Niamh McCarthy founded her music meditation app Mindful Nation after touring with some of the music industry's biggest names, from Madonna to U2, and realising the industry needed a way to access wellbeing and meditation that could work for them. Here she shares her self-care insights, tools and rituals, from movement to lymphatic drainage.
I wake at… 7am.
The first thing I do every morning is… listen to a Mindful Nation class by Jasmine while I’m making coffee.
My morning routine is… a Mindful Nation class, coffee, hot water and lemon followed by a Pilates or yoga class.
I can’t go to work without… making sure I’ve done my morning meditation and carved out time for me.
The best part of my day is… a morning coffee and meditation.
The most challenging part of my day is… honestly, I have worked so hard to reframe challenges into opportunities for learning and growth so when I meet a challenge, I take a moment to breathe and clear my head and roll with it in the most compassionate way.
I engage with self-care every day by… sticking to my morning routine – this part of the day is for me.
My daily self-care checklist routine includes… a Mindful Nation class, hot water and lemon, meditation, yoga and evening meditation before bed.
The quickest, smallest thing I do for myself every day is… smile when I wake up and tell myself “today is a new day, everything is possible.”
I know it’s been a good day if… I have had a good sleep.
I switch off from work by… going on airplane mode and relaxing with music and a book or going for a walk.
Before I go to bed, I’ll… stretch, put my legs up the wall for lymphatic drainage and listen to a sleep meditation.
After a long work week, I destress by… swimming in the sea (I live on the beautiful Athens Riviera) and taking a full afternoon without my phone.
My go-to comfort meal is… Cacio E Pepe.
When I really need a moment to myself, I always… listen to a class in Mindful Nation ASAP, usually by Jasmine!
Something I try to do for myself every day is… a movement class – movement shifts my mood immediately.
The most reflective moment in the day is… when I wake up or during an afternoon walk.
The one person, place or thing guaranteed to give me joy is… a FaceTime with my friend Camille will always bring me so much joy.
My app is called Mindful Nation so I’m feeling pretty good about how I implement mindfulness in my life and now am dedicated to helping others do the same.
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