IT’S likely to have been a while that our mobile phones make the need for a phone box a bit obsolete. So why don’t we turn these little spaces into something we truly need? That’s what British lady Lynsey Wellington, 64, has done.

The mindfulness teacher and psychotherapist discovered that the run-down phone box outside her home in Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, had only made 30 pennies in the last year. Plus, it wasn’t in the best shape.

So she decided to make a change, applying to her local council to give the box a much-needed makeover.

The council approved that request, and Wellington set to work, transforming the phone box into a “pause box.” The idea is that the box will serve as a place for people to step in and take a breather.

What you do in the box is up to you — you might meditate, you might have a little think about your stresses, you might just take a breather from the outside world, you might even take your mobile phone in there and give a loved one a ring. The point of the box is to encourage mindfulness and reflection. “The main purpose is to just stop and take a moment and to just mindfully be in this present moment,” said Wellington.

“Rather than worrying about what happened in the past or concerned about the future we’re sleepwalking through our lives, constantly worrying about things that upsets our stress and anxiety levels. But if we just stand and pause — and the box gives you prompts for that — it just reminds you to stand and notice what’s happening right now. Sounds lovely to us. Now can we get one of these on every street? We reckon we could all do with more moments of peace right now,” she said.

(SD-Agencies)