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Mindfulness Blog:
Practical Advice for a Happier Life
Welcome to our blog. It's a place for Catherine to share how mindfulness helps in her everyday life in Surrey, particularly in challenging times. She also offers mindfulness tips for quick ways to stay calm and be happier, with suggestions and meditations for children, teens and parents. These meditation tips can help with common challenges of life, such as relationships, intrusive thoughts, over eating and insomnia.
By leaning towards the unpleasant, we can find a sense of peace while we watch the difficulties swirling around. Sometimes the eye of the storm is the calmest place to be. Whatever we might feel about it, this moment is the only one where we are fully alive, where 'this is it'. The past has gone and the future has not yet arrived. Can we be mindful with whatever occurs? So we don't miss our lives.
To quote Jon Kabat-Zinn...
'The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.'
By giving attention to the countless little moments, it's easier to feel more gratitude. for what we have, and the ordinary can be glorious.
We're always interested to hear people's reactions to the blog posts, and do let us know if there is anything topics you'd like us to explore.
Mindfulness Blog Contents
1. Sleep
2. Mindful eating
3. Facing Difficulties
4. Over-thinking
5. Relaxation
6. How to be happy
7. Being kind to ourselves
8. Mindfulness in the workplace
9. Parents and children
10. What is mindfulness?
1. SLEEP
Mindfulness for a restful sleep - meditations and tips to help you sleep well.
Tips for sleep - Harvard research comparing meditation with lifestyle changes
Coping with insomnia - mindfulness techniques to help you sleep
2. MINDFUL EATING
Mindful Eating support group - develop new habits to eat well, nurturing body and mind.
Over Eating and Binge Eating Disorder - self-compassion for unhelpful habits.
Raisin meditation - mindful eating to understand mindfulness, and help with over eating.
3. FACING DIFFICULTIES
Facing difficult emotions - using kindness to cope with guilt, anxiety and shame
Coping with World News - how to stay grounded in the face of bad news
When Mother's Day is difficult - coping strategies to cope with days you find hard
Feeling emotional - How to cope with anxiety, depression, anger and stress.
Staying calm in a pandemic - this is what we practise mindfulness for.
Embracing fear - from the middle of a cloud! How to manage intrusive thoughts.
Dealing with fear - meditation tips to reduce stress and stay calm.
'The Guest House' - emotional intelligence from 900 years ago, with Rumi's classic poem.
Trauma - using mindfulness to help recover from trauma
4. OVER THINKING
Intrusive thoughts? Mindful listening: awareness of sounds to help feel grounded.
Mindful breathing to help with over thinking when you first wake up.
5. RELAXATION
15 minutes to improve wellbeing - making the most of free time
Mindfulness tips for busy days - how to relax even when you're too busy to stop.
How to relax even when we're busy - mindfulness tips for when we have little time.
How to relax and enjoy yourself on special occasions.
Mindfulness tips, letting go - quick tips for festive events.
Being mindful - even with 'just' a glass of water.
Mindful listening to music - to help us relax, let go and rest in the present moment.
6. HOW TO BE HAPPY
Be happier with the GLAD meditation - noticing the positives, appreciating the present
Enjoy yourself with routine activities and mindful eating.
'This is It!' - What are you waiting for? Feeling satisfied with the present.
MBSR and a calmer, happier life - How Catherine came to mindful meditation.
Roll on Friday - living for the future, missing our lives - mindfulness to remind us 'This is it!'
Letting go of needing things to be perfect. Allowing things to be as they are, as best we can.
Gratitude mindfulness symbol - looking for a meditation logo for Mindful Surrey.
7. BEING KIND TO OURSELVES
Learning Self-Compassion - developing our ability to be kind and forgiving to ourselves
Self compassion and treating yourself well, especially for singles.
8. MINDFULNESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Impact of mindfulness on workplace productivity - explore how mindfulness can help businesses and employees thrive.
How mindfulness can help with time-management - tips for using mindfulness at work and in your daily life to enhance productivity and help you stay calm
9. PARENTS & CHILDREN
Meditation ideas for children and teens - helping them be happier and calmer.
Mindfulness tips for parents - how to relax, reduce stress and enjoy yourself more.
Mindful breathing, meditation with children - over 100 years ago with my grandmother.
Meditations for kids - fun activities to help stressed children with anxiety and sleep.
KS2 Mindfulness - activities for 3-10 year olds, like glitter jars - family fun!
10. WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
'Why Mindfulness Matters' - Spotify podcast where Catherine discusses her approach to mindfulness
Mindfulness and Therapy - exploring how the two can be used together to boost wellbeing
