I was talking to a friend recently. We were discussing where we both were in life. With my wonderful ‘depression’ snapping at my heals and the revolution of what seems like 100’s past wounds come to inflict my soul, he reflected how, two marriages down, he felt as if he was living life leaving a(n) (unintentional) trail of destruction behind him.

Which reminded me of the saying; “we are all a little broken”.

And that we are also doing the best that we can. And then the discussion of; would we do things any different? Can we do anything now that might change the outcome?

We are such unperfect beings. We make decisions, take chances, make choices. Some of which work out for the best. Some leave us wondering how on earth we got to where we got and scrambling to try and put things together again, to plaster the cracks, to put salve on the wounds.

In the last three weeks - and indeed 3 years has been a lot going on around us.

Even if we are not directly involved with events, seeing the images and hearing the stories on the news and social media can feel incredibly overwhelming.

This can cause us to feel stressed, which can lead to difficulty concentrating, can affect our sleep pattern and contribute to us feeling irritable.

And. This in itself can lead us to feel more overwhelmed.

SO WHAT DO WE DO & HOW DO WE COPE WITH OVERWHELM?

AND HOW DO WE COPE WITH THE FEELINGS OF GUILT AS WE CARRY ON OUR LIVES AS NORMAL?

Do you remember the children’s storybook ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’? It is a 1989 children's picture book written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

It’s a story about a family who goes ‘searching for bears’. And along the way, they stumble across a number of obstacles.

Good mental health is also about eating well.

Some of you may have realised that your body and mind do better when it doesn’t consume certain products - such as gluten or dairy. There is some evidence that consuming gluten or dairy can be detrimental to some mental health conditions.

Many of you have asked - and it’s taken me a while to perfect these - but here is THE recipe for the ultimate breakfast pancakes. Here is THE recipe for the ultimate breakfast pancakes.

They are gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and quite simply delicious. I have them every weekend almost without fail.

Meditation is often promoted to be a cure all treatment for all sorts of issues; anxiety, depression, sleep problems, chronic pain etc etc. But there is a 'deeper' aspect to meditating which is often glossed over by the modern attitude for a quick fix. Sometimes meditating doesn't change a lot, but instead brings us deeper in touch with ourselves

I can’t tell you, how many times I say to someone - “you are okay”, “there is nothing ‘wrong’ with you”.

You body or your mind (or both) are reacting the way they are because something happened to you.

You may not know what that is. But often you have an idea. But you have pushed it away, deep down because you had too.

Don't have time to meditate?

Want to practice mindfulness but never find the space in your day?

I know. Life is busy. And even if you had regular meditation / mindfulness practice - there are times when it falls off the radar. Although there is nothing like a regular practice, sometimes ‘something’ is better than not doing it at all.

Here is the solution.

“Mini moments of Mindfulness”

Brief 10 Step Guide to help you practice Mindfulness everyday

1. Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don't multi-task. When you're pouring water, just pour water. When you're eating, just eat. When you're bathing, just bathe. Don't try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: "When walking, walk. When eating, eat."

2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.