“I had a mad morning so I did sit and do a little 5-minute meditation before this chat!” Donal Skehan tells us for our November issue of VIP Magazine.
The chef is in a new stage of his life. Not only has he settled down in a gorgeous seafront home with his wife, Sofie and their two sons.
But he has also made sure that he is taking time for mental health and self care.
“I’ve definitely got better at knowing when to step back for my own mental health. I’m conscious that often when I say stuff like this that it becomes the headline, but I don’t want it to be controversial because now it is quite the norm as most people have experienced struggles, in some shape and form, and I am no hero in talking about it,” he simply says.
“There are plenty of people who go through much more difficult situations and I would take my lead from those who have dealt much more deeply with anxiety and depression and with all that comes with it. ”
Of course, it’s not always easy to take time out to meditate, he admits: “At the moment there is loads going on and so there’s no avoiding the craziness.”
However, he now knows how to mind himself even when things get hectic.
“Before I would have been frustrated about not being able to switch off but now I can embrace the silly times and know that a quieter time is coming. For example, Sofie is off to see her granddad soon and I am taking the boys to Connemara. I’m going to unplug the phone and just be knee-deep with the boys.
“Previously, I would have tried to keep trucking on but three days are enough to reset and come back. It doesn’t happen that often because the nature of my business is that you’re always looking to the next thing. I’ve had to really work hard at being able to step away because I’m afraid of missing out on a new opportunity.
“But I have learnt that the world still turns even when you do step off. I am also learning that it is necessary to have time away from the boys because they are bleedin’ bonkers!”
To read our full interview with Donal Skehan pick up the November issue of VIP Magazine, on shelves nationwide
