How to Find a Personal Mentor for Your Mindfulness Journey
What do Oprah, Clint Eastwood and Richard Branson all have in common (aside from being famous)?
They all had mentors; people who guided them, provided support and new ideas, inspired them and helped contribute to their success.
Basically, a mentor is someone you can trust to help guide you in the right direction. Someone with experience, who can provide sound ideas and support.
I remember when I first started blogging, I felt a little lost. I had no idea how to set up a website, how to build a community, how to edit my photos, how to build an email list, how to market my articles… So, I found myself a mentor (and I’ve since worked with several!).
However, there are so many different life areas where mentors can be incredibly useful. You could have a mentor at work to help you learn and grow. You could have a mentor for your health and wellbeing. You could work with a cooking mentor!
However, in this article I wanted to share a number of ways you could work with a mentor who can help guide you on your mindfulness journey.
Listen to Podcasts
Ah, podcasts. They’re just brilliant.
Because of podcasts, we have an enormous wealth of information we can listen to (usually, for free!) and learn from whenever we like!
Here are a few podcasts which can inspire you on your mindfulness journey:
10% Happier
With meditations, Q+As and guest interviews, this podcast features wonderful guidance and ideas for meditation. The host, Dan Harris, began meditating after he experienced a panic attack live on Good Morning America and not only created this podcast, but wrote a book called 10% Happier, too! One of my favourite episodes is number 82, with Cory Muscara.
The Slow Home Podcast
Available on iTunes and The Slow Home website
If you’d like to learn more about conscious living and slowing down, this is a great podcast for you! With episodes on gratitude, meditation, creating empty space, mindfulness and more, you’ll take away so many valuable life lessons and learn from both the hosts and their various guests (including me!).
The Lavendaire Lifestyle
Available on iTunes and the Lavendaire website
Aileen Xu shares warm interviews and genuine solo episodes about personal growth and designing your dream life. On episode 38, Aileen and I chat about slowing down, cultivating awareness and appreciating everyday life. You can also find Aileen's beautiful Youtube channel here.
Let it be
In this insightful podcast with Brooke McAlary and Kelly Exeter, discover simple tips for doing less and being more. With topics including anxiety and depression, acceptance, overwhelm, guilt and gratitude, there's plenty to learn and simple easy ideas to start implementing!
The Mindful Kind
Available on iTunes, Spotify and my website
This is a podcast I launched in 2015, which now has more than 100 episodes about mindfulness! You can learn about breathing techniques, mindful communication strategies, self-care ideas and heaps, heaps more.
Work with a Counselor or Coach
There really is a lot to say for working one-on-one with someone who has expertise in their field. You can learn a lot, feel supported when facing challenges and enjoy the benefit of non-judgement and new perspectives.
It can be a little more expensive to experience this kind of one-on-one support, but I’ve found it to be incredibly worthwhile in many cases!
There’s also an app called Coach.me, where you can sign up to work with a coach on a range of different topics, including mindfulness, productivity, fitness and money saving (to name a few!).
Check in with a Trusted Friend
There are some friends I turn to time and time again for support, advice, ideas, inspiration and love. Definitely don’t underestimate the power of a friend as a mentor!
Just be sure not to put too much pressure on them and remember that at the end of the day, the choices we make are our own (and therefore, not the responsibility of our friends or mentors!).
Who are some of your favourite mentors? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below about who has guided you and supported you in your own life.
Some of my amazing mentors include Chloe Wigan (who coached me during a busy stage of my business to help me set and achieve goals), Rachel McDonald (she guided me to create my blog through her online course!), Karly Nimmo (who taught me about podcasting) and Dec (my boyfriend, who has taught me countless things about photography, design, assertiveness and relationships!).
