It’s amazing how responsibility creeps up on you. It seems like only yesterday I was day drinking before lectures at Northampton University, sleeping in until half past whenever the hell I want and spending my entire student loan on Mulberry handbags, posh bottles of wine and an apartment most people with full time jobs couldn’t afford. Truth be told it was only 2 years ago. But here I am earning a wage, paying a mortgage and cohabiting with someone who doesn’t require a separate shelf in the fridge. Nothing has ever shaken me quite like the realisation that I now have responsibilities, like if I don’t pay something be it a bill or a direct debit it actually matters. Not like at university where you knew a relative somewhere would pick up the bill, all in the name of education. I reached a point where I couldn’t sleep, and when I say couldn’t I mean it became a physical inability. My eyes would not close and stay closed, the natural lull right before you sleep never came and my mind raced and raced no matter how many sheep I counted. My heart would pound out of my chest and an over baring sense of panic would ensue, I heard panic attacks could last a few hours but these bad boys lasted days. Sometimes it felt like I was just living with the panic which might I add, is not living at all. Quite a few friends suggested I tried meditation, in fact it was rather an alarming number of them. Which memo did I miss that explained this was no longer just for hippies? After digging a little deeper I soon realised that everyone was at it, from celebrities to Supermodels even my PT was doing it. I was […]
It’s amazing how responsibility creeps up on you. It seems like only yesterday I was day drinking before lectures at Northampton University, sleeping in until half past whenever the hell I want and spending my entire student loan on Mulberry handbags, posh bottles of wine and an apartment most people with full time jobs couldn’t afford. Truth be told it was only 2 years ago. But here I am earning a wage, paying a mortgage and cohabiting with someone who doesn’t require a separate shelf in the fridge.
Nothing has ever shaken me quite like the realisation that I now have responsibilities, like if I don’t pay something be it a bill or a direct debit it actually matters. Not like at university where you knew a relative somewhere would pick up the bill, all in the name of education. I reached a point where I couldn’t sleep, and when I say couldn’t I mean it became a physical inability. My eyes would not close and stay closed, the natural lull right before you sleep never came and my mind raced and raced no matter how many sheep I counted. My heart would pound out of my chest and an over baring sense of panic would ensue, I heard panic attacks could last a few hours but these bad boys lasted days. Sometimes it felt like I was just living with the panic which might I add, is not living at all.
Quite a few friends suggested I tried meditation, in fact it was rather an alarming number of them. Which memo did I miss that explained this was no longer just for hippies? After digging a little deeper I soon realised that everyone was at it, from celebrities to Supermodels even my PT was doing it.
I was apprehensive but pushing a week without sleep I was willing to try anything. I found some great apps on the iTunes store to guide me through the process and ease me into it, my favorite being “Take a Break” and “iSleep Easy” which gives you a selection of different types of meditation, even a walking meditation (who knew?).
Meditation has so many benefits such as improved sleep and anxiety, stress and depression reduction, improved creativity and even supports weight-loss. With a list like that I was excited to give it a go so I dusted off my Yoga matt, lit my favourite Neom Candle and tuned the iPhone app in to the Bose speaker.
Twenty minutes later I was hooked and have now introduced anything as little as a 10 minute meditation into my day wherever possible. It wasn’t a quick fix for my sleep and anxiety issues but it is all part of the bigger process, learning to relax your thoughts, let go of the things that scare and worry you and bring an all over sense of peace to your life.
Sometimes your mind has a funny way of letting you know that now is the perfect time to take better care.
If you have any tips of questions let me know in a comment below!
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