Have you ever sat down to a meditation or tried it for a period of time and just felt absolutely distracted, like the meditation was perhaps even making things worse? Or perhaps you’ve dealt with ruminations, recurring thoughts, worry, stress, sleeplessness, all whilst the world and social media are telling you to “Be present”, further deepening your anxiety and feelings of failure? You’re not alone. I can certainly identify with some of those thought patterns and Owen O'Kane, former NHS Clinical Lead for mental health in London is on the podcast today chatting to me about how we can achieve happier calmer lives.He is the Sunday Times best-selling author of 'Ten To Zen', which is a quick and simple mental workout that allows us to focus on what's important - our mental wellbeing. And on today’s podcast you will learn about:Owen’s past, growing up during the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland and being bullied because of his sexualityWhat his experience with terminally ill patients taught him about lifeWhat different types of therapy exist and what they may be appropriate forWhy meditation and mental health is not the pristine Social Media experience we’ve become accustomed toHow to tackle imposter syndrome as well as trolling online from other professionalsWhy worry is addictiveHow to manage the thoughts in your head that are primed to be negativeHow Comparison is the thief of joyFull show notes for this and all other episodes are on The Doctor's Kitchen website. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.