HOMELY HOMILY by Glenn Stevens

‘Appy days

I am ever hopeful that by the time of this going to print in March’s Scene magazine the third lockdown is behind us and there is a glimmer of hope ahead and we are getting out more and embracing all that is so good about living in Brighton. With the sea in front of us, the South Downs at the back, and our vibrant city jewelled in the centre. But if the previous year has taught us anything, it is to have a Plan B up our sleeves.

Also let us remember there will be a good proportion of Brighton people who are still self-isolating at home and will be only able to get outdoors via the view from their window, so what to do?

One of the tools in my belt, which has been a great comforter, has been practicing mindfulness. I will be forever grateful to Jackie and Judy for the free mindfulness classes they ran at The Sussex Beacon

One of the tools in my belt, which has been a great comforter, has been practicing mindfulness. I will be forever grateful to Jackie and Judy for the free mindfulness classes they ran at The Sussex Beacon. This practice has been a simple yet powerful way or stopping a lot of emotionally draining situations from getting out of hand, allowing me to centre my mind and bring myself back into the moment. If that may sound a little bit tree hugging (which I also like) then please just drop the doubt and give it a try, there are plenty of online courses to sign up to and once you have the basics, this practice can be a friend for life.

The fantastic thing about this app is it not only helps with lowering stress levels but also takes the imagination to places that many may not be able to get to due to self-isolating

Another great app to help with relaxation is one for people who live with tinnitus, that ringing in your ear which I and thousands of other people live with. The app I use is ReSound which offers an array of soundscapes, including At the Beach and Evening Forest, to help you relax - one of the main causes for tinnitus to increase is stress. The fantastic thing about this app is it not only helps with lowering stress levels but also takes the imagination to places that many may not be able to get to due to self-isolating. The app, and I am sure there are many more out there, offers visual representations of nature’s powerful great outdoors as well as bite-size spoken meditations.

I do know that not everyone can connect with these types of therapies and during self-isolation many may crave to get further afield in a different way. We are so lucky to be bang in the middle of the digital age where the world is at our fingertips. For a virtual South Downs walk, visit www.southdowns.gov.uk or for something more out of this world why not visit the edge of the universe with Sean Pertwee: https://youtu.be/68tpCpDOsyA.

So if we are still in lockdown, grab yourself a cuppa, sit down, relax with an app or log in and enjoy the virtual great outdoors.