I am a Grief and Bereavement counsellor (BACP accredited). I work in a hospice and use Headspace as a means of looking after myself. I started with Take10. It helped me to leave the voices and feelings of that day’s clients behind and return to myself. Initially I fell asleep a lot, until I learned to sit up while meditating and light a candle. Now I open my eyes to look at the flame for a moment or so if I feel myself drifting off.

After unlocking the whole of the Headspace Journey I have completed packs on Relationships, Sleep and Creativity. I found the pack on Acceptance particularly helpful in my work. A fundamental counseling principle is to always seek to offer acceptance to one’s clients. Headspace on Acceptance helped me to really focus on and feel acceptance toward myself and has increased my emotional capacity to offer the same to clients.

163 sessions and 47 hours of meditation to date is something I am proud of. I notice changes in the way I think and feel about life. I experience emotions just as powerfully as ever. People have asked if the capacity to stand back and be mindful of internal processes means a dilution in emotional intensity. This is not so for me. An increased capacity to stand back means that I can experience joy and with a little distance from it I can notice I am experiencing it at the time. Joy increases! Conversely, more difficult emotions become easier to bear and less overwhelming.
I have recommended Headspace to a wide range of clients. Some people are ill and facing death, others are grieving over the loss of someone significant. Clients have reported back on how difficult it is to be with themselves at such times of distress and how Headspace can make that a little more bearable. People with caring responsibilities often find it really tough to switch off. Headspace means they can take time out for themselves without having to leave their loved one and find someone else to look after them.
I meditate for 20 minutes. To start with this seemed a long time. The time has got shorter. I find that in letting go of thoughts and letting the mind do whatever it wants and be free, I lose track of time. I emerge refreshed, calm and cheerful. It is easily the most profound yet simple way I have found to make my life better. Thank you Headspace.

The author of this post is an editorial contributor to Headspace. These are their views, experiences and results and theirs alone. This contributor was not paid for their writing.