28 Sep Developed more resilience - Megan D’Arcy, Mindfulness Hero

“I am more able to take certain things in my stride and have developed a little more resilience than I had before”, says Megan, our mindfulness hero of the month. After a complete emotional meltdown few years back, she took up meditation for better stress management and she is already experiencing a difference. We got in touch with her to know more about her journey and she was very kind to share her thoughts with us.

1. Why did you start meditating?

About two years ago, I had a complete emotional meltdown which came with terrible chest pains.  Thinking back now, I cannot even remember what had tipped me over the edge on that particular day, but after many years of uncontrolled stress it was most likely something small and inconsequential.  Once I had calmed down I knew I had to so something before I had a heart attack, so I began to research stress management techniques.  A lot of sources cited meditation as being an extremely effective way to handle these issues and so I downloaded several different apps which offered courses.  Aware was the one I connected with most and I have been using it ever since.

2. How has meditation helped you in becoming a better person?

I am more able to take certain things in my stride and have developed a little more resilience than I had before.  I still have days where stress causes physical reactions (such as getting angry or having tearful moments), but they do not happen as frequently as they used to - and when they do I seem to bounce back a lot quicker than before.

It has also had the “side effect” of making me more aware of things outside of myself.  We live in a world where a lot of people seem to be extremely self-absorbed.  Meditation has helped me detach from myself and be more kind and loving to the people and environment around me.

3. What made you stick to Aware?

A couple of people have commented that they have noticed a difference in me and the benefits I have seen within myself can be directly linked to the courses I have done with Aware.  I did initially try several meditation apps, but I found Aware to be the best option for me.  I always feel better after a session and so I have made it part of my daily routine.

4. What has been your life-hack to make meditation a habit? Share some tips for beginners.

Although I have been doing it for a while, I still have days where I sit making to-do lists for 20 minutes instead of concentrating!  Don’t be too hard on yourself when this happens.  Meditation is hard and takes a lot of practice.  Consistency is key, so make it a regular habit - it’s better to do 5 minutes a day than 60 minutes once a week.  If you have a bad session (or react in a way outside of your session that you are trying to avoid), accept it and know that tomorrow will be better!