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Whether it’s living in solitary
confinement, without access to
sunlight or other people, or facing
life-changing situations with
dangerous criminals, I imagine
this mental aspect of Aldo’s work
could take more of a toll on him
than the physical demands. How
does he deal with the permanent
extreme focus required to ensure
the safety of himself, and others,
when working?
“When I go into a new situation,
I am initially hypervigilant. I
am aware of everything, the
surroundings, people, potential
issues – all of the things that I
need to be thinking about,” Aldo
says simply. “You need to be aware
of all elements of risk – but then
you have to put that to the back of
your head. But when something
does happen, you’ve done all that
thinking and planning in advance,
so you’re not in a panic mode.”
It’s hard to reconcile Aldo’s
lightness of approach, and his
calm nature, with the projects he
undertakes. However, it’s clear that
working on his mental strength as
much as his physical state is vital
to him. Practising mindfulness
plays a major role in this, although
it’s not a term that Aldo was aware
of until a couple of years ago, even
though it was a presence in his
everyday life.
It’s so crucial to
get outside and
in nature at least
once a day. It’s
there for everyone,
and it’s free
August 2019 • happiful.com • 33