This week we hear about what Harry O'Brien has been doing in his spare time.
Saturday - 10:40pm
After the match we did all of our recovery and then I went home where I watched some funny YouTube videos to help put me in a good mood. Afro Ninja was my favourite.
Sunday
We went back into the club to do our recovery, and after that I headed out to my favourite café called Babble on Babylon. It’s at 85 Brighton Road Elwood and has a Caribbean and Jamaican influence. I had some Jamaican scrambled eggs. The difference between them and normal scrambled eggs is the herb they put in it which makes it taste amazing. I’m also in training to be a barista at the café, so I got to serve a few people coffees. I just want to learn how to make the perfect coffee. I’ve made what was probably the second best coffee I’ve ever tasted, so if you come along, you never know your luck! That evening we all attended the Waislitz function which as a good night that helped lift our spirits as we watched some great performances from all the different acts on the night.
Harry O'Brien works to perfect his skills as a barista.
Monday
I start every morning with meditation, as well as doing it in the afternoon or just before dinner. To meditate is not to be all spiritual. It decreases the cortisol (a stress hormone) levels in your body, and it’s a physiological intervention that I use to release stress and to help overcome adversity. It means I feel better mentally and more at peace, which is something a lot of people need. I discovered it out of the adversities and tragedies in my life, and it’s better to be proactive about mental health; it really saved me from having a downward spiral. It’s like having a shower. It cleanses my mind. There’s a group of us at the club who meditate and we all find it very beneficial.
We had training at the club where we did our reviews, which were really positive. There’s lots to work on and Bucks was really upbeat towards the week ahead. I got home and went to the beach and then did yoga in the evening. I’ve done yoga for the past two or three years. It doesn’t matter how flexible you are as you go at your own pace. I also find it a great challenge to try and do some of the poses. It’s similar to meditation in terms of movement and keeping composure when putting your body under some form of stress. At home, I didn’t watch any TV. I don’t really watch much at all. I prefer to be proactive with filling my mind with information that will assist me on life’s path. I like to listen to music, which at the moment is a mixture between Bob Marley, Kanye West, Jay Z, Nas and Paul Simon’s Graceland.
Tuesday
I met a mate at Price Waterhouse Coopers who works in the corporate world, it’s something I don’t see myself doing, but each to their own. I caught up with him for a chat, and then had training before I went to another meeting for an amazing project that I’m involved in called Smiling Mind. It helps teach young school kids about mindful meditation which is simply an intervention on how to be proactive with your mental state.
For dinner, I made myself a very nice vegetarian meal. It was a recipe that I took from Trinidad and Tobago when I was travelling there. I used some coconut milk, lots of vegetables, potatoes and the like. I’ve been cooking since I was 11-years-old. Mum always encouraged me to do it and I like trying to find recipes from all around the world. Food is one of the universal languages like sport and music that, wherever you go around the world, act as a way to transcend language barriers and bring people together. I had an early night after doing my afternoon meditation and a bit of reading. I’m not reading anything in particular at the moment, just more so some online reading about different things. I try to get news from alternative sources other than the mainstream media. I really like The Guardian as a newspaper, it’s very good, and I also find the Huffington Post useful for world news.
Wednesday
After some morning meditation, we had our training session. It was a big session and the boys were upbeat and very intense. Being our main session, I was a little bit more tired than usual so when I went home, I made sure I continued writing my book. Hopefully it’s not far away from being completed. I made sure I had an early night. Getting in a good sleeping routine is really important. When you’re well rested and sleeping well, it increases your reaction time and general well-being, which is what you need for footy. One of the hardest things to do, or one of my greatest challenges as I love to stay up, is to stop and turn off the TV or anything electronic like Facebook and not get sucked in. It takes a lot of discipline, and getting an early night is great. If you stay up that bit extra then it carries over to the next day, meaning you might have a bad day, and it keeps going in a cycle. There’s nothing better than a great sleep. I try to turn off all electronic things by 9:30pm and to be in bed by 10:30pm.
Thursday
It was our day off, and it’s normally my busiest day. I did a school visit with UNICEF where we head out and speak to young people about children’s rights and about how other kids around the world live. I’ve got a lot of faith in this next generation to take the world where it needs to go. We need to start introducing kids to the idea of expanding their awareness. Good awareness facilitates empathy which renders ignorance impossible. The kids are very receptive to it, and it’s great to see some kids - some don’t even know about what a third world country is - think about something they aren’t being shown. The media has a huge responsibility due to its power in society to raise this awareness that eventually develops into action. There needs to be a desire to act.
I want to be proactive to do what I can. Every time I go to speak with a school, there might be 30 kids and one of those might be the one who changes the world forever. We all develop at a different age but it’s about planting the seed. When I introduce myself, I say that everyone knows me because I play in the AFL, but it’s only one facet of my life and it doesn’t define me as a human being. Ditto any job. What you are is far greater than a label because once you label something you limit it. I finished the day off with some writing and some yoga before bed.
Friday
Today, we travel to Perth for the match against the West Coast Eagles tomorrow. I try and stay as relaxed as I can, listening to a lot of music on the plane and rooming by myself. I love getting away with my teammates because it’s just a fun time. My theory is that when you have a group of people with the same intentions and take them out of the bubble they live in and force them to be in the same situation, all of those intentions and purposes interconnect and you feel more connected to the players. That’s my take on it, and we all enjoy getting away together. I’m also planning to catch up with Jimmy Clement who gave me the No. 8 jumper. I feel like I’m upholding his legacy. He taught me so much about defence, and I love catching up with Jimmy.
