RECOVERY Today, I made a choice that changed everything. I decided to step back from the busy, modern world I've been living in. It hit me hard how much this constant rush, the endless stream of information and demands, was slowly making me sick. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too. It became clear that this unending pressure isn't just affecting me—it's harming all of us, often without us even realising it. The danger lies in how invisible these threats are. We don't see stress and anxiety building their walls inside us. They creep in quietly, eating away at our well-being. Stress and anxiety are like silent killers, sneaking into our lives and causing harm over time. They're not just feelings they're biological stressors that can damage our health. To me, it's obvious they are not good for anyone—no matter how strong we think we are. They wear us down gradually, affecting our minds and bodies. I've come to see how these feelings can be a root cause for many serious diseases, including Parkinson's. I'm convinced that prolonged stress, and the anxiety it creates, have played a part in my struggle with Parkinson's disease. I do not doubt that connection. Picture the human brain as a computer. When overloaded, it crashes, and that's exactly what I believe happened to me. My brain had become a cluttered mess of negative thoughts, fears, and too much information coming from every direction. Constant news updates, social media feed after social media feed, the fear-mongering headlines—each one adds to the overload. It's like pouring hot oil on a machine that wasn't designed to handle that level of traffic. Over time, the system slows, then stalls. My mental processor crashed, and that's when I believe the symptoms of Parkinson's started. The good news is that organic life is resilient. The human body and mind have an amazing ability to heal when given the right conditions. However, this healing requires addressing the root of the problem. That's why I decided to change my habits. I took smart steps, like removing social media from my phone. Now, my phone doesn't bombard me with endless news and fear-driven messages. It's just a tool to stay connected, nothing more. No more feeds that fill my head with useless panic about the possibility of World War Three. Because if it happens, it happens. Worrying about it every time I check my phone won't change the outcome. It only adds to my stress. I want to focus on the present moment. Today is what I have, and I refuse to waste it on worries about things beyond my control. If the weather turns bad, I accept it. There's no point in obsessing over what I can't change. Rain or shine, it's just weather. The same goes for my health. Parkinson's is a part of my life now, but worrying about it all the time won't help. I can't undo what's already happened. I can only choose how I respond. So I choose to enjoy today. I choose to live in the now. This shift in mindset isn't easy. It takes discipline to step away from the constant stream of bad news and negativity. But it's necessary. I believe that focusing on what I can control, and letting go of what I can't, is my best shot at healing. It's about acceptance and making space for peace. We spend so much time chasing control and avoiding uncertainty that we forget the simple truth: life is unpredictable. But in that unpredictability lies our greatest freedom. By choosing not to fill my mind with fear and chaos, I reclaim a sense of calm. I find strength in acceptance. Ultimately, this isn't just about me. It's about understanding how the demands of modern life wear us out. It's about recognising that burnout, stress, and anxiety are real danger signals. They threaten our health and happiness in ways most people ignore. But we don't have to accept them as normal. We can make changes. Small ones. Big ones. Like turning off the endless notifications, taking time to breathe, and choosing what we let into our minds. That's how we regain control. That's how we start to heal. Because life, no matter how shaky, is worth living fully—day by day, moment by moment. Robert James Keene