A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled

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I really liked how Wax’s voice and sense of humor left their mark on the book. I have previously struggled with non-fiction books being a bit boring, but there are some very funny anecdotes and the facts are kept to the point, interesting and (especially when writing about complex tech developments) easy to understand. I personally wanted to learn how to de-frazzle and, even more urgently, find a method to defuse my depression. After much research, I found out mindfulness and cognitive therapy (called MBCT) had the best results, as far as empirical evidence goes, in dealing with stress, depression and anxiety. The word mindfulness gives me the same vibes as dream-catchers and lentils, but Oxford University offers a master’s programme in MBCT so I thought there must be something to it. So I took the course, wrote my dissertation, spun it with comedy and boom, then got a book and show out of it. That’s killing multiple birds with one stone. To let everyone have a voice. Please respect one another by giving everybody the chance to contribute without interruption and by not dominating or disrupting the conversation. The facilitator may show a white card after 3 minutes to signal the end of a speaker’s turn.

Founder Ruby Wax commented: "We live in a time where everything we knew to be normal has been put on ice and, regardless of mental health history, we are all feeling it. Frazzled Café is about people coming together to share their stories, calmly sitting together, stating their case and feeling validated as a result. Feeling heard, to me, has always been half the cure." To be kind to ourselves and each other. This is NOT group therapy and no- one should feel under pressure to say anything. We do hope that in hearing others’ experiences you will feel encouraged to share your own. Whether you speak or not, please treat each other in a supportive and considerate way. You would be forgiven for thinking 2020 was not the year for a book about good news. But now might be the time we need it most. Ruby Wax is here to reassure us with her brand new book, And Now For The Good News. This is her positivity prescription, showing us the green shoots of optimism and change forcing their way up and into the sunlight. Ruby's here to show you that behind the clouds, the sun still shines. So, do you want the good news?This Mental Health Awareness Week (May 8-14), we revisit our interview with comedian Ruby Wax, who famously suffers from anxiety and depression, in which she reveals how to combat ‘frazzled’ moments in just three minutes. Through humor and unbridled truth, Ruby Wax shares her journey to mindfulness, illuminating how it can improve our state of mind and change our brain for a healthier, happier life To be kind to ourselves and each other. This is NOT group therapy and no-one should feel under pressure to say anything. We do hope that in hearing others’ experiences you will feel encouraged to share your own. Whether you speak or not, please treat each other in a supportive and considerate way.

Her next mission is to create walk-in centres for people with mental health issues. ‘There’s not enough support; there aren’t enough shrinks,’ she says. ‘It helps to know you’re not alone.’ Ruby Wax’s 3 minute technique to feel less frazzled Ruby Wax compares the difference between schooling in China and Finland, such as in China where mental health issues bring shame to familes, versus in Finland where they discuss how stories make them feel and why people do things. Frazzled Cafe Facilitated meetings run for an hour and Hosted meetings run for 45 minutes. Both styles start with a run-through of our guidelines to ensure a confidential, respectful and safe environment for all of our attendees. It is important to us that these are adhered to. One of the slightly odder things about the book is that it was written pre-pandemic so it doesn't grapple with that at all. However, Wax has added some footnotes and a little bit of an introduction to explain this so it is not a problem - just strange to read the optimism with the hindsight of what has actually happened! I found the book sobering, joyous and hopeful. There is a lot of food for thought in there and a lot of useful info about inspiring initiatives and resources. These include Ruby’s own Frazzled Cafe to help people who are finding life hard to cope with, i.e. most of us at some point in our lives - and especially so over the last few years.The inspiration for Frazzled Cafe came from our founder and patron Ruby Wax’s experiences during her best-selling book and theatre tours. Ruby met thousands of people looking to connect and share their stories. Whenever she asked her audience members if they wanted a chance to talk about what was going on for them, they always did. She begins with writing about herself and sections about her own story are interspersed between the ‘Bad News’ and the ‘Good News’ throughout the book. In each section she gives a brief history of the topic, along with the story of her own experiences and then looks at examples of how things are improving. Not all of it was new to me, but I did learn a lot, as the book is simply crammed with information. Overall, there is serious food for thought in the message she gives here, it’s well written and very accessible and extremely thoughtful. Just a final thought about good news - remember how fantastic it felt as a nation during the 2012 Olympics???? The world may feel like a scarier place than ever and 2020 has definitely been a year we can collectively write off, but Wax also reminds us in her straight-shooting and humorous manner that there are still things to be thankful for. In And Now for the Good News Ruby has investigated how recent and new developments in technology, education, business, health, food and social change are turning our world into a better place than it’s ever been. Drawing on brand new research, compelling case studies and exercises to reframe your thinking, this is your guide to embrace change.