A Reflection on Mental Health, by Eddington Again
As someone who enjoys a lot of solitude, it’s easy for me to slip into isolation, and consider myself doing OK when it comes to my mental health. I have found being by myself absolutely wonderful – but as much as I’d exercise 30 min a day, pray and meditate; without a community to mirror, solitude can become unhealthy. So I would say what helps me most to stay grounded, and feel the clarity that I cherish, is a healthy balance of in-person interaction, and moments by myself to reflect and recharge.
The community I choose to keep around me is what helps me the most when navigating the music space. I’m fortunate to know a lot of really loving, really talented people. When I was younger working as a recording artist, my outlook on what it meant to be accepted as a musician usually had something to do with how my work was being received by the straight white men who run the majority of the industry. Growing into myself more as a person and artist, I’ve discovered an alternative world of creative peers from which I draw feedback, love and energy. For this, I am eternally grateful.
When it comes to day to day practice, I try my best to balance my outlook with equal parts care and critique.
I feel that it’s easy, as someone who enjoys critically thinking, to be overly judgmental – and sometimes pessimistic. For example, when I find myself being upset about something my partner did around the house, I pause to look at whether or not if what’s bothering me is an actual problem – or if I’m just caught in the critical loop my mind often slips into.
I think to myself: “now if I replace this critical energy with care for my partner’s perspective and space, would that benefit the both of us? “Will we be in a better place if I release this tension and let this go?”
It usually does. And we usually are.
Something else I would say keeps me grounded is paying attention to what my body is telling me. When I was younger, I would find myself in negative and foggy mental states, and assume something was wrong in my mind; when in actuality, I was just hungry, or dehydrated. Or maybe, it’d been a couple days since I’ve had a good workout and my blood wasn’t flowing properly. Now I do full body scans all the time, daily.
Praying – and believing that what I pray, say and spell, holds power – also helps to keep me optimistic and motivated. I feel a sense of control when I speak to a power greater than my physical self. I like to think that when I pray, I am speaking to a source of unconditional love that creates and destroys. I pray that I am a blessing to my community and loved ones. That wisdom and protection will follow us. Then I speak death to the patriarchy, homophobia and any oppression of marginalized people globally.
Lastly, something I’ve found to be great fuel on my journey, is finding a way to be confident in my decision making process as a creator. Trusting my intuition when making moves to create the life I see fit for myself. I grew up in Southern California, and at a certain point I decided I didn’t want my entire outlook to be molded by my experiences there. I trusted myself and my best friend that moving to another country would be good for us. Since being in Berlin, I’ve felt a great sense of expansion and motivation, to continue my work and play as an artist and creator.
I feel like I’ve caught a second wind, and thank myself for finding the confidence to make the move.
These are a few things that keep me grounded and I hope it helps someone who reads this. Feel to reach out, I’m usually down to chat ´·ᴗ·`
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