‘Mindfulness helps me take a step back’

RUBY:

Despite rising to fame by making people laugh, comedian Ruby Wax has battled depression since childhood and, in an attempt to understand it, she studied psychotherapy at university.

But Ruby credits mindfulness – a form of meditation that focuses on self-awareness and being “present” in the moment – as helping to ease her depression and prepare her for when she feels it coming on.

Ruby, 65, says, “I practise mindfulness techniques daily. Mindfulness isn’t for everyone, but if you feel overwrought, mindfulness can help you apply the brakes. Science has shown that it’s one of the most powerful tools in changing how your mind works, because you take a step back and