The cat is very cute when it is asleep but when it is awake it succumbs to its natural instincts.

Why is this relevant to mindfulness? One of the benefits of practising mindfulness is to be able to respond calmly to unexpected events, rather than react negatively. This ability to respond calmly was tested this morning as a small mouse ran, repeatedly, towards my feet while I was teaching mindfulness online. My feet moved out of its way, but my face remained calm, as my brain flicked through all the options - and where the mouse trap might be!

As the cat is keen to bring its mouse friends home to play with so it was inevitable that this would happen at some point. It made me smile because I have not always been able to handle these small furry creatures quite so calmly.

And why is all this relevant to everyone and everything in 2020? Because almost everything that has happened this year has been unexpected and out of our control. From the shock of the first lockdown in March 2020 to the ongoing uncertainty that still surrounds all of our plans for the festive season and the end of the year, it is the unknown and the lack of control that has contributed to our increased sense of anxiety and stress.