Many of us today believe that we live in a free world, especially those of us who are lucky enough to live in the West. And to some extend that is true. Compared to Palestinians and Ukrainians today, we are free. Nobody is bombing us, killing our families, burning our homes down. We have access to fresh water and food,  we are free to study, work, travel etc. And that in and of itself is wonderful. But here I want to talk about a different type of oppression. One that is invisible and is holding us all on a leash. Like a dictator, it governs our choices, day by day, it shapes our reality. 

Media is wonderful isn’t it? it’s informative and knowledgeable, it allows us to know what’s happening at any time, even in the most distant parts of the world. News are free and available to everyone. Nevertheless, all of those benefits come with a price. Price, we don’t pay from our pockets, but price we pay with our mental, as well as  physical wellbeing. Why?

Well, have you noticed that most of the news that are on the TV and newspapers  are all negative, terrifying and worrisome.  And whilst knowing that there is a murderer wandering the streets of your neighbourhood could be beneficial, there is really no need for you to hear about rapes, murders, robberies etc happening across the other side of the world. Unfortunately, this is what attracts everyone’s attention today and media knows that. They are using negative news to entice a bigger audience. But what about us? How do those negative news affect us? Over time we become anxious, stressed and depressed. As if we don’t already have enough on our plates to deal with – the challenges we face at work and in our families. But we take on the stress , worries and fear of the whole entire world. 

Advice: instead of watching the news or reading a newspaper, you would be better off watching a funny movie or reading a good book.

whether alcohol, gambling, smoking, or food, these all too often go out of control and start to make choices for us. Am I going to have a glass of water, or a glass of wine? Am I going to opt for a healthy salad at a restaurant, or will I pick burger with fries? Sometimes, the influence of these could be so subtle that we don’t even realise it.  

Advice: Start becoming more aware of what you put in your mouth and what you do. Why do you want it? Is there a real need for it or the desire for it stems from an underlying dependence?

Our mind is a wonderful tool, it allows us to learn, remember, work out complex problems, form habits. However, if we don’t know how to use it, it quickly starts using us. Since early childhood, our minds start working hard on recording everything we hear, see and think. And this is how our values, beliefs and habits are formed. Once established, they are hard to change. Let’s say your parents were very hardworking but they struggled financially their entire lives. You, then, will form a belief that no matter how hard you work, you will always struggle to make ends meet. Negative beliefs  and habits are so powerful. They are destructive for your entire life. Advice: Start examining your habits, values and beliefs. If they don’t serve you, make a conscious effort to change them. How? – by finding facts that prove their falsehood and replacing them with others that are more helpful. For example, I used to feel anxious about being a Bulgarian living in the UK. – “British people are superior to me”, I thought – “they speak fluent English and don’t have weird accents.” But one day I realised how wrong that belief was. Many British individuals speak no other language, but English, and I – speak two – Bulgarian and British.    

There you go girl! Follow these tips to achieve freedom and independence.