Start Living (outside your head)
Toolkit for life
• Pick up/put down
stress
• Present moment
• Meditation
• The Being Mode
• Acceptance
• Compassion
• Beginner’s Mind
About me, Mind and the little things
• York Mind
• A journey into mental
well-being.
What is mental health?
• Have a chat to the person next to you –
what is mental health?
Mental Health is ...
‘... The emotional and spiritual resilience
which allows us to enjoy life and survive
pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a
positive sense of well-being and an
underlying belief in our own, and others,
dignity and worth’
Mental health – a sliding scale
• Everyone moves up
and down from day to
day
• It is transitory – like
physical health.
Some facts and figures
• 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental health
issue each year.
• 10% of under-18s have a mental health
problem.
• By 2030 MH is the norm – forget 1 in 4 its 4:4
• Only one in ten prisoners do not have a mental
health disorder. Why is it like this?
1 in 4 - Imagine for a moment…
Walking down the
street and one in four
people you meet
had…..
A broken leg
Stress is there for a reason
Fight or flight
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Blood leaves non-essential areas
Your vision narrows
Heart rate and blood pressure increases
Muscles tense
We sweat more
Hearing becomes acute.
Focus is almost exclusively on the ‘threat’
Takes 20-60 minutes to return to normal
So this leads to two conclusions
The thing which is supposed to
keep us safe….
• ……….is now killing
us.
• And even worse….
Our pets are happier than we
are!
So let us look at your stress
What stresses you?
• And also what relaxes
you?
• Have a chat in pairs
and then we will see
what we have.
So what have we come up with?
• See any patterns?
• Where is our stress
really coming from?
• What are our minds
doing when relaxed?
So the idea….
• Is to be in the state of
mind when you are
relaxed more often.
• And not create or
prolong the stressed
state.
So what can we do about stress?
First things first – if you recall just
one thing from today….
So what is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is • Living in the Moment
• Meditation (formal mindfulness)
• Recognising we have a choice about how
we think.
• The three work together.
The only moment you have.
Are you really here?
• We spend 47% of our
lives not present.
• 70% of our thoughts
are negative.
• Are you present? If
not – why not?
That holiday moment
How do we feel now?
• Anyone feel in
immediate danger?
• If not, then how about
adopting the thought
that right now –
• In this moment –
everything is okay.
Maybe do more often
Especially when….
• We stop worrying or
planning into the
future.
• Cogitating on the
past.
• And instead……
Live in the present moment
Key points
• Mental health facts and stress.
• What is Mindfulness?
• The present moment
• Most moments are okay.
Meditation
Meditation – the facts
• Meditation can change the physiological
composition of the brain – like juggling!
• Neuroscientists are agreed that the
neuroplasticity of the brain changes after
even quite short periods of meditation.
• Neuroscientist Sara Lazar – You Tube.
It is not stopping thoughts
• Lets do a little
experiment on you.
So let us do one.
How was it for you?
• Did you notice
thoughts come and
go?
• Did you feel tempted
to solve or follow
them?
• How was it generally?
• Which bit did you like
the best?
Meditation Also
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Stops you over-thinking.
Trains you to be aware
Brings calmness and clarity
Aids acceptance – and transience
See thoughts as mental events not facts
Resilience – take knocks better.
Every minute meditating counts! 
Also
• Trains you to notice – Live in the moment.
• I now remember things (unlike Oct hols)!
• To step back from the clutter and see
things more clearly.
• Decreases anxiety and can lower blood
pressure.
• Enhances focus on things you enjoy.
The Being Mode
• Looking outwards.
• Living through our
senses.
• Living in the way we
were designed for.
• There are three
distinct advantages:
1 - An Escape Pod
• Distance from the hot
thought.
• To disentangle from
the mind’s constant
chatter and
judgement.
• A place to go in times
of sadness, anger etc.
One of you yawns
Tesco Queue Exercise
• How do you feel in
the Tesco queue?
• Are you cross?
• What annoys you?
• Feel the frustration.
2 – To be there for the good things
• We are not present for 47% of our lives.
• We get in ruts of habitual behaviour.
• As we have seen its about enjoying life.
• Taking the children to the beach
• Those Kettle chips!
Mindful Eating
This is about just being present
• Do it when you swim.
• Chatter with your
children –
grandchildren
• With tonight’s glass of
red.
• Even at the football
match.
Even Dishwasher Stacking
• See life as it is – not
how you’d like it to be.
Beginner’s Mind
• In the mind of an
expert – nothing is
new.
• Try this when you
get home.
Acceptance
Examples
90 second rule
A cash point and £50
Someone arrives late
A certain library
manager
Social Phobia Example
• Releasing the
pressure.
What is crucial here
• Is that you are not reliant on external
factors for your happiness.
• It does not have to be sunny.
• Your team does not have to win.
• Or you get that promotion.
• You can look at your life from a new angle
and change your perspective.
• You are okay as you are now.
Piece of paper demonstration
Ups and downs
• When life is going
well – enjoy it.
• Without the stress of
trying to make it
permanent.
• When life is not good
– recognise that this
will not last forever.
A word on - Compassion
Compassion to ourselves
• Be your best friend.
• Nourish when you need it.
• Do not judge your emotions, thoughts as being
wrong.
• Be wary of ‘should’.
• Be mindful that we tend to push ourselves
• Serotonin and acts of kindness.
Toolkit for life
• Pick up/put down
stress
• Present moment
• Meditation
• The Being Mode
• Acceptance
• Compassion
• Beginner’s Mind
So your homework tonight
• Do nothing.
• Eat mindfully.
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And for the week –
Present moment walk – being mode.
Practise acceptance (90 secs)
Practise self-compassion
Choice!
• You have a choice
about how you think.
• Step back and see
that.
• And life gets a whole
lot easier.
Have that holiday moment …
Here. – Thank you for listening