Sometimes a sanctuary is a place of worship or any place where you feel safe, but the most powerful sanctuary is the one you can find inside you. It is always with you and can never be taken away from you.
There is mounting evidence that the digital world that is forming around us is having detrimental effects on our mental wellbeing, most especially younger generations Alpha and Z.
The suicide rate of young females showed the largest significant percentage increase compared with male youth (1), and suicide rates for boys 15 to 19 has increased more than 30 percent!(2)
Another study specifically states that adolescents who spend 3 or more hours on their smartphones a day have shown a 34% higher likelihood of having a suicide-related event. (3)
My heart goes out to these younger generations. This is the only world they've ever known, there is no escape from it, and it feels hopeless. While these feelings are completely valid, they aren't new. They've been around a long time, and in this post for Tippers I'm going to explore two powerful practices-one ancient, the other modern-for building a mental sanctuary that can withstand the noise and chaos of our modern lives.