Summer 2016 Staff Magazine

Staff magazine
Getting some
Headspace
We all understand the importance of leading
a healthy lifestyle, right? After all, you can’t
go online, read a magazine or even walk
down the street without seeing something
that reminds us to eat a healthy diet or
take regular exercise.
For many of us this means drawing on our willpower
to choose an apple over a bag of crisps and the gym
over the sofa.
reported improved peace of mind, better sleep
and greater focus.
Our head of information Alastair Beattie has been
using Headspace daily now for around three years.
“I find it helps to set me up for the day,” he
says. “It’s helped me to change my thinking and
behaviours and this benefits me and those around
me. It helps with my relationships at work as well
as those at home.”
These choices help us to lead a healthier lifestyle
however health is a state of mind and body so, as
well as looking after your physical health, it is also
important to look after your emotional wellbeing.
Mindfulness is a practice that encourages you to
focus on the present, rather than on the past
or future and it’s growing in popularity across
the UK. NICE (National Institute for Clinical
Excellence) back it as a treatment for
depression and there are growing
reports that as a cognitive therapy,
it works.
With this in mind, we wanted a way
to help staff become more mindful
and thought Headspace - an online
resource - might help us with this.
It describes itself as your very own
personal trainer to help you train
your mind.
Headspace works on the theory that
regular mindfulness practice is an effective
treatment for stress, worry, lack
of focus, relationship problems,
addictions and more. Indeed,
members using the system have
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