We all want to be happy and have a sense of ease in our lives .. yet, it is our human nature to experience distress .. and often it can hit us real hard!

Gaining an understanding of what causes distress, and deepening our awareness into how we tend to react in difficult moments, is a critical stepping stone towards change and transformation.

In times of difficulty, we often react with coping strategies that seem sensible and protective in the short-term, such as avoiding a conflict situation or replaying an uncomfortable event over and over in an effort to fix it, yet often these strategies keep us feeling uneasy and trapped for a longer period of time.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We all can acquire skills to help dampen the impact of distress in our lives. By training our attention, awareness, and our capacity to regulate our emotional state, we can become more resilient human beings, leading more fulfilled lives.

These skills not only support us in times of difficulty, but they help us notice and savour the little moments that bring joy and contentment .. those that feed our inner resources with nourishment and positive energy. And how valuable these are to cushion the blow when life events take a sour turn!

Jon Kabat-Zinn famously said: ‘The little moments .. they aren’t little’.