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Mindfulness for the festive season
Richard Symon, Trainee Clinical Psychologist at Salomons Institute and former psychology graduate volunteer at Sussex Mindfulness Centre, shares some tips to enjoy the festive season with mindfulness. As we move through December, our thoughts tend to focus on the festive season, whatever that means to you. For many of us, the hope is to bring together family and friends and to connect with others. It’s easy for this time of the year to become one of heightened stress, rather than nourishing and recharging experiences that taking time out from the routine or spending times with loved ones could be. Presents…
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Being thankful for small things in life
Robert Marx, Co-Lead for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre shares his experience of holding on to Thanksgiving traditions he learned as a child, and the benefits of being thankful for the small things in life. This week is Thanksgiving. When I lived in the United States, this was my favourite festival: a meal with family and friends like at Christmas, but without all the stress of buying presents. During the meal, everyone would say something that they were grateful for, echoing the early Pilgrims who gave thanks for the harvest and for what the year had brought. I liked this tradition…
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Struggling to make meditation a habit? Here’s what helped me.
Sussex Mindfulness Centre volunteer, Hannah Andrews, shares her experience of attending a retreat in Plum Village, and describes the impact it’s had for her. Not long ago I was a total mindfulness novice. I was aware of its benefits: reduced stress, improved sleep, reduced anxiety etc. There are no side-effects, and it’s free! It seemed a no brainer. I downloaded various apps and promised myself to meditate daily, but it never seemed to stick. I couldn’t get past meditating three days in a row before life would get in the way. I was well aware that I would need to…
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Reasons to pause for thought at Mindful Culture conference
The theme of our conference this year was ‘mindful culture’. With all the many challenges and pressures facing our society and the organisations we work for the topic couldn’t have been more prescient. Speakers and participants posed and answered central questions during key note talks and workshops: What is mindful culture? How can a more mindful culture help improve access to improved mental health and flourishing for all? What is the impact of the wider environment such as social media, the polarisation of debate, the cost-of-living crisis, climate change and the increasing pressures facing children and young people? What are…
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When times get hard – effective leaders practice compassion
Compassion is not a virtue – it is a commitment. It’s not something we have or don’t have – it’s something we choose to practice. There is no escaping the NHS crisis narrative at the moment. It includes a cocktail of the enduring legacy of Covid, high levels of stress and burnout for staff resulting in people leaving the NHS, alongside pay disputes and industrial action. The cost of living crisis is also taking its toll, increasing demand on social care and the third sector and putting more pressure on already overstretched services and capacity. These are complex issues with…
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Spread your tail – Learn to teach mindfulness
Whether you’re interested in running an eight-week mindfulness course for the general population or want to bring mindfulness into your current work with your clients, the Sussex Mindfulness Centre has a teacher training course for you. Applications are now open for courses starting in February 2023. Find out more We’ll be having an online session at 6.30pm on Thursday, 10 November 2022 so you can find out more about the course and can ask any questions. Or you can arrange a call with the course convenor. Register your interest by emailing smc@spft.nhs.uk One of the leading centres You can…