Biking the Bays & Existentialism - Making Sense of the world...

Island Bay

 Hello Everybody,

It's been a little while since my last post. There have been huge life changes since the last post and some truly amazing trips around New Zealand. I haven't posted about those things as they were linked to very personal things and so I keep those details off-line.

Day to day life has continued in it's usual vain, including almost daily conversations about the increasing numbers of young people seen by mental health services who present with anxiety, depression and emotional dysregulation. Is this a Wellington Trend, a NZ trend or wider reaching issue across similar countries and cultures? Could there be a generational factor to these presentations?

Island Bay

 Today's bike ride (where all today's pictures come from) got me thinking about the role of the environment in the increasingly used process of mindfulness (becoming mindful of any given moment), and the idea of 'finding your place in the world' - a common statement which seems to over used and misunderstood by many people today.

Lyall Bay

 During today's cycle around the Bays of Wellington and the South Coast of the North Island, there were plenty of opportunities to become mindful of each hill climb, each empty bay and each wave that lapped up onto the shore.

Towards Breakers Bay

 Since living here I often wonder if people from New Zealand think about their own environment and the very unique and special resources it provides them. I am not talking about materials like wood and coal, or fish.. but the actual sense of escapism and sense of safety and calm that exists here.  Of course this sense of environment is comparative to what you know right? I know streets of terraced and semi-detached housing in the North of England, traffic jams and bustling towns and cities, so New Zealand and Wellington feels like a paradise. Does the sense of safety and peacefulness that I feel living here, does this actually lead natives of New Zealand to feel isolated (from the rest of world) and lost in their sense of life's meaning?

Above Seatoun

 New Zealand can often be described as being at the end of the earth, and if you watched the main stream media or read local papers you may be forgiven for thinking you had indeed reached a place that thrives on the land... diary and cattle drives the economy. Is it possible that a sense of isolation and a perception that New Zealanders strive to show the world what they can do, might explain a sense of feeling lost here, for some people? - if you haven't moved away from New Zealand or haven't found a way to 'make your mark' in a land of ingenuity?

Seatoun

 Here in the beautiful and quiet surrounding of Schorching Bay, allow you to find some ingenuity and creativity in the form of a sea shell mural alongside the cafe...

Sea Shell mural - Schorching Bay

 Living off the land may enhance a sense of belonging and certainly catching your own food could be considered an activity that helps develop a healthy sense of self, so when seeing this next picture I began wondering about the idea of supporting some of the clients that come public services to engage in activities like fishing. Not as a suggestion though, no, more like a prescription. Go spend time with the land, develop a sense of belonging, serve your family / friends / self with food caught by your own hand - use the time to become / practice mindfulness.

 As the journey moves away from isolated bays and small beaches we move closer to the city. Therefore the sights you see begin to reflect the change in environment and need. Sea Shell murals are replaced by slightly larger buildings, and the entertainment around a cafe is no longer solely provided by the land (sand & sea), but by manufactured toys and games. A sense of environmental importance remains present with old buildings are transformed with new purposes, but the old look is kept acting as a reminder of past use. Wellington is great as recycling spaces, to minimize wastage. 

Chocolate Fish Cafe - Shelly Bay

 Oriental Parade (Below) basks in sunshine and splendour, hotels, cafe's and restaurants come into view and so do people. Lots of people (by Wellington standards) stroll around and sip coffee, eat ice creams, (that's normally me), and chase after their kids on bicycles and scooters (of the non-motorized kind). A sense of growth and the city are clear, but yet it's only 5-10 minutes cycling away from remote bays and beaches. There is real in between here. You can be in the city or you can be in the wilderness....

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Oriental Bay...

Oriental Bay

 I finally arrive home after 35k, and despite being in a built up area of the city, 50 yards from a huge supermarket, several take-out places and bars - Living here, I still see the ocean and mountains from the apartment. It really is like nothing I have quite experienced before.

At the end of the day...

 Do I know my place in the world / life? Did I always feel part of something important or just hold a perception of England / UK / Europe being a big and important place in the world? Was I brought up to have realistic expectations of life which lessened the chance of me feeling constantly disappointed? I know young people in the UK have existential issues, and the rates of anxiety, depression and emotional dysregulation are also increasing there, so perhaps there are other more important factors?

All in all, I know only one thing for sure from today. My place in the world is determined by the people I want to be with, and my sense of feeling connected has come from interacting with people in the world around me - wherever that has been. My current physical environment offers lots of chance to reflect, consider and be mindful of life and it's challenges. 

An early evening moon above Wellington...

Good night from New Zealand
Dan

The Power of Many, Running Man & does the mass use of social media = social decline???

Hello Everybody,

It's been another busy few weeks and weekends here in Wellington both personally & professionally. The World OT Conference (WFOT 2014 Yokohma) is creeping ever closer, which means I'm getting short of time to do everything I'd like to with my presentations. On the flip side, this has been because I've been busy pretty much every weekend for 2 months, with all the wonders of living in NZ - weekends away up the coast, fun runs, comedy festivals, dinners, dancing and plenty of watching and playing sports!

DOES MASS USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA = SOCAIL DECLINE?

My anecdotal observations about the ever declining ability of people to communicate face to face due to the relentless and almost addictive use of social media, were confirmed in another thought provoking video (ironically seen on Facebook). The link is: http://sfglobe.com/?id=637&src=fbfan_637  called  Look Up - This short video by Gary Turk is a reminder of the effects of social media on our society. By connecting online, we are disconnecting offline. What are we missing from life as a result? What critical moments do we miss that we didn't even know passed us by? Be sure to watch this entire video, especially the ending.

    This video talks of the OVERUSE of social media, and the potential consequences when it replaces  face to face communication for current and future generations  - this IS NOT saying social media is evil and all bad, it simply discusses the very real consequences of it's over use. I know from my own experiences where people get stressed and freak out if they don't get a 'like' or 'comment' on facebook, and almost anyone in the world where people have good access to phones can look around in a restaurant, shopping mall or social setting, and see groups of people 'together' and communicating with people who aren't actually in the same place - a crazy notion.

I have certainly benefitted, perhaps more than most, professionally through on-line teaching, on-line international presentations, blogs, allowing me to share experiences and promote my profession. 

However, like many, I have experience of a life where people shared information face to face, by talking, and talking was not edited or planned. It was spontaneous. When I talked and shared information, I knew somebody was listening, and I never relied on people who I didn't know or had not met to feel heard or listened to. I really do worry for the current and upcoming generations whereby people lack ANY ability to be alone and can't communicate effectively in real time and face to face.

THE POWER OF MANY:

There are many many things about living in New Zealand that has had a significant effect on my thoughts about life, culture and well-being. Once such concept has been the idea that people really buy into the idea that ANY ACHIEVEMENT IS A COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT. The best example can be seen by many of the NZ Olympic medal winners, who often talk about the influence and efforts of everyone from high school coaches to family members, which has helped them to achieve success. Everyone's contribution is acknowledged and considered. I've been moved by seeing this concept actually played out across different spheres of life here, and if you truly believe this idea, then it could be argued it can have a profound effect on a person's psyche. Imagine what a community, region, or country could achieve with such a powerful notion????!!!!

This leads me to acknowledge an achievement of my own this weekend... I've been running a lot since doing the 10K 'around the bays' run in February, and this weekend I managed to run (albeit slowly, very slowly at the end) a distance that I had never imagined running before. Whilst running around the coastline I started to think about how I had come to be spending my Sunday Morning running such a long way.....

....then I realized, a huge number of people had in some way influenced me to this point. Lots of friends who had run long distances for good causes, (yes Jenny, you get a mention), and even more recently, some of my good friends here (Ros, Emma & Jen to mention a few) had all inspired me to get healthy by taking on such challenges. This was not my achievement, but very much a collective one, because I am pretty sure that without the influences from some of the people in my life, both past & current, I wouldn't be feeling so bloody sore! 

Just my thoughts for the weekend.

Regards from New Zealand

Dan

A Weekend of MINDFULNESS helps manage a busy life...

As life seems to get busier and busier and there seems to be a endless build-up of expensive and time consuming bureaucratic processes heading my way, I have been thrilled to experience a day (and weekend) of moments that have brought my mind to a halt and made me appreciate solitary moments of time.

Seeing this super yacht equipped with own helicopter was a random enough site in the harbour, not something you see everyday in Wellington.

Super rich yachts

 The first random event of the weekend occurred when one of my football team mates invited me to the opening ceremony of the '24 hr Relay for Life' race at Frank Kitts park. The reason for the invitation was because another mutual friend (Nick) was giving a speech as a 'cancer survivor' before the event began. The event was huge with 87 teams (some with up to 100 members) including several schools from the region, running / walking 24hours in aid of cancer charities. see below.... 

Relay for Life Ceremony

Nick's speech was one that took me by surprise, having not been aware of the scale of his battle against illness and all that he has endured over the past 4 years. There were plenty more people in the crowd that had similar stories. Nick's humorous, yet moving account of his recovery along with plenty more tales of both successful and unsuccessful battles against Cancer could be heard from the audience. Listening to Nick's speech was the first moment of the day where I felt totally mindful of the moment I was in. There was also a moving performance from a group called 'StarJam' who finished with the event theme song - 'Somewhere over the rainbow'. The event included an evening remembrance service for people who have died from Cancer related illnesses. 

StarJam performance

I had my own remembrance service planned (for my gran) that evening, and was soon on a bus up the Kapiti Coast.... 
As the weather forecast suggested a clear day, I had decided it was time to say goodbye to my gran in my own way (having been unable to attend the funeral in the UK). Taking a candle to the beach had seemed a fitting way to remember her... First stop was a bite to eat and a walk along the beach from Paekakariki station.....

Paekakariki, Kapiti Coast

Jumping for Life @ Paekakariki

The beach was pleasantly empty, as it usually is, and so I took full advantage to get another jumping photo in! The log just made it perfect! The sun began to set and I got to snapping away to capture the moment as best I could....

Birdlife at Paekakariki

The local wildlife were quick to join us, mainly because my friend who'd accompanied me, decided to waste some perfectly good Cadbury's Chocolate 'Fingers' on the seagulls. I quickly grabbed the chocolates, and set about eating them myself!

Dusk at Kapiti Coast

 As the sun began to fade we made our way out into the sea with a little candle holder, which was floating nicely, but the wind just wouldn't let me light the candles sufficiently to set them out floating. An OT always has the 'smarts' to improvise right? So finding some rocks that offered some shelter allowed us to light the candles until they burned out, whilst we sat back and watched the ever changing colours in the sky!    

Candles by the beach...

Changing colours @ dusk.... 

Being Mindful

The time spent on the deserted beach really allowed us to become mindful of everything around us in that moment, the sights (color of the sky), sounds (seagulls & waves), smells and feel of the sand underfoot. No other thoughts were invading my mind, and I was able to enjoy the tranquility of living in the moment for a second time that day.  

 Mindfulness: (also translated as awareness) is a spiritual or psychological faculty (indriya) that, according to the teaching of the Buddha, is of great importance in the path of enlightenment.

Mindfulness is a concept I have touched on before, and used to help many people in my line of work, deal with significant distress, to avoid self harm behaviours and deal with suicidal thoughts. It's also something that has existed for years in spiritual concepts like Buddhism. The use of mindfulness techniques in mental health practices seems to be on the increase, and I've also heard many people tell me that going to a particular place of tranquility seems to be something that helps them 'keep well'. 

I think I'm starting to really appreciate why mindfulness can be so effective in this kind of environment. These seagulls seem to have been aware of this for a while I think....

Regards from New Zealand...

Dan 

Generation 'Y' & Modern day illness - the innovation of loneliness???

Hi Everybody, 

Thanks for the very lovely comments regarding last week's post, and especially for the kind thoughts and offers of support that people have sent from all over the place. How amazing has technology become whereby friends (both actual people I have met and connected with, and virtual on-line friends), could offer support to me in the 'bottom corner of the world'. 

I'm sat here on a Sunday night at 21:08, alone in my lounge, after a weekend of football, a Botanical garden light and sound show, and a record (for me at least) 13k run around the bays of Wellington. A good friend just commented to me (via text) about their perception that I have 'busy weekends'. I don't think I have busy weekends, but on reflection, I realize I judge my weekends by what I do in terms of actions, and often by the amount of time I spend in the company of others - the direct company of others. 

Whilst growing up with a group of kids on a street, who always played outside, regardless of the weather , and being encouraged to try many 'doing' activities, (along with a fair few backpacking trips around different parts of the world), I have come to accept that I judge and value well spent time, as time with other people, and can feel comfortable being alone too.   

I accept that the same can't be said for everybody, and certainly generational differences are even harder to account for. As I sit thinking about the amount of time I have spent on electronic devices this weekend, and the amount of hours I have used up communicating with people who are not in the same room, building or local area, I do wonder about the changing way people are relating to each other 

I recently saw a brilliant video talking about this very issue, and it was derived from a TED talk by a woman called Sherry Turkle - 'Connected but alone?'

This video begins to touch on the issues described in recent presentations and research about the new ways we communicate and the issues faced by the new generation ' GENERATION 'Y'. 

I have debates about the issue of modern day depression, the ever-seemingly increasing number of people in life, and at work, that I come across that have a profound sense of ENTITLEMENT. People who are looking for reasons as to why life has not gone the way they feel it should have worked out for them, especially unable to understand why their specialness has not been recognized, or indeed why they feel 'lost' and 'helpless' and unable to find their place in the world. In has been suggested through anecdotal & some research that there is an ever increasing presence of REACTIVE Anxiety & Depression which has taken over as one of the leading illnesses in the developed world.

This is often referred to as an existential crisis. Defined by Wikipedia as a moment at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose or value.^[1] This issue of the meaning and purpose of existence is the topic of the philosophical school of existentialism.

If the issues raised in the video are more than anecdotal truths, and we are becoming afraid of intimacy of the human kind through ever decreasing exposure to real-time life, these 3 factors which help to maintain a sense of control through the use of social media:

1) That we can put our attention where ever we want it:

2)  That we will always be heard:

3) That we will never have to be alone

, these factors will change our psyches - and will will judge ourselves through what we 'share' how we present ourselves rather than what we can actually accomplish. Faking experiences, so we have something to share, is not an uncommon feature of on-line behavior.

Now those of you with burning questions and contradicting statements just hang on. The people that often challenge me the most about these issues are usually people from my own generation or older, that experienced their formative years in real-time life and then had exposure to the technological age. I'm just raising discussion and asking us to consider what are the possible influences in the changing presentations we see in health care issues today???? 

If reactive mood disorders are becoming more prevalent, people are scared to be alone and feel less skilled in real time communication, so substitute real life quality interactions for on-line connections, then the sense not achieving what success in life, (that everyone else seems to be achieving by 'sharing' and 'defining' themselves), will only get worse?

If we do indeed 'slip into thinking that always being connected' (through phones, iPad, computers, consoles) will make us feel less lonely, we could be in for some serious trouble - as some people would argue the opposite is true... 

GENERATION Y - if we believe the theory of how the current generation that are entering the 'productive and meaningful' life phase - (i.e. the working world), and how they are showing signs of entitled behavior, why might this be? The general theory is that whilst Grandparents generations mantra was 'work hard so their kids (Gen Y's parents) could have a better life', and then Gen Y's parents, grew up with a mantra ' work hard, and collect the rewards after hard work' - then it's been suggested that Gen Y's mantra is 'individuals are special, you'll be recognized for being special, and don't have to wait as long or work as hard for it' - you can understand why problems are occurring. Lets look at expectations vs disappointment.

1) Grand parents generation = Low expectations (after war / depressions) & low disappointment with the outcome.

2) Parent's generations = medium expectations (high after years of work / save to buy house, furniture, car) & low disappointment with outcome (economies were growing / jobs were easier / less over crowding).

3) Gen Y - High expectations (can do everything, travel, have family, own property, be successful, be what ever you want to be) & High disappointment - (mass competition for jobs, slowing economy, childhood message of 'be whatever you want to be' is not realistic in the modern world, without hard work). 

The questions raised are, with unrealistic messages in childhood leading to a more constant sense of disappointment with life, in this transitional phase in life, and with a potential lack of quality real time relations for support, is the defining characteristic from this upcoming generation going to be one of poor mental health? Is a repetitive sense of disappointment, with poor emotional coping strategies as a result increasing definitions of success driven by on-line life, leading to an generational existential crisis?

I accept that personal responsibility, individualism, culture, parenting, influences from social and physical environment all contribute to the overall development of an individual. Also as someone who has benefited greatly through the use of technology, (teaching 'on-line', publications, blogging, and forging an international reputation in my field), I am not saying technology is BAD & TERRIBLE. Far from it. I'm simply saying asking us to take a long hard look at how we communicate and consider the outcomes that are evident around us.

On a personal note, I will certainly be restricting the amount of 'on-line' time my (potential) kids have during the course of a day / week. I hope schools and educational facilities ask themselves these questions when they consider 'best practice'.

Regards from New Zealand.

Dan

The best and worst of life, wonderful Wellington, & the use social media in 'Therapy' .

Me & my Nanna

Hi everyone, it's now March 2014 (Yep, where did the time go?).

It's been a while since my last blog, and even though I intended to have a little break, it's been longer than I anticipated. There's been a lot going on in life since my last post in November, and for once I'm going to share a little bit of my personal journey....

30th Birthday

Whilst at home visiting friends and family at Xmas, my world changed. My gran became ill (and died just 3 weeks later). Whilst nothing will ever fill the hole in my life left by my gran, I do wonder if there is some invisible force that directed the events of the last few days of my Gran's life to allow family from far and wide to come together, as a serious of randomly planned visits. These recent events have certainly played a large part in my current thinking about which path to travel down for the next few months/years, leading to lots of unanswered questions.

These events also made me become more mindful of the distance between myself and those people I'm closest to: family, friends, and loved ones. I love where I live, Wellington is like a paradise for me, in so many ways, but missing the central characters in my life. It's kind of like eating at your favorite restaurant but never feeling totally satisfied with the whole experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service is fantastically friendly, the prices are reasonable, the food tastes great, the company is good, but there will always be an empty chair or two at the table...

WELLINGTON'S WONDERS...

The level of satisfaction living here is really like nothing I have experienced anywhere else in the world. Here's a sample list of the events (often free) that have been on around the city - JUST IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS -
- DRAGON BOAT RACING (free to watch)
- NEWTOWN FESTIVAL (70,000 PEOPLE) - free
- KILBIRNIE & ISLAND BAY FESTIVALS - free
- 10/21K ROUND THE BAYS RACE - free post race events including music & food
- WELLINGTON WATERFONT SUMMER THURSDAYS - (music, craft stalls, & Salsa) - free
- FILMS BY STARLIGHT - free outdoor movies
- NZ FESTIVAL - many art / performance acts - free drum, band & choir concert.
Check out some pictures below from some of the events!
- POWER PLANT - Fastasia style sound & light show in Botanical Gardens

Start of the NZ Festival - Big Bang Concert

Choir @ NZ Festival event.

Big Bang Concert

Big Bang Concert

The Newton Festival was something I'd heard people talk about, and living just round the corner made me think I should check it out. On a gloriously sunny Sunday last week, me and my flatmate Bez were able to wander through the small suburb of Newtown where you could eat from one of the 100+ food outlets / stalls, and listen to a variety of music from one of 7/8 stages! 

Crowd entertainment @ Newtown Festival

Random things @ Newtown Festival

Local music...

Solo shows...

Small stages...

Best seat in the house?

More music....

Jazzing it up on the big stage....

This weekend (today and yesterday) was the annual Dragon Boat Racing - which my ultimate goal is to raise enough money to buy a place in the race for mental health clients, staff and families to race in. The DHB (Health Trust) do have boats for staff as far as I am aware... I learned that once a team is entered they have 8 one hour practice runs before the event itself. It was another lovely day with people lined up all along the waterfront enjoying the spectacle, they even let some Aussie (Australian) teams compete, but needles to say they didn't win. 

Check out the grand final video below from day 1!

The final thing I was going to write about was some of the issues about using social media in therapy, and the way we are communicating with clients and families of clients, through rapidly changing technology. However, as the clock strikes 22:40 here, I am thinking that should be a separate post entirely... 

So my final word goes to all those people who have offered me time, a listening ear, support and encouragement, and most importantly friendship over the past 2 months...  A HUGE THANK YOU... and as a dedication to you Nanna, here's the poem.

My Nana

My Nana was fun, always smiling and smart,

But not in a way where she knew about art,

Or about politics, or current news affairs,

But she knew about life, and about how to care…

My Nana had ups, and her fair share of downs,

But always moved on, making smiles from frowns,

My Nana had a spirit, not quite like any other,

With infectious charm, sometimes frustrating my mother.

My Nana made friends everywhere, it never took long. 

All it would take, was a smile or a song,

In Asda, Boots, Aldi or Tesco

There would be a new friend, where ever she’d go.

My Nana could shock, always surprise, be funny,

Even dressing up twice, as a Hugh Hefner bunny.

My favourite costume, that she bought to look good,

Had to be, the quite naughty, red-riding hood!

My Nana loved flowers, and going away,

With my mum, my sister, on many a holiday

To Germany, Spain especially Scotland,

She’d come back with tales of fun on the sand.

My Nana loved life, and ‘Black Russians’, too,

Of the alcoholic kind, she occasionally get through.

She’d welcome each girlfriend I ever brought home,

With such a kind heart, they’d feel like her own.

My Nana loved life and went many places,

Bury Market, Ashton, she knew many faces.

‘That lovely lady”, we’d hear many times,

From all kind of strangers, from all walks of life.

My Nana loved life, and was loved in return,

By many a person, and now here we all yearn,

For one more laugh, one more smile

One more song, for that final mile.

As we say goodbye to my fun-loving gran,

Please remember these times, that made us a fan,

Of this woman, who knew the true meaning of life,

That despite many hardships, it’s easy to love life.

Regards from New Zealand.