Welcome to the world of Eye Matter, where we create connections that truly matter for people with visual impairment. Our mission is to entertain, educate and empower. Eye Matter has delivered over 300 Zoom events this year including book clubs, concerts, Zumba, creative writing, poetry and drama workshops. Our regular outings have included theatre trips, art galleries, sledging, zip wiring, sports days, comedy evenings, climbing the O2 and much more.
We appreciate there are times when support is needed in sight loss journeys and this is provided in our twice monthly ‘Surviving to Thriving’ Zoom grief programme (supported by our regular blog) and three times a year in-person session.
Many of our facilitators are themselves visually impaired, enabling them to provide a more empathic service. Our £15 per year membership allows access to a multitude of exciting opportunities both through Zoom and in-person.
Can you spare a few hours to help a small charity?
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities
Volunteer Website Manager
Location: Remote
Time Commitment: Approximately 3 hours per week
Website: www.eyematter.org.uk
Application Deadline: 31st March
The Role
This is a new opportunity for a Volunteer Website Manager to help oversee and maintain our busy and growing website. Itis a fantastic opportunity for someone with WordPress experience to use their technical skills to benefit a fantastic cause.
Please click here for the full article or email info@eyematter.org.uk with subject ‘Website’.
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iPhone Voiceover trainers and volunteers to support our Members Outreach Programme.
All calls take place via Zoom or by phone.
These roles are for anyone who wants to support others or upskill for futur employment
confident iPhone and Android users interested in sharing their skills with other visually impaired members.
Our Volunteer VoiceOver Training Manager, Charu Bansal, will facilitate a short training program designed to enhance your teaching abilities. Please click here to read more about Charu and this fantastic opportunity.
For testimonials, please click here.
Session 7 – Strengthening the Space Between Impulse and Action.
Introductions revealed members, fromScotland to Southern England,listening to a quote from John Kabat-Zinn (please see link below) credited as bringing Mindfulness to the Western world.
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."
We explored self-regulation as the character strength of managing impulses, emotions, and behaviours in order to respond rather than react. We learned that self-regulation is not suppression — it is balance. It belongs to the virtue of Temperance and helps us find the “Golden Mean”: not indulgence, not repression, but steadiness. Learning more about ‘self regulation, and its impact on our actions relating to the 24 identified personality strength characteristics, we began with a short guided practise entitled,’loving myself as I am:’.
Eye Matter reflected on underuse (impulsivity, emotional reactivity), overuse (rigidity, emotional suppression), and balanced expression (flexible, grounded responsiveness). Discovering the effect of inpulses intentions and key elements which can trigger reactions. Encouragement to “leave emotional baggage at the door” can discourage reaction, allowing a measured response ie; taking a breath. Practicing self-compassion, as self regulation management,enables consideration of whether this response or reaction, is the result of acting with purpose or intention. Achieved by zooming out of the situation,underuse of this self regulation can result in volatile situations or a flair up of anger, whereas having an imbalance often provides more flexible responses. Equally Overuse looks like perfectionism.
We discussed how self-regulation works like a muscle — it can fatigue, but it can also be trained through small, consistent repetitions. Evidenced by the concentration needed to understand the theory behind mindfulness caused another to feel fatigued during the meditation. Laura explained how self regulation once trained can effect small changes over a period of time. Setting micro-goals, achievable through repetition patterns. Using “time buffers” even just one breathe before responding can make a difference. Another effect is tomonitor patterns, recognizing when triggers occur. It was suggested to practise these techniques in times of calm rather than during a moment of crisis. . Another suggestion was to create a “physical loop”,such as a bracelet, which when touched allows a breathe before responding.
Eye Matter then explored how other strengths support self-regulation, including Perspective (seeing the bigger picture), Perseverance (staying steady over time), Curiosity (exploring impulses instead of judging them), and Gratitude and Hope (sustaining long-term change). Managing self regulation is often easier when supported by other strengths. ‘Prudence’ is identified as the emotional planner. An example,“My friend is ignoring me” encouraging us to consider from a different perspective, How curiosity of why this is happening turns control into compassion. Rather than punishing yourself for their decision, consider from a different perspective. Equally, important to be grateful for the resources we already have and appreciate when a situation is handled well or differently. Recognising Hope, reminds us that change is possible,although more prominent in small changes rather than large dramatic effects..
The four key elements are :stop, breathe, reflect, choose. Although Laura appreciated, these steps seemed a lot in a millisecond, through regular mindful practice,all strengths can work together. Reflecting one member’s “dread” in having to complete a task which was causing an emotive reaction. They wanted to know how to apply these four aspects into a situation of obligation?
Within a second meditation, we practised noticing the space between impulse and action, strengthening it with awareness and kindness. Eye Matter was encouraged to bring to mind a behaviour which needs changing ie; relationship with food or alcohol or, a procrastination. Suggesting nothing too intense yet, something where a trigger can be identified with curiosity, leading to a sense of solace and adding “a splash of gratitude”.
Members shared their reflections:When knocking over a glass of water a natural reaction is to call yourself stupid. Consider how this makes a spiral of anger or does it merely label the action? Could this be identified as a physical response/reaction or, an internal reaction? Another member asked if anyone can engage in mindfulness? One member admitted to falling asleep during the meditation but, appreciated having a physical association. Overall, this session invited us to move from automatic reaction toward conscious choice.
Please click link below for more information about Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine Emeritus, UMass Medical School · Founder of the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn
Join us next Monday at 6pm on Zoom, for our 8th session of mindfulness as part of our Marvelous ME Monday series.
Eye Matter Matters issue 41 has been posted to mail. Boxes but you can catch up here too:
www.eyematter.org.uk/eye-matter-matters-newsletter/
This edition includes:
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities: we are desperately seeking iPhone Voiceover trainers and volunteers to support our Members Outreach Programme
Forthcoming Eye Matter Zoom events
Launching Marvellous Me Mondays
New dates announced for Cathartic Writing.
Bookworms
New Eye Matter Living Well with Sight Loss Course
Eye Matter Outings
In-person "Turning Surviving into Thriving" group Grief workshop with Joanna Williams
Eye Matter is climbing the O2 again
2 tickets left for audio Described Performance of SIX The Musical
Tour of Windsor Castle
Eye Matter Sailing Opportunities
Eye Matter’s third PGL activity holiday
Special Features
£5 covers your membership until 31st March
Eye Matter Secures National Lottery Community Fund Grant
Eye Matter Awarded Grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation
Eye Matter Selected as Charity Partner for Proclaim Group’s 25th Anniversary Campaign
Do you love yourself?
Tom and the white cane.
VI Friendly Apple support Helpline
