A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled

You must be joking! I said when I heard that Ruby Wax, famous British Comedian, had written a book on Mindfulness. But she also happens to have a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University.

The reason she studied Mindfulness and wrote about it was that it has proved to be her best defense against serious bouts of depression, and helped her through.

‘Mindfulness is the only thing I know that can dig me out of despair and give me even a few seconds of time out for me.’ she writes

When she is going through a depression Wax uses medication as well. But last year some-one who is very dear and near to me courageously used mindfulness, meditation and yoga instead of medication to come through a deep depression. It brought home to me how powerful these tools can be.

Mindfulness can also be a remedy for the Frazzled) i.e. the stressed which is an affliction which many of us are prone to.
But the kind of therapy which says “Don’t just do something, sit there!” does not come easily to me. My mind is usually a whirlwind of activity and multi-tasking is my forte. Still I could see the point of if it helps you to sleep better at night and to focus more clearly on the task at hand when awake. And it’s cheaper than the gym because the equipment is all in your head.

So what is it exactly and how should one do it?

Mindfulness according to Ruby Wax is not “Becoming nothingness while sitting in your underwear,” or “Standing in the rain and grinning insanely.”

“It is noticing your thoughts and feelings without kicking your own ass while you’re doing it.”

Before starting her six weeks of Mindful exercises I found it useful to read Ruby’s lucid and learned explanation of how our brains work and how they affect our moods. It makes you realise that much of the blame for being frazzled can be laid on how this organ has evolved. And how through Mindfulness you can retrain your brain to combat negative thoughts and feel more positive and less stressed about life.

The only downside about Mindfulness as I soon realised was that it does take practice and you have to do it every day.
I knew it would not be easy. As Ruby admits “It takes gallons of will power for you to get yourself to sit and practice.”
I won’t go into all the details of her course, you can read it and do it yourself. But I am attempting them all (Although, sorry Ruby, not quite every day! Sometimes I felt I just needed a break and found it more relaxing to read a chapter of a good book, sip a glass of wine, or have a few laughs with a friend.

But I did make a cup of tea slowly, experiencing every sensation, of pouring, stirring, smelling and tasting it (this felt very Zen!). Another week for just 3 minutes each day I tuned into every thought in my mind, inviting them all in and just letting them rip, the good the bad and the ugly before focussing on my breathing.

I have also engaged in mindful movement, from head rolls to shoulder rolls, to body rolls and more.

But I drew the line at trolley pumping – mindfully pushing and pulling a shopping trolley in a crowded supermarket. This I realised would not be appreciated at all by other shoppers in a crowded supermarket aisle. (You were joking when you suggested this exercise Ruby, I sincerely hope so!)

Mindfulness, although it is proving to be a bit of a challenge for a restless soul like me is I think worth persevering with. And Ruby Wax has made a case for it in a passionate and very accessible way. Worth reading.

Title: A Mindfulness Guide for the FRAZZLED. Author: Ruby Wax Imprint: Penguin RRP $37