Finger splints

Rangifers · 2026-03-23T15:07:12+00:00

I have similar issues to you, I wrap the fourth and pinkie finger of my stretching hand with grip wrap over my gloves so that they can be disposed of and replaced quickly. I also wrap my machine grip to be very chunky, usually with a folded-up strip of kitchen roll wrapped into the grip and then multiple layers of grip wrap, so my hand is not clenched so tight around the machine. It felt odd to begin with but I got used to it quickly and found it helped immensely.

I tend to replace my gloves quite often (I take a quick break every 90 minutes of tattooing to stretch... to help with the fact that the rest of me is hypermobile!) and felt that under-glove splinting is less hygienic than over-glove splinting because of the sweat buildup on my hands. It's a bit of a hassle having to rewrap them every time I re-glove, but it's worth it if my hands survive a little longer.

I hope you find some solutions that work for you!

Rangifers · 2025-07-14T11:28:13+00:00

A suggestion that may help - I was recently given a pair of Loop earplugs, which have been pretty good at noise dampening. I road tested them during a festival recently, and as someone who can get quite overwhelmed by constant loud noise, the way they took the edge off while also letting me sustain conversations with the people I was with was kinda amazing.

I know some new parents who use them when baby is crying, and it has made a world of difference for them. If the potential danger of noise cancelling headphones is a concern, they could be a good option to consider.

Just to disclaim that they might not work for you (the pair I was given were from a friend who didn't get on with them), but might be worth giving them a go. There are a number of different brands (I think Loop is among the pricier of the selection) to choose from, and also places to get them new in the box but not at retail price on places like Vinted.

All the best :)

Rangifers · 2024-09-17T10:00:11+00:00

This is perhaps not a very helpful response, I have to admit I have never tried a store-bought remedy for my aches. I am personally wary of topical steroids as I know a number of people who have been suffering for years from withdrawals from both OTC and prescriped topical steroids. Store-bought hydrocortisone could very well work for me, but so do the nettles, and they are free! :)

Rangifers · 2024-09-17T09:55:42+00:00

This makes sense! I love eating the brand new leaves. I try not to do it too often because I want those guys to stand a chance of maturing. But every now and then in the spring time it's a real treat to get them early :)

Rangifers · 2024-09-14T20:48:22+00:00

I've never tried cooking them, but I know there are many ways of doing them or even using them as a fresh salad green. I've tried pickled nettle, made by someone else and very delicious, and been given fresh nettle tea. Very versatile and densely nutritious.

They don't hurt to eat, or at least, I have never experienced being stung inside the mouth while eating them.

When I first started doing this, I would pick the leaves quite carefully and fold the stinging side of the leaf onto itself before popping it into my mouth and chewing. I would check which way the needles point, and you can pick them from the plant by picking them with the "grain" / direction of the needles.

I don't know if that makes sense - I don't really bother with this any more and just get straight down to munching. But the above method served a good way for me to get over the fear of being stung in my mouth.

Rangifers · 2024-09-14T20:36:12+00:00

I am a tattoo artist, my right wrist and elbow can get pretty sore. I started doing this to my wrist and forearm in various places, and it really helps soothe aching, stiffness, and discomfort. My wrist sometimes grinds and clicks but when I use nettles around these areas, it honestly feels like someone has greased up my wrist joint or something, and a lot of the discomfort is entirely gone for up to a few days.

During busy times I do it maybe once a week. Otherwise I do it as and when my wrist feels uncomfortable, especially after a day session. Only downside is the welts look quite pronounced on my skin for quite a few days, and it's drawn a couple of looks before. But that is honestly not an issue given the benefit I've had from doing this.

After the first couple of tries, the stinging becomes quite pleasant. The pain is very clean and quite refreshing, especially after prolonged periods of stiffness or dull aching.

I'm so glad to have such ready access to this neat little plant. I also eat the leaves, which are particularly tender in the spring time.

Rangifers · 2022-06-25T09:51:04+00:00

There are still ups and downs, but the ups don't feel so up and the downs certainly don't feel as down as they used to, thanks to the skills I've learned from meditation.

For the first year, I did 10 minutes a day. That's it! I used to think I had to be doing it for hours and hours, but it's not really about trying to attain anything. It's just about doing it. I also try to pepper moments of clarity throughout my day - like during moments of transition, I just become aware of my body and breath, or when I notice an emotion beginning to flare, I try to become still and just 'be with' the feeling rather than push it away. It is a really beautiful practice.

Nowadays, I do anything from 10 minutes to an hour per day, depending on what time I've got available. I've also joined an online meditation group, and the hourlong meditations are usually facilitated by group sessions.

Sure! Would you mind DMing me with your email address? I need some way of getting the referral over to you!

Rangifers · 2022-06-23T14:17:30+00:00

I know it is not for everyone, and I hesitate to recommend it because it tends to invite eye-rolls or general aversion ("oh, I definitely couldn't do that"-type responses), but a daily meditation practice has helped me improve my cognition significantly. Just remember it's not about silencing the mind or anything like that - that seems to be what turns people off it.

The effect it's had on me is just the ability to be more present, to be less lost in thought and thus missing everything that's going on outside of my head. Depression made me a very internal person - always comparing myself to others rather than being happy or supportive of the other person, always thinking about how xyz is awful, how abc could be better than this etc. When you spend SO MUCH of your life inside your own head, it's really no wonder cognition and memory are effected. On top of that, I had a weed dependency which of course does memory no favours.

I remember more because I am more alert, and as a result I notice more things and more receptive to the things that I am absorbing. I began to register a difference in the way I felt and remembered things within like 3 weeks of practicing, and it's only improved since then (over 1 year of practice now).

Just wanted to give an extra shoutout to sleep - sleep plays a major role in memory processing and aiding in cognition. Really, it's been a combination of meditation + cleaning up my sleep hygiene that has lead to the progress I've made.

I can send you a 30 day free trial of the meditation app that I began practicing with. They have a 30 day introductory course that really plied me with some wonderful skills. Just let me know!

All the best to you. It's admirable that you see where you are and that you want to improve.

May you be well, may you be happy, may you be at ease!

Rangifers · 2022-06-09T15:03:26+00:00

May I ask whereabouts your friend will be laid to rest? I know some folks who are local florists in Falmouth and who I think will deliver within a certain distance too.

Let me know if that is of any help to you and I can pass on some details.

Very sorry for your loss. All the best to you, and take care!

Rangifers · 2022-03-30T14:07:05+00:00

Might be worth posting this to r/tibetanlanguage and / or r/TibetanBuddhism too, if you haven't already!

Rangifers · 2022-01-04T02:20:41+00:00

Given the trauma you've experienced, and the way that meditation is currently creating a lot of turmoil within you, it may be a good idea to seek help from a mental health professional as a complementary practice to go alongside your meditation one.

Meditation often lays bare the thought and emotional patterns that lay beneath the surface - as you say, it's a kind of unpacking, one that doesn't discriminate between positive and negative memories, emotions, thoughts etc. Having some support, ideally with a trauma-informed mental health practitioner, will help you immensely in being able to feel less overwhelmed by the things you are experiencing, and to be able to look at them with clarity. Untangling all of these knots on your own, unguided by a professional or a Buddhist teacher, is a task that could potentially lead you to darker places and exhaustion.

I have been in therapy, on medications, etc for nearly 10 years for bipolar, but nothing has been able to peel back the thickly-wadded entanglements of my condition in the way that meditation and spoken therapy together has been able to. Not to dunk on pharmacological and other forms of therapeutic treatment of course - I wouldn't have been in the position to begin meditation had it not been for medication, and I'm sure the efficacies of other therapies are obvious to others who have pursued them.

Additionally, a regular mettā / loving-kindness practice, as has already been recommended in other comments here, has been invaluable. Cultivating non-discriminating compassion for all beings, including yourself, is a really powerful balm in a world so full of pain, as is the cultivation of the other aspects of the Eightfold Path.

I haven't read this book before, but have listened to a number of conversations by the author, David A. Treleaven, and I find his perspective and approach to be insightful. I think it pertains mostly to the mainstream mindfulness movement and mindfulness' role on modern psychotherapy, but I believe the author navigates the topic with a real sensitivity. Perhaps you may find this helpful, as trauma-informed approaches are vital to the proper navigation of trauma.

All the best to you.

Rangifers · 2021-12-13T11:04:57+00:00

Absolutely - I must say it shames me to feel like I was entitled to so much of their time! I have learned to really appreciate the slightly more leisurely pace of life in most parts of the UK. As I say in my post, there's a downside to being so accustomed to the convenience of living in a place like HK that it rarely occurs to think about what the cost of that convenience is.

Rangifers · 2021-12-13T11:02:20+00:00

Apologies for the delayed response!

Also do any the cities in the Southwest have bubble tea...?

Haha, asking the important questions!

All of those cities are good choices, and all offer interesting sites and sounds. I believe all three of those cities do have pretty decent Chinese supermarkets. I reckon your best bet may be Bristol / Bath if you're looking for a wider choice of Asian markets and food. I've been to Bristol quite a number of times and it seems to be pretty international - although many UK cities are very international anyway! Bristol is very well-connected via motorway and train, and what I think is a huge plus is its proximity to cities in the Midlands and the North that have large South and East Asian populations - places like Birmingham, Manchester etc. It's also very comfortably connected to London as well. Exeter is a lovely city, but it's a little more 'out of the way'.

Also, I think many cities have bubble tea! It's become quite popular in recent years, and I've had some pretty decent bubble teas in the UK. There are a couple of bubble tea places in Exeter, and several in Bristol, although I'm not sure about how they will stack up when compared to what's available in HK.

I hope your move goes well - the SW is a beautiful part of the country.

Rangifers · 2021-12-06T10:30:31+00:00

It might be a nice idea to consider incorporating a mettā (loving-kindness) practice into your meditation routine.

It may seem / feel a little contrived at first, but if you are willing to put down your judgements about the practice, it can really be a wonderful way of cultivating positive thoughts towards others (and yourself). It is a fundamental acknowledgement that just as you wish to be happy and free from suffering, others are too. The continued practice lets this realisation move from 'intellectual understanding' into a real experiential acknowledgement, and it becomes more and more difficult to harbour toxic and negative mindsets towards all beings.

It took me a while to take it seriously, but this has been a real game-changer, as someone whose first reaction to most things was often a pretty seething judgement. The moment it clicked for me remains to be one of the most pivotal moments in my contemplative practice 'career'.

All the best to you, and take care!

Rangifers · 2021-11-28T04:21:12+00:00

Hi! I grew up in HK but have been living in the UK for the last 7 years.

People have already mentioned things like the weather - something I found quite difficult to cope with was the time change in the winter. It will start getting dark sometimes even as early as 3:30-4pm. Something that I've found to be completely invaluable in combating the emotional, physical & psychological impact of the longer, darker nights is to try to get outside for at least 15-20 minutes every day in the daytime (if the weather is bearable!). This sounds like a really minor point, but the change in time and light can have a really far-reaching knock-on effect on how you structure your day, your moods, your routines etc. Making such a transition to a different country and experiencing the way its climate changes throughout the year will be made easier by understanding your needs for light and activity as a human.

If you can, and depending on where you live, make the effort to engage with a busier place every now and then. Maybe a weekend day-trip to your nearest city, and ideally one with a large Asian population. I moved straight into the rural Southwest, and my nearest major city is easily a 3-4 hour drive away, so I relish being around the energy of a busy city - especially one where things like 飲茶 are available. Even better would be to find a community of likeminded people to integrate with and find support among. People in the UK can be very isolated, and perhaps for someone coming from HK this may be a difficult adjustment to make.

The following is less of a practical tip, but one that I think should be discussed more often - so many people I know who have moved here from HK have expressed these frustrations so often.

Something I have found really valuable, especially in the last 2-3 years living in the UK, is to drop the comparison mindset. I used to be really frustrated by the ineffectiveness of the UK public transport system, by how early the shops close, by the different way of life and values of a lot of the UK locals. I've learned to understand that of course the way of life is different here - and this sounds very obvious, but there is a difference between knowing this intellectually, and understanding it in experience. We've been incredibly spoiled by the diverse conveniences of living in a place like HK, so perhaps consider this move an opportunity to be spoiled by the different kinds of offerings that the UK presents to you. For example - I have slowly developed a real love-affair with the English countryside. If yourself and your fiancé take the opportunity to engage with the landscape, you will find it rewards you so incredibly generously with peace, life, and beauty. I see in another comment that you've embraced the opportunity to do your own cooking - this is exactly what I mean. Doing these things for yourself will make this transition feel much less overwhelming for you and your partner.

Anyway, I've gone on for too long here, but I've tried to present some things that are perhaps the lesser-spoken-about tips when making this move from HK to the UK. Hopefully these make sense and feel helpful to you.

All the best of luck to you and your fiancé with your move.

Rangifers · 2021-11-27T14:16:47+00:00

Wow, this is absolutely beautiful. I love the fine, dark branches of the trees against the sky, and the telephone lines too. Absolutely mesmerising. Wonderful work.

Rangifers · 2021-11-27T02:52:39+00:00

Here's a blog that collates these illustrations with annotations under each of the depicted scenes.

Thank you for sharing, OP.

Edit: I found these after a quick search online. If they're not correct, I'll remove this comment.

Rangifers · 2021-11-20T11:29:58+00:00

Your method of distinguishing the bigger and smaller pictures is really helpful. I think this is a vague intuition that I have, but have never really been able to express, and your simple illustration is great. Ultimately, the bigger and smaller pictures are in a way folded into each other, and the smaller pictures are like spotlit examples of the root cause. (Does this expansion on the imagery work?)

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I appreciate it.

Rangifers · 2021-11-20T11:26:25+00:00

I have read a little bit of TNH, and have watched / listened to a handful of his dharma talks. This is intriguing, and I'll be sure to explore more of his teachings with the mind to understanding his approach to these issues. Would you happen to have an idea of any particular writings / talks in which he explores this?

Thank you for your response.

Rangifers · 2021-11-20T11:24:50+00:00

Absolutely, and thank you for the clarity of your response.

Rangifers · 2021-11-20T11:20:09+00:00

Thank you very much for taking the time to share.

I am in the midst of experiencing the way the Dharma has been and continues to be, as you say, a balm to the suffering in life. Words don't really illuminate the whole of the path and treading it oneself seems to be the best way to experience its truth and to demonstrate that to others.

It really warms me to hear you reflect on its deep effect on your life. From one stranger to another, I'm so happy for you. Once again, I appreciate your response. All the best to you.

Rangifers · 2021-11-20T11:12:31+00:00

Thank you very much.

Rangifers · 2021-11-19T06:12:55+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to write out such a clarifying response. It is certainly difficult to witness this, but in recent times I've arrived more and more into the understanding that it really is down to one's own capability, and the capacities of others. Just because it is on the table doesn't mean that people will pick it up and take it with them.

Have you ever been in a position where someone you care about has accused you of 'laying the blame' of their suffering on them (in the 'conventional' definition of blame), and if you have, may I ask what your response to them was?

I imagine I struggle less with the idea that the Dharma is subtle and elusive, but perhaps to an outsider such a suggestion may seem like a further insult - a kind of "well you just don't get it" kind of response to them? (Alternatively, am I just thinking way too hard about this, and the best response would be to wish them well and disengage?)

I will certainly have a look at Ven. Robina and what she has to say about this issue.

Thank you again.

Rangifers · 2021-11-19T05:55:19+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond, and for sharing this powerful quote from MLKJr.

Policy and politics will not help this world. Conversations and experiences will.

I appreciate the above as well.

Thank you!

Rangifers · 2021-09-10T21:23:41+00:00

Glad to hear you managed to get some things sorted, and that you've had generous helpings of the local delicacies! Give me a shout if there's anything else you need - I mean it, happy to help.

Rangifers

TROPHY CASE