I have decided to set up a blog, and to document my adventures in life through it.