Testimonial: "I began to see the potential of using mindfulness and meditation in my own life." Parent

Staying sane when life is crazy

19 June 2019

As a parent of two young men with disability, there have been times when I’ve felt completely overwhelmed with worries. The present moment may be manageable but my mind spins into the future where awful things happen.

While I had often heard about mindfulness, I had written it off as weird ‘hippy stuff’ and impossible for a mum like myself who was living a stressful and unpredictable life.

But a few years ago, when my son was in the Emergency Department (yet again), I was watching the doctors walking from patient to patient, talking calmly with staff and parents. And it got me thinking about how doctors learn to cope.

A friend introduced me to the mindfulness training that medical students at Monash University were doing. I thought that if it worked for stressed-out medical students, perhaps it could work for me.

I began to see the potential of using mindfulness and meditation in my own life. It’s been a work in progress (and no, I don’t get up at 5am in the morning, light incense, sit cross-legged and go ‘Om’).

But I do make an effort to go walking more often, sit on a bench, breathe and find some inner stillness. It makes me feel amazingly refreshed and more positive about the day ahead.

My exploration of mindfulness has brought with it many benefits, including the ability to better identify my own needs and to treat myself with compassion. This self-compassion has encouraged me to take better care of myself.

Parent