Catherine Drea: Be Well!

Being well and staying well throughout our lives is enhanced by taking time out and being creative. 

Singing in a choir, joining an art class, and even knitting has been proven to affect our brains in positive ways. 

The latest thinking is that all of these creative activities can help to stave off dementia and the ageing brain. But more than that just the pure enjoyment and uplifting experiences we can have with art and artists gets us all away from our phones, computers and TVs!

Are people these days ever just present and comfortable in their own skin? Every meal, journey, public or private event has someone, if not everyone, face down on their phones rather than just being there.

Apparently, these days we have an ever-reducing capacity for focus. Our minds wander more, our attention spans are shorter, we find it harder to concentrate and most of us are addicted to “doom scrolling” and endless short video entertainment. 

There is even a new practice called “double screening". 

Double screening is when we watch Netflix or the equivalent with one device and scroll on our other device so that we are paying attention to two screens at once. Add in another screen for following the rugby or the racing and you have “triple screening”. More common than you might think.

Spending time with young babies and toddlers, as I do, I see the fascination and the desire for this magical little window into the world of entertainment. From the earliest few months, it is impossible to even take a photo with a phone without babies making a lunge to grab it. The sight of tiny children with iPads in their buggies is all a bit depressing.

I’m as guilty as anyone of this rapidly reducing attention span that most of the western world seems to be suffering from. The power of instantly obtaining your own personal interests online is very addictive. Quick, entertaining, available, immediate; the phone in our pockets, so brim full of options, is some kind of dream come true. Or is it?

Do you remember as a child being bored? It was a common feeling when the weather was bad, the homework was mounting and the TV was out of bounds. When I was young, if you didn’t have a fresh library book on the go and you only had last week’s comic, you were up against it.

I wonder does anyone these days ever feel bored or experience the longing for a book or a poem? That long wait for next week’s Beano or Bunty? The hope that Saturday will come fast so you can see Dr. Who, at 7pm sharp? Of course not, these days there can never be a moment of waiting, of boredom, of just being in the moment without some device or other to fill that space.

I remember being sent to bed while the evening was still alive with light and action on the streets. Lights were to be out after a short time to read. Well! We got up to all kinds of high jinx, turning the bed into a boxing ring, drawing all over the walls and bedhead, inventing games and never for a moment considering sleep over wild creativity!

Sleep is now deferred by the ever-fascinating phone in our pockets, which allows us to track the storm that is raging, the election outcome that is being revealed, the funniest ever sitcoms or the latest catastrophe. No need to watch the “6 O’Clock News” like our parents, who never ever missed it. No need for the boring bits. Just cut to the chase.

Through these devices we are plugged into some very negative and stressful people. The daily “Who murdered who?” is one of those sad headlines that impacts our mental health and makes the world a terrifying scenario.

So it was with great joy that I was a small part of the recent Well Festival, organised by Réalta, Waterford Healing Arts and Waterford Libraries. There was a mix of events in the festival. I was involved in an annual event called Sunshine; sharing writings to brighten our souls! For about 90 minutes, none of us gave a single thought to our phones or the horror that is unfolding around the world.

Instead, each participant brought along a poem or piece of writing that has got them through hard times, that has uplifted their hearts or has meant something special to them. It’s a simple and ancient ritual, listening to treasured words read aloud to us by a human voice. Soon we were all engrossed in what brought this sunshine into their lives. What a privilege it was to share hope and pleasure in poetry and words of beauty and comfort. It was like being immersed in a warm bath of love and wellness. And the big plus, not a word about Putin or Trump all evening!

We used to give our labour to the rich in the industrial era, now we give our attention. We are sometimes slaves to the content of these creators, and give all of our interest for free. So get stuck in! Read a book, write a journal, join a band.

But whatever you do, stay well by being a creator, not just a consumer!