Eryl Mccaffrey - Anxiety Coach
My passion for mindfulness and mental health comes from my own journey with chronic depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Mindfulness tools like yoga, meditation and journaling have SAVED MY LIFE! I share these practices with you, because you deserve to feel better, too. You don't have to go it alone...so don't.
I was a nervous child and was heavily preoccupied by my thoughts and worries. I remember walking to school in Grade 1 and having panic attacks on the sidewalk before I got there. It wasn’t long before I was having these attacks on a regular basis. At a very young age, I developed the belief that my mind was a dark and scary place. Somewhat surprisingly I wasn’t actually diagnosed with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder until I was simultaneously diagnosed depression and anorexia at 16.
My recovery began when I started talking about it. Although I’m sure this phrase has everything to do with gas and potty humour and nothing to do with mental health I’m going to use it: It’s better out than in. It all started with a serious talk with my mum about how scared and sad I felt. There wasn’t an ounce of judgement or criticism in her handling of my feelings and time and time again I’ve met individuals who have nothing but understanding and compassion for mental illness. After that I began speaking to my close friends about my struggle and felt so loved and supported. I started to see that I wasn’t alone in this fight and I had NOTHING to be ashamed of. We don’t judge people for having the flu because it’s out of their control, right? So, why would we judge people for having a mental illness they didn’t create or ask for?
Talking about it and writing about it released me from the strong hold my depression and anxiety had on me. Every time I spoke or wrote about it in my journal I felt lighter and more free. A few years ago I started taking my yoga practice more seriously and it became a fundamental part of my recovery and continues to support my mental health. When I found yoga, meditation and other mindfulness practices, my life completely changed. I share mindful tips I've learned along my mental health journey with candour and kindness to help you build clarity, confidence and ease with simple tools and practices for peace of mind. Learn to manage your mind and change your life!