Wherever you live in the world you cannot have escaped the storm that raged through British politics following the vote to leave the European Union on June 23rd 2016. It caused turmoil and sudden change that dominated our news from morning to night and this uncertainty continues.
A few days after THE vote, I was scheduled to attend a conference run by the Ethics and Philosophy Group of the British Pain Society. It was being held in a Retreat in the Lake District. Being a Retreat, and being in the Lake District, there was no meaningful internet connection, scant phone signal and no TV in the building. Snippets of news were snatched in brief forays out!
The conference began with morning Tai Chi, followed by breakfast and a programme of talks. After lunch we gathered for a group walk and talk in the beauty of the Lake District. Then it was back for tea, cake and more talks. It was like a holistic holiday that nurtured and exercised our mind/body as a whole. Importantly it literally switched us off enabling us to escape the chaos of the world.
When I arrived home, it was like being parachuted onto a different planet. The whole structure of British politics had changed. The Prime Minister resigned, the leader of the opposition was in trouble and those leading the Leave campaign had run away from the chaos. The uncertainty fuelled more fear.
It was wonderful to have missed it all playing out – the stress of daily scaremongering and the voices of doom. It felt good to have been ‘out of touch’ – hugely relaxing and healing.
I think this is a valuable lesson because we can all choose to ‘switch off’ to give ourselves ‘space’ whenever we need to. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with the world or suffering from overload of information, try switching off. Switching off your digital devices will enable you to switch off too. It’s a healing, rejuvenating experience.
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