As we face a global pandemic, an imminent winter, and the jarring realisation that Jacinda Ardern will never be our prime minister (😢) it can be hard to figure out which of our emotions are circumstantial, and which are symptoms of something more concerning.

The dumpster fire that is the COVID-19 lockdowns has been hard on all of us – for so many reasons. But after the initial shock of being ‘locked down’ becomes our ‘new normal’, some of us might find that the easing restrictions feel like a whole new thing to be afraid of.

What is Mindfulness?

Reading about mindfulness without actually experiencing it for yourself is like going to your local café for brunch without tasting any of the food. Just as the point of a brunch outing is to enjoy avocado loaded sourdough, mindfulness exercises need to be practiced in order to enjoy the most delicious meal of all - emotional calmness.

There’s something inherently frustrating about being human.

It’s not the fact that a good dollop of smashed avocado is $17 at your local café, or that one guy at your gym who insists on loudly using his mobile phone your entire workout. It isn’t even your mother-in-law’s passive aggressive remarks about how irresponsible it is to have multiple superannuation accounts (thanks, Susan). Beyond everything, one of the most frustrating realities of human life is the fact that everything in this world is completely impermanent.