Today was the day I had been waiting for for… several weeks since I passed my interview. The good people at Makers decided to be nice to us and ease us in gently, which wasn’t what I was expecting considering that with the pre-course material they dropped us in the deep end (of a pool of gasoline, then set it on fire in week 3 and watched us suffer).

After our free breakfast, the day started off with some getting-to-know-you games and teamwork exercises, then continued with some brilliant talks on how to do well at Makers and on how to look after your body and mind during the Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do (TM).

In a way the ‘body and mind’ talk sticks with me the most, because I wasn’t really expecting it. I’ve realised I’m going to have to eat well, exercise a bit and sleep well in order to get the most out of this experience. Makes sense really. Also, yoga and meditation have been suggested. I’ve never fully understood the benefits of either, but Dana (our wonderful Chief Joy Officer) explained that they are brilliant ways of facilitating the synapses in your brain to connect in new ways while your mind refocusses itself. At last, a scientific explanation that resonates with me. On top of that, they’ve been proven to energise you, reduce anxiety, ward off illnesses and many other cool health benefits. Sign me up for yoga 101 please!

Another great thing Dana discussed was Mindfulness. No matter how hard you’re working or how much pressure you’re under, you must not lose track of this. Be courteous to others, and address your issues. A walk home today which involved seeing people in a rush pushing past each other and swearing at complete strangers, and seeing a man in Sainsbury’s shout at a timid cashier for suggesting he use the self-service tills (she wasn’t to know he was queuing at the kiosk so he could buy his fags) made me think there should be more of this in every institution or company…

Nat x