Feed the mind and body to nourish the soul
A recent podcast recording with my friend Tom Swan, which will come out on the 9th of March, reaffirmed something I already knew to be true. The last two years have been pretty harrowing for Tom to say the least and yet his positive attitude coupled with his new routine has allowed him to face his new reality with infectious enthusiasm.
In 2018, Tom was hit with the news that he had a stage-two brain tumour and after a frightening operation he was told that his life expectancy was now between 7-15 years. In the podcast, we talk about the effects of that on his mental health and his relationship with his close ones. However, the inspiration for this piece comes from Tom’s newfound routine which has given him back the normality he once took for granted. Tom told me that the key to his recovery was the focus he places on his mental and physical health. He doesn’t favour one or the other, instead investing his time in both pursuits in equal measure.
Due to the negative consequences of chemotherapy and trauma of the seizures, Tom had to undergo cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to overcome a newly developed anxiety. Nevertheless, Tom admitted that he was surprised that yoga has been the key to developing strength in a body that has been severely depleted as a result of the aggressive life-saving treatments and given him space to work on his mental health at the same time. Yoga is that rarest of beasts. It can challenge you both physically and mentally and if done correctly is hugely beneficial to both entities. We both confessed that our perceptions of yoga being something that is only done by Instagram girls is far from the truth. The reality is that yoga can be a sweat-inducing tortuous affair, especially at the start, but the benefits speak for themselves.
I shared with Tom that I have recently embarked on a routine of my own, going to Jiu-Jitsu several times a week and meditating every night (something that I let slip at the tail end of last year). Ever since I started focusing properly on my physical and mental health I have noticed a real uplift in my spirits and I have re-adopted an old mantra I used to live by…“it is what it is”. What I mean by this is I have become far more accepting of people and situations and I have, by in large, silenced that ongoing chatter we all have inside our heads. I am more at peace with my life and where it is headed and have realised I can only control certain aspects of it so that is my focus now. Simply put, I feel as though I am a better version of myself.
When I sit in an office chair for over 8 hours a day I can get restless and that unused energy can become harmful if I allow it to manifest itself into negative thoughts. However, when I use that energy to stoke the fire of my interests I feel as though I have tamed the inner beast and I can sleep a little easier at night. The difficulty is that it’s a daily challenge, so it requires a sustained effort to see long-term benefits. I wish I had started this routine years earlier, but I am convinced that it’s one of the pillars to maintaining a happy and healthy life. Needless to say, if it’s good enough for Tom after all he has been through, then it is certainly good enough for me!
By Seb Siracusa
