Uni stress and mindfulness

I have been leading Student Mindfulness sessions at University of Glasgow. Students can feel under immense pressure during their time at university. Specific pinch points can happen at certain points in the journey - settling in when just arrived and the hope of making friends and feeling settled, stress around exam times and essay deadlines, leaving university and transitioning on - making decisions about what’s next on the horizon. Other pressures can be family expectations for students to do well and the enormity for many students in learning more about who they are and how they want to live. With all these decisions and thoughts racing around a practice which calms the mind can be hugely beneficial for students. In one session when teaching mindfulness to an international student he shared after meditation his insight that he could see the more he fed his anxious thoughts the more he could feel the stress building. He so clearly saw the relationship in his mind between an anxious thought arising, following this thought, adding more thoughts and the feeling of stress becoming greater. This gave him a window of opportunity to, a choice in that moment to continue to feed the thoughts with more do something different. If you are a student yourself or you have any students in your life it is really encouraging to read research around the impact of mindfulness practice on their lives. ‘Students who practise mindfulness typically report significantly lower levels of stress after completing an 8-week mindfulness programme.’ (Sáez-Navarrete et al., 2023; Dawson et al., 2020). A powerful impact of mindfulness practice is our capacity to be less hard on ourselves in times of difficulty ‘Students often say they're kinder to themselves after learning mindfulness, becoming less caught up in perfectionism and self-criticism’ (Dawson et al., 2020). So if mindfulness can help our students feel less stressed and more compassionate to themselves I think this is something worth exploring for our education institutions.

Mindfulness @nkd.wellness

Starting 26th August ‘25. Join me for this weekly in person class @NKD.WELLNESS studio in Kirkintilloch. In this evening class positioned a little later in the evening we will explore practices for winding down and de-stressing. Leaving you ready to move into the next stage of your evening. Mats are provided but please bring cushions and a blanket for comfort. Drop in £9 per class.

Small Steps Create Big Shifts

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming. Life is not a race, it’s an unfolding.

Take a moment to rest on whichever step your on and think about how far you have travelled.

Fully funded mindfulness training

As part of my work as a mindfulness teacher I teach on behalf of the Everyone Project - this organisation provides fully funded mindfulness training to charities and organisations working with people no able to access mindfulness training through other routes.

I have now had the pleasure of working with Grace Aftercare project twice running 8 week courses for the lovely folks who access this brilliant service. Loud and clear I could hear from all who used Grace what a warm, inclusive and empowering community project it is. Grace is based in East Dunbartonshire.

Free Daily Meditation

Having trained with the Mindfulness Association to teach the Mindfulness Based Living course and Compassion Based Living course I now have the pleasure of supporting the MA activity through being part of the daily sit team and supporting courses facilitied by the Mindfulness Association. The MA offers free on line daily sits at 10.30am and 7pm (BST). Follow link to find out how to join