Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (for carers)
We all have times when we experience stress, as well as difficult physical sensations, feelings and moods. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can help people learn new ways of handling these. Breathing Space has adapted MBSR specifically to support carers.
Our work with carers: experience and credentials
MBSR can significantly change the way we relate to stress and difficulty. This can greatly enhance the capacity to cope on a daily basis. By developing more awareness, you can learn to deal more effectively with difficulties and take more pleasure in the good things in life.
MBSR for carers at Breathing Space is a combination of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the USA.
The core skill that you will learn is 'mindfulness' - a way of paying attention, on purpose and non-judgementally, to what goes on in the present moment in your body, mind, and the world around you. Mindfulness can enable you to see things differently, undoing mental and physical knots and tensions. It can increase your sense of personal confidence and help you feel that you have more options, giving you greater strength to face challenges in your life.
Most people attending MBSR programmes report that they gain lasting benefits, such as:
- More energy and enthusiasm
- A greater capacity for relaxation
- More self-confidence
- An increased ability to handle stressful situations
Our work with carers: experience and credentials
Retreats
- More than 150 carers have attended 16 residential retreats since 2004 (13 for London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH), two for Waltham Forest Carers Association, one for London Borough of Hackney and one for Newham Substance Misuse Partnership)
- Carers Involvement Scheme: Carers help run retreats and lead events - helping to build confidence and foster ongoing mutual support
Drop-in sessions
- Running weekly for carers in Tower Hamlets since May 2004
- Average of 10 people attending each week
- 74 carers from Tower Hamlets on our database ranging in age from 17 to 74
Outreach and hosting
- Visits to community organisations in and beyond Tower Hamlets including: Alzheimer's Society, Carers Centre Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest Carers Association, and Newham Carers Network.
Marketing and support
- Professionally produced mindfulness-based stress reduction CD is provided to each carer attending our programme
- Leaflets for health professionals and brochures for carers
- Promotional film (can be viewed at www.lbc.org.uk/breathingspacehome.htm)
- Coverage of October 2007 retreat in The Guardian
Monitoring and evaluation
We manage our own referral process, monitor and evaluate each retreat and present an annual report to LBTH.
