Mental Health and Chronic Illness

In 2015 I was diagnosed with a heart condition called Brugada syndrome, which is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease that can cause abnormal heart rhythms; it is also hereditary. ? I was understandably anxious and worried about how it would affect my life and also that of my children as there is a strong chance it would be passed to them.?

I found at first that the anxiety paralysed me, I was able to keep doing the daily things I needed to do but almost on autopilot. The rest of the time was a constant question of what if? I always tended to catastrophise the results. I knew that I could not continue to function (or rather not function) and turned to meditation for help with my anxiety.

Eventually, I found a meditation app (there are many out there and the one I found the most useful was Calm).?

Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety, and it's something that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. The app I used provided guided meditations, which helped me relax and destress when I was feeling overwhelmed. The app also had a feature that allowed me to track my progress, which helped me stay motivated and consistent with my meditation practice.

In addition to using the meditation app, I also followed other tips, such as educating myself about the condition, seeking support groups and practising self-care. By incorporating these strategies into my daily life, I was able to maintain strong mental health while living with Brugada syndrome.

It's important to note that everyone's experience with meditation will be different, and what works for one person may not work for another. However, I found that using a meditation app was a helpful tool in managing my anxiety and stress levels. If you're considering trying meditation, there are many apps available that offer guided meditations and other features to help you get started.

One of the great benefits of working at Coupa Software is the amount of support that we are given for physical and mental well-being. I was particularly impressed to be able to get a much-reduced subscription to the meditation app through our well-being programme.

I’ve also got to give a shout-out to Jennifer Marnoch and the team at Hunter Adams for introducing me to meditation when I worked with them.

Dealing with the anxiety of a medical diagnosis like Brugada syndrome can be challenging, but it's important to take care of your mental health as you learn to manage the condition. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing anxiety, so it's important to find what works best for you and to utilise all of the tools and support which are available to you through your workplace.?