Escaping the Prison of Your Mind
Kim Vermaak
??Mindset Whisperer for Legacy Authors | Book Coach | Author | Speaker. I assist coaches, execs & speakers to conquer the fear of starting their books and get them published and on the road to building a legacy.??
Have you ever had those dark days where things just seem to pile on top of you and you wonder if you are ever going to feel normal again?
I have felt that several times before, as an entrepreneur and as an author. Those days where I don’t feel like answering my phone and I just want to be left alone. While taking time for some self-care and detox are important aspects of mental health, isolation is not healthy. There are enough of us who just went through government mandated isolation to know just how damaging it can be to our mental health. It can turn our minds into a prison of our own making.
Prisons have been using solitary confinement as punishment for centuries. But a study from 2000 to 2015, which used 229,274 people who were released from incarceration, found that inmates who had experienced solitary confinement were 78% more likely to commit suicide after being released compared to those who had not undergone solitary confinement.?
To reframe this practice, prisons now using the term “restricted housing”, but in the end it remains a form of torture. In South Africa, the Mandela-era Correctional Services Act of 1998 (CSA) banned the practice. Many in the US are working to abolish solitary confinement. However, as humans, we often choose to isolate ourselves when what we truly need is support. If it does not work for prisons, why would we do it to ourselves?
Authors sometimes fall victim to their own self-confinement. We spend long hours in front of the computer, writing our stories, drinking coffee and eating chocolate. Okay, maybe it is just me that is the chocoholic, but you get the picture. In this isolation, we don’t interact; we don’t exercise and we make poor diet choices.?
If you are in isolation for over 22 hours, then technically you are committing a human rights violation. You may even be thinking, “Well, I have people around me.” While that may be true, I find there is a growing trend of loneliness even when surrounded by others. The trick is to have regular healthy engagement with people who are like-minded.
While I fall in the camp of professional speakers who live a more public life, I know many authors shy away from communities. Many times, even if they do live public lives, they struggle to share their writing unless they think it is already perfect.
When I look at the authors in my programme, it is the ones we share their work, pitch up for appointments and talk about their self-limiting beliefs who progress. Community makes a difference. I know this from personal experience. When I am stuck trying to make a chapter work, I end up going in circles, but when I share with my team, they often think of things I did not think of.
In my early stages of writing, I feared feedback. I listened to dreadful advice from people who had never written a book in their lives. My early uninformed choices stunted my growth. It was only when I stepped out and shared my thoughts, challenges and drafts that I built momentum and made progress.
On Thursday at 10H00 I will be chatting with Alison Weihe about Mental Health. Join us and learn more about the lives and learnings of the author community.
Global Time Zones:
Johannesburg (South Africa) Thursday, 10 October 2024, 10:00:00 SAST UTC+2 hours
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Kim Vermaak | Mindset Whisperer for legacy authors.
With a passion for bringing wisdom back into the art of storytelling, for both authors and companies alike, she has touched the hearts of many with her medieval fantasy series, while also empowering aspiring authors to leave a legacy with their stories.
Kim’s super-power lies in using crushing events to transform not only herself but also the hearts and minds of others.
Tap into her wealth of knowledge and expertise in building successful book-preneur businesses and creating engaging legacy stories.
Book your free 30 minute discovery call. DM me for details https://calendly.com/kimvermaak/30min
Author | Presentation Skills & Speaker Coach | Speaks on Persuasion
1 个月Solitary confinement. Eish. In a world where we define ourselves in terms of out interaction with others - that's torture. You're so right Kim Vermaak, we've no right to impose this on ourselves. Commumity is our passport to health and longevity.
Helping Entrepreneurs and Coaches Publish Their Bestselling Books and Become the Authority in their Field So That They Monetize Their Services
1 个月Kim Vermaak , this is a thought-provoking article! Breaking free from limiting beliefs is crucial not only for personal growth but also for business success. As a business author, I’ve seen firsthand how the mind can be the greatest asset or the biggest obstacle. When we shift our mindset, we open up endless possibilities, both in life and in the pursuit of success. Thank you for reminding us that the key to freedom starts within...
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1 个月Isolation can be so dangerous. This was a very interesting read. ??????
Leading the way to increased team performance and bottom line impact
1 个月Kim Vermaak this really resonates with me. As an author myself, many years ago I worked out if you get stuck the worst thing is to self-isolate. Rather go out and exercise or, even better, lunch with a friend and don't even talk about the book. These simple gear shifts can do the unlocking for yuou without you having to do much else. Withdrawal to re-energise is one thing, but withdrawal to hide is quite another and can lead to mental health issues. As a busy, working mom, I have written my books in real time, in between working, parenting and household chores. I had always imagined an Ernest Hemingway get away of a cottage in the woods but I worked out that my books are about real life and much of my inspiration comes from real life interactions as I am writing.