Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss ways of coping with higher levels of stress which a number of people are experiencing around the coronavirus pandemic.  They touch upon the understandable urge to cut off, avoid, or numb painful feelings such as panic or rage. Mindfulness allows us to be more aware of the choices we make, and their positive (and not so positive) effects.  Barbara and Matt revisit the key practice of resourcing, noting in particular that some individuals may, for a period of time and under the supervision of a healthcare professional, benefit from using prescription medication to ease intense suffering and manage their daily lives.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.