Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing. Mindfulness is a technique to notice what’s happening in the present moment, without judgement. It can help you cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

This week, we were invited to run a mindfulness workshop with staff from Dhulikhel Hospital, in the Kavre District of Nepal. We were joined by 17 nurses from different clinical departments, and together we experimented with breathing exercises, guided imagery, and other sensory techniques and mindfulness practices.

Nursing is a demanding, and at times stressful profession. At Jaya Mental Health, one of our priorities is to not only ensure that vulnerable communities in remote parts of the world have access to quality mental health care, but also that health care professionals and nurses in particular, have a support system that protects their own mental health and emotional well-being.