Voice of London

Having control over your thoughts requires efforts and concentration. The fact that we are facing another lockdown makes this task even more complicated.  

Instead of repeating the already-known facts and restrictions related to it, we focused on people’s well-being during this tough month.

In a special VoL podcast, we uncovered ways of dealing with negativity.

Our special guest is Nicholas de Mattos, a Philosophy tutor at the School of Philosophy and Economic Sciences in London and a Classics teacher at the St. James School.

Mattos thinks of the lockdown as Epictetus would have. He said: “One quote of his is: ‘You must be put to death, but why to go screaming to your death?’ It’s a bit extreme, but it’s that mindset which might help.”

He decided to use the previous lockdown productively by working hard towards his book’s publication.

The Philosophy tutor also shared a simple visualisation technique for reducing anxiety. “Think of the person who has given you unconditional love, your best friend, and the wisest person in your life. What might they tell you about living happily and truly?”

For him, our thoughts shape the reality we live in. “If your glass is half-empty, you can’t get out of that millstream. Whereas if you can see the things that are going through your mind, then there is space between you and the things that you can see. That way, it is possible to rise above them.”

You can watch the full interview on YouTube below.

Words: Kristina Hristova I Podcast: Kristina Hristova I Video: Kristina Hristova