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Case study: from anxiety to guilt-free free time

It can be hard to imagine how different your life could be if you fully committed to living mindfully.

I know I didn't fully realise how much my life could change.

So I'd like you to meet Marcus.


Marcus came to me feeling anxious, fed up of getting stressed about small things and "needing a boost of happiness". He knew he lived a good life in theory and had a lot to be grateful for. But the pressure of studying for extra qualifications alongside work was really getting to him. He struggled to switch off, always thinking he should be using his precious free time to study. He'd heavily criticise himself if he didn't achieve top grades in an assignment, while judging himself next to peers and never feeling good enough. The constant self-criticism was starting to affect his social life too. He described how he'd worry what others thought of him, and think people were constantly judging him, like he judged himself. Marcus signed up to a 6 week mentorship with me, with the aim to "spend less time worrying about things that weren't happening right now" and "enjoy more of life". He knew that "focusing on the present moment" would help him do that, but he couldn't make it happen on his own. Following his 30 minute free call, he started meditating at times I'd suggested would be beneficial for him, and already started feeling calmer. In his first call, we mapped out how to carry that calm feeling into the rest of his day and created a plan to follow for the next 6 weeks. Within days he reported an increase in focus at work but he was still finding it hard to release judgement of himself. So we did a one-to-one EFT session to focus on this and release the pressure he put on himself. Two days later he reported a "less judgemental and more care free attitude" in social situations. And family were commenting on how different he was and how much calmer and happier he seemed. He had a week holiday and actually switched off and enjoyed himself, guilt-free.

While he still had some work to do in the evenings, he just got on with it, reporting enjoying it and speaking to himself kindly when it was hard, rather than dreading it and then chastising himself for not being faster. Despite feeling much better, Marcus mentioned a fear that in becoming more relaxed, he'd drop the ball with his qualifications. He knew he could be more mindful, but he was finding it hard to trust it, and at times, to stop the voice telling him to do more work. So we did another EFT session. We identified a core belief that Marcus held; that all decisions have consequences and so to always be careful and think ahead.

While this belief is helpful in moderation, it was ruling the show for Marcus, making him overthink everything and constantly judge himself. We rewrote the belief, so Marcus left believing "I can trust my decisions and enjoy the present moment".

Immediately after, the pressure he'd been feeling about work the next day was gone.

The next day, he was able to go with the flow, tap into the feeling we'd created, and stayed calm through a variety of challenges that previously would have caused a lot of stress. In our last 10 days together, Marcus was feeling so good that he started to slow down on the plan we'd created at the start, stating he didn't need as much to keep the calm state of mind anymore. So we reassessed his plan and discussed how to make it sustainable long term. In just 6 weeks, Marcus looks and feels like a different person.

He speaks much more kindly to himself and has released much of the judgement he used to feel in social situations, instead just enjoying the moments in front of him.

At work, he is more focused and less anxious of what others think of him, even enjoying some tasks he previously didn't. His internal critic doesn't rule the show anymore, and he's able to enjoy guilt-free time off in a way he couldn't before. Marcus knows he still has work to do and the anxiety does still rear it's head. But he now has the tools to handle it and feels confident that if he continues to practice the techniques he's learnt, his life will continue to improve.

If you too want to transform your life, I'd love to support you with one-to-one coaching. Just like Marcus, you'll be invited to a free 30 minute call where we'll discuss steps you can implement immediately, whether you choose to work with me or not. And if I think you're a good fit for my coaching package, I'll offer you a money-back guarantee. So you have literally nothing to lose.


Head to https://www.themindfullivingacademy.co.uk/workwithme to book your call, and start the journey to changing your life. Just like Marcus.



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