A large number of people find that even without a major event happening in life, day to life can be extremely stressful.
Whether it's because we are living up to the demands and expectations of others, or because of the demands and expectations we put on ourselves, we might find it particularly difficult to cope with family and friends alongside the demands made of us in the work place.
When we are in a stressful situation it seems ridiculous to think that we take time out and sit and take time to be quiet. However, research has shown that if we take time to stop for a while, we can be more productive throughout the day and achieve our tasks with a greater level of satisfaction and success. Being in touch with self enables us to maintain or even regain control over what is going on in our life.
When demands on our personal time and energy can be heightened, it can be useful to try some relaxation. Mindfulness is a widely recognised way of doing this. The goal of "mindfulness" is to slow down how you experience the world around you and no matter what else is happening, you maintain a balanced pace of life, recognising what it is important for you to do and not do, in order to ensure that you are in a good place to engage with family, friends and colleagues at work and at home. To read about Mindfulness you can "google" the word or even search for it on YouTube. There is a vast amount of material that will help you learn more about this way of coping.
For your convenience you will see at the side of this page various podcasts that I found useful during my training and others that I still use to help me in my practice.
The podcasts offer a variety of exercises to introduce you to "mindfulness". These exercises, that have been practised for centuries in many parts of the world, are pitched for those just learning about the way of better managing yourself, energy and time. Mindfulness has been shown to have an effect on productivity, concentration and general well-being.
These files can be downloaded and saved to your mp3/4 player and ipod. The length of the podcasts are given so that you can choose one according to the amount of time you have available. That 15 minute bus journey can become a moment of relaxation and focus.