De-stress and take a moment…

Christmas is a stressful time, learning to manage daily stress is a priceless life skill

Mindfulness is something we hear a lot about it seems these days, but do many of us actually know what it means? Do we take mindful moments? Well, one Limerick lady has created a set of ‘flash cards for grown-ups’ to encourage us to do just that. MoMe cards are all about moments for me. They are created by Niamh McMahon, a well-known graphic designer based in Limerick.

“One invaluable lesson I have learned is that life is moving quickly and sometimes we all need to slow down. Recognizing the need to slow down is crucial. Learning how to is the hard part.” Niamh explains.

“When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with Scoliosis. I never left this slow me down or deter me from living life to the full. However after further injuries in my life, I was encouraged by my excellent physical therapist to explore Pilates which was the start of me slowing down and learning to breathe.

“While Pilates was starting to work for me I faced a set back when I woke up one morning with a loud ringing in my ear. I was soon told by my doctor that I had tinnitus. I also discovered that I was deaf in the same ear. I visited consultants, had hearing tests and MRI scans but received no answers. After one of my meetings with Deaf Hear, Limerick, it was suggested to me that I explore mindfulness to see if it would help me manage both the tinnitus and deafness better. This is how my mindfulness journey began.”

Niamh did a ‘Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme’ in Limerick with Donna Curtin. “I can honestly say it has changed my life. Life is all about how we deal with things and that is how MoMe was born. I wanted to share some of the things I had learned with my family and friends, and with a creative mindset that wasn’t used to slowing down easily, I realised that if, like children, we were taught to learn some of these quotes then they might just sink in if we take the time to appreciate them. I wanted to create straight forward messages that are tangible; that you can stick anywhere you think you will see them. I have one in the mirror in my bedroom, one on my dressing table, one as a bookmark in my favourite recipe book. Place one anywhere you think you will notice it.”

Niamh sells the beautifully presented cards from her MoMe.ie website with Christmas gift sets (€30) for this season and also mini sets (from €10) that are business card size (the originals are A6). A4 posters (€20), greeting cards (€2.50), and themed sets for sport or study messages are also available.

 

By Olivia O’Sullivan

This article appeared in the Limerick Post, 16th December 2017