YOUR.BEST.MEDICINE.

As you might know- I’m leaving England on Sunday for 3 months visiting Thailand, 

Cambodia, Vietnam and Bali, and at the end of this mammoth trip, I’ll be moving to 

Sydney. 

Most people I see say ‘You must be so excited!’ or ‘I’m so jealous’. Yes of course, I have wanted 

to do this trip my entire life so I’m excited, and if I wasn’t doing it, I would be jealous of 

someone who was. But when it’s actually you doing the doing, it can also be quite daunting.

Planning visas, jabs, where we’ll be staying, where we should visit isn’t always easy, but these can 

all be sorted with a little efficiency. The thought of leaving my family (some of who I may never 

see again), my friends, my job… can prove to be a bit overwhelming. Plus the thought of ‘what 

will happen?’ ‘Will I get a job?’ ‘Will I make friends?’ ‘Where will we live?’ ‘What if this happens 

and that doesn’t… never ending questions which can very easily turn into fears when you’re lying 

in bed at night.

A few months ago, I did a post about my anxiety and how Headspace helped me a lot. I got 

an overwhelming response to that post, with people telling me they often felt the same. It’s 

always great to know others are in the same boat as you.

So the good news is that a week ago, Headspace launched Version 2, which is an updated version 

of the service. Now, along with the Take 10 or Take 15 meditations (where you take 10 or 15 

minutes daily to sit down and use the app to meditate and clear your mind) there are new 

podcasts which you can download about Stress, Eating and even Commuting (can everyone 

who commutes please listen to that one!!). After all, over 80% of the nation here in the UK feel 

that the fast past of life and the number of things we have to do and have to worry about these 

days is a major cause of stress, unhappiness and illness in our society.

Many people find it hard to relax, or switch off. Because we are constantly connected- checking 

our twitter, instagram – ooh an email! – facebook, uploading a photo, thinking what to reply. 

And whilst it can be fun to be on the go all the time, it’s paramount to take time out and look at 

your mind. Practicing mindfulness- which means being fully present in every moment (and
which relates to my favourite book The Power of Now) – is how we can stop the loop of thoughts
in our minds that are really only detrimental to our health and well being.

That’s what I hope to be doing more of on my trip. In fact, it may even have been the reason for 

this trip in the first place. To get away from the stresses of everyday life, and create a new kind
of everyday life in the process. My acupuncturist last week told me ‘Meditation is your
best medicine’- and I want some of the good stuff.. Not only has Headspace helped diminish
my stresses and anxieties, it’s also helped me see the importance of taking time out. Which
is also why I’ll be launching my new project Ways of Living next week!