A REDUNDANCY from the corporate world just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be the catalyst for a major lifestyle change for one Letterkenny mother.

Karen McHugh worked in business and IT locally for a decade. But, just before the pandemic, she was made redundant.

For the busy mother-of-three who was used to daily “running, running, running” a slower pace emerged, and with that came a new perspective.

Karen had always had an interest in mindfulness and with her own children experiencing the impact of lockdown, she decided to build on this. She is now a mindfulness practitioner and is behind ‘Mind Over Matter Mindfulness’, giving children the tools in life to calm and relax their minds through creativity and meditation.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Karen said: “I’m mum to three beautiful children. I was made redundant, so I became a stay at home mum with my kids when the pandemic came. I decided to do a children’s mindfulness course for the benefit of myself and my children, as I could see the affect the whole uncertainty was having on them. My own children felt anxious at the time of the 5k radius restrictions and they were not really getting to leave the house.”

Karen said as the online course continued, she realised the benefits of it and decided to do the teacher course so she could help other parents and children plunged into the same feelings of uncertainties because of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

“The pandemic provided a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do. Mindfulness for kids really appealed to me as a mother who has seen her own children come through the early stages of the pandemic. I knew I wanted a job that worked around my home life, I wanted that work life balance and so I thought doing this course would be really beneficial.”

Karen teaches creative mindfulness in schools and also facilitates private mindfulness sessions. She is working with children aged between five and 12 years and a few teenagers. She said the response has been  good.

“Mindfulness is about people knowing there is no right or wrong way to feel, that all of our feelings are OK. It’s about being present in the moment. At the minute I am doing a thing called the Gratitude Tree, where children take time out to think about all the things they are grateful for.

“It has been a difficult time for children and young people. Through my engagement with them in schools I have found some were anxious about returning to school. Mindfulness is about making sense of things. Children in the five to 12 years age category tend to talk about their feelings which is really positive.”

Karen said the tailored course is proving positive with children and teenagers. She said she has been contacted by many parents whose children are experiencing anxiety.

“A child’s mental health is just so important – not only for the here and now but for their futures. Many parents are messaging me about how their children are feeling anxious, and unfortunately the age group seems to be getting younger. If I can help them just manage their emotions and feel a bit better I will be happy. If children can learn these coping skills at a young age then they can deal with whatever life throws at them.”

Karen said mindfulness is a powerful tool.

“Although mindfulness has been around for so long, often people don’t really know what it is. It’s really about being present in the moment, and incorporating that calmness into our daily lives.”

For more information see @mindovermattermindfulness on Facebook or Instagram