2 minute read
MORE TO ME THAN HIV by Jason Lupi
In a time when we are restricted to go and enjoy the outdoors due to the current coronavirus pandemic, our mental and physical health may have had a downward spiral.
People who are living with HIV have become used to the idea of accessing regular support, whether to share a lunch, have an alternative therapy session, or meet friends in the pub. One aspect that may not be in the forefront of their mind is to leave the city buzz and engage with nature or the countryside.
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Walking in open spaces, woods, mountains or seashore, has been proven to have a beneficial effect on our minds, it enables us to recharge the batteries, reduces stress, helps sleep and relaxation and much more.
We are fortunate to have such resources near to us; the seafront promenade and the South Downs which envelops the city. We have good public transport to reach these places too.
When the restrictions lift we should try our best to utilise these resources. City life can be draining and the distractions of it can wear us down. Sometimes we can get mindlessly stuck in the mud, feel lethargic or want to stay close to our creature comforts. We may even convince ourselves that there’s no real benefit or it’s too much effort to adventure into the countryside.
From personal experience, when sitting by the sea watching the waves roll over, standing on top of Devils Dyke looking over the vast Sussex Wealds, or exploring through a quiet moss-laden wood, all my problems and worries fall away, my mind has clarity and the effort is so worth it.
It’s like medicine, it’s like a tonic. These remedies need to be taken at regular intervals in order to keep the happy mood muscles at a consistent level; similar to the effects of the levels and adherence of our antiretrovirals that have been drummed into us!
Walking has been one of my passions for a very long time, visiting places such as Cumbria, Northumberland, Isle of Skye and the Peak District. But Sussex is a place I know well and the gentle hills and chalky paths are quite lovely throughout the yearly seasons.
Positive Walks is a social media group that gets HIV+ people out walking and hopefully connecting with nature, even just for a few hours a month. It helps people socialise in a different environment, away from the city, get exercise or just have fun.
My HIV status is only a part of me, it lives with me, it doesn’t dictate my life, it’s not a prominent aspect of it. My enjoyment of walking, my creativity in making art and my work enables me to have a varied and full character. That’s why the project More to Me Than HIV was something I wanted to be involved with. Hopefully helping break the stigma and outdated views of what constitutes and makes up a person not just living, but ‘thriving’ with HIV.
