BLAST FROM THE PAST
Bev Jones (59) lives in South Wales with her fiancé Mike. She runs a mentoring business, Awaken Mentoring, which aims to help people and businesses achieve their full potential. She and Mike dated as teenagers and reconnected 31 years later, just before Bev suffered a complete breakdown.
“When my marriage fell apart in my early 30s I never really acknowledged how stressful that was, as I didn’t want to be seen as weak or unable to cope. In work I’d always appeared to thrive on challenge, with 30 years in a highly successful corporate career as a reward. By the time I was 47 I was at the top of my game in a hectic head office environment, though heightening anxiety over being bullied and pressures at work eventually led to me making an appointment with my GP, who said I had clinical depression and needed to be signed of f sick.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’d recently moved back to Wales from Ireland and it felt like my entire life had turned upside down. One constant was my friend Mike. We’d dated as teenagers and then lost touch over the years but when I came back to Wales we’d bumped into each other outside our local chip shop and our friendship instantly re-ignited.
“He was an absolute rock to me as I took my first tentative steps towards recover y, suppor ted by medication and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I had no job and no desire to go back to my old life but in 2010, with Mike’s encouragement, I star ted my new business – with no contacts, funds, social media accounts, or network – and it all came together.
“I aim to help people reach their full potential and draw on my own personal and professional experiences to mentor and coach ef fectively, with well-being centre stage, as well as reducing stress by putting life/work balance at the top of the agenda.
“I wrote a book – Made It Thru the Rain, available on www.awakencoaching. co.uk – and I have received various awards for my work.
“Mike was a great suppor t as I got myself back on track and we fell in love all over again. He has taught me the joy in simple things and I’m so grateful that we got another chance together – and we’re looking for ward to getting married this year.”