Mind full

The stresses of Mirinda’s job means that she tends to have a head full of noisy voices, calling for her attention at very unsociable times. She often lies in bed, not able to sleep because of unresolved work problems yet dead tired at the same time. After a couple of nights like this, she will then sleep like a log. Not because the problems have gone but because her brain just needs to shut down.

She has tried lots of things to combat this almost constant assault but it’s proven very difficult. An over active, intelligent brain is not quietened easily, it seems.

A few weeks ago, Mirinda saw a Mindfulness Workshop advertised at the Farnham Maltings. We’ve read a lot about the Mindfulness thing and she thought she might give it a go. After all, what’s three hours on a Saturday afternoon when compared with the countless sleepless nights?

I’m generally pretty sceptical when it comes to this sort of thing. Though, to be fair, I do have an uncanny knack for just turning my mind off and going to sleep. I live in the moment and rarely worry about things I can’t change. Mirinda can be sceptical too but she decided to give this one a go.

So, at 1:30, she headed off for a session of brain easing.

It was a class of six women. Half of them had work problems rattling around in their heads while the other three were housewives. It’s odd to think of Surrey housewives consumed with stress and noisy brains. But then, the things that worry us are always our own. We can look at other people, worried about the dust on the piano lid and wonder why it’s such a problem. But it is. To them.

Like an AA meeting, the six women spoke of their worries and concerns, the things that were keeping them awake and stressed, sharing a common problem. I think this could be half of the solution, this sharing. Think about lying awake, in the dark, with no-one to talk to who understands.

Anyway, the resultant change when Mirinda returned home, was amazing. I’m not talking miracle cure but she was more relaxed and somehow brighter. The long term benefits remain to be seen. My fingers are crossed.

In the meanwhilst, I was busy making my fruit mince for my Christmas pies. The house soon smelled very festive. As Delia says, once you’ve tried home made mincemeat, there’s no going back to shop bought.