Mindfulness Skills Training for Stressful Lives
When you're feeling stressed out, worn down or depleted by life's demands, mindfulness is undoubtedly a powerful tool in helping you move forward well.
Countless studies highlight its benefits, with research suggesting that (amongst many other things) it can:
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Safeguard your mental health - combating depression and anxiety and helping you thrive.
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Strengthen your resilience - leaving you better equipped to navigate whatever life throws your way.
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Boost your cognitive skills and creativity - allowing you to find new, more powerful ways of tackling stressors.
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Reduce negative or self-critical thinking - increasing your belief in yourself and your ability to cope in any situation.
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Combat the damaging effects of chronic stress - which has important implications for your longer-term health and wellbeing.
However, mindfulness can often seem too difficult or time-consuming in our already overstretched and over-busy lives. Therefore Cothan's mission is to help you find simple but effective mindfulness exercises that work for you - enabling you to find space, calm and clarity, regardless of how frazzled your life is.
So how does mindfulness work?
While it may seem complicated, mindfulness simply helps us slow down and focus on the here and now. This helps alleviate stress and anxiety - drawing our thoughts away from past or future concerns and restoring calm in our often overwhelmed minds.
Additionally, mindfulness gives us space to step back from our stressors and see them from a wiser, more objective viewpoint. This not only helps us respond to them in ways that serve us better but also enables us to find different, more effective means of tackling them.
Not sure whether mindfulness is right for you?
Mindfulness takes little time - whilst mindfulness needs regular practice, this does not mean you need to spend hours sitting in silent contemplation (although you can do if you want to). Mindfulness can be weaved easily into daily activities, such as walking, eating or even cleaning your teeth - enabling you to find calm in whatever you're doing. And research suggests that regularly practising mindfulness helps you be more efficient and productive - so you may even find yourself with moments to spare.
Mindfulness is not a new age fad – although it may be a current buzzword, countless studies highlight the benefits of mindfulness for wellbeing and stress management (amongst many other things). It is even currently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for mild or moderate depression, with some studies suggesting that it may be more effective than medication.
Mindfulness is not a religion – although it has its roots in Buddhism, at its simplest, it is a form of mental training that prompts you to focus on the present and observe your thoughts, emotions and experiences without judgement or criticism so that you can respond rather than react to them. As such, it is universally accessible to everyone regardless of spiritual belief or lack of such.
Mindfulness is not complicated - although it requires persistence and commitment (and can be frustrating at times), it is simple to practice, particularly as you become more experienced. It also requires no special equipment and can be practised anywhere - so once you've learned the basics, it won't cost you anything either.
Mindfulness is not self-indulgent – taking time to be mindful helps you replenish your coping resources. This not only leaves you better equipped to deal with life's challenges, but it also gives you more space for others - with research suggesting that being more mindful actually strengthens personal relationships and social connections.
What can you expect from mindfulness skills training?
While it may seem daunting, mindfulness skills training will simply help you find easy, effective ways of integrating mindfulness into your daily life - so it works alongside your existing commitments to help you thrive.
First, we start by looking at what's currently going on in your life, so we can understand the challenges and identify how these can best be addressed through mindfulness skills training.
We then develop a plan of action - building a toolkit of exercises that are tailored specifically to your needs based on:
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The amount of time you have available or want to commit.
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What you want to gain from mindfulness skills training.
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Your current knowledge or experience of mindfulness or meditation.
You will be guided through these exercises within our sessions - and you will also be given a copy of them (in either written or recorded format) to help you find space and calm in your own time.
Ready to find out more?
Why choose Cothan Wellbeing?
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Hello, my name is Kerry Scott-Gillett...
I am a qualified mindfulness teacher (British Psychological Society approved training course) and coaching practitioner and I also have a first class honours degree in Social Psychology.
I have worked with young people and adults since 2017 and am currently a wellbeing practitioner for Project5 - a not-for-profit organisation supporting the wellbeing and resilience of NHS staff in these challenging times (you can read what other lovely people say about me here).
I have also successfully overcome significant challenges in my life and know from first-hand experience how valuable mindfulness can be in helping us move forward well when things are tough. However, I also know how challenging it can be to fit mindfulness practices into our already overstretched lives. Therefore - taking into account your circumstances, available time and existing mindfulness knowledge - I will work with you to find simple but effective mindfulness practices that you can weave easily into your life to help you thrive in challenging times.
You can find out more about me here.
When you choose Cothan Wellbeing, you are also making a positive difference - by helping to fund free mentoring sessions for young people who have either been in care or experienced other life challenges. So not only do you benefit, but you'll be supporting someone else's future too!
The practicalities...
Sessions for mindfulness skills training are either held:
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In person at the Beacon Clinic - ideally situated if you live in Malvern, Worcester, Ledbury, Upton-upon-Severn, Tewkesbury or any areas in between.
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Or securely online via Zoom - to give you maximum flexibility and choice.
Our fees are currently £65 for a 1-hour session with a 10% discount if you book and pay in advance for a block of 6 sessions.
Discounted rates are also available (for online sessions only) if you are:
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aged between 18 and 24 and not in full-time employment
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a student not in full-time employment.
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receiving certain benefits such as universal credit.
Ready to find out more?
For more information about how mindfulness skills training can support you, or to book a free introductory session, simply call 01684 325125, or fill in the form below:
"Fantastic - would highly recommend."
Palliative Care Nurse, North East