Mind Full: Why ‘should’ is one of the most dangerous words

In an extract from his new memoir, the radio presenter, comedian and meditation teacher Dermot Whelan looks back on his old habits and why they eventually set him on a path towards meditation

Dermot Whelan: ‘Criticising yourself is exhausting. It demands all your attention, all your focus, and you become self-obsessed. Picture: Fergal Phillips

I’ve always had bad hangovers. Not that I ever felt too awful physically, but emotionally I was a train wreck. Even in university, when you’re supposed to be able to brush off a hangover with nothing more than a shower and a Berocca, I found I always had more mental anguish than most of my friends.

I didn’t need Nurofen: I needed a parish priest. My friend Eddie used to call it “grehhh”, based, I ...