How mindfulness has helped me

After having a very successful career in Private and Public industry, as a Director/ Executive, including an MBA, I had an emotional breakdown. It was while being treated for stress and anxiety that I was introduced to Mindfulness.

Initially I was sceptical as when I looked into mindfulness it seemed to claim too many benefits - but it acually works.

Mindfulness is an integrative, mind-body based training that has helped me to change the way I think and feel about experiences, especially stressful experiences.

By paying attention to my thoughts and how they were affecting me I realised that I was catastrophising about the future and dwelling on the past. This realisation enabled me to start living in the present. Once I developed the ability to turn towards my thoughts and emotions, I could see that most of them were generated by my critical inner voice. The act of just noticing them took the power away from them.

After practising mindfulness and incorporating it into my daily activities - for example having a hot drink - I noticed that the tension I carried in my neck and shoulders had reduced. I was also able to concentrate better, even managed on occasions to focus on just one thing.

It took me a while to understand this and to be honest I found it difficult to stop my mind wondering; it would jump from one thought to another sometimes feeling like it was out of control. No wonder I was stressed!

After finally accepting (it took a few years!) that my health would not allow me to work under the level of stress I had previously, I decided to train as a mindfulness teacher and set up Mindfully Aware ltd.

My drive is still there but now I manage it! Well try to!

If I had known about mindfulness earlier or one of my employers had built it into my leadership training I probably would not have struggled with stress so much. However, living in the present moment I am experiencing things for the first time and having fun.

Don't judge; have a go and see for yourself