A New Life: Mandy Sweeney tells Theresa Judge her job as a reflexologist gives her a connection with people
Mandy Sweeney's description of the factory jobs she worked in during her 20s is grim. One of her jobs was in a foundry where she worked on car components. It was "dull, dirty and grey" and for a time she had to work 12-hour shifts.
"The environment was enough to make you ill. It was like walking into hell - all you saw was flames and the dust everywhere. And it was predominantly male and that could be intimidating at times."
Another job she had was in quality control in a shirt factory. She had decided to take the offer to leave the factory floor to go into what sounded like a better job.
"But it was even more boring than actually making the shirts. You were stuck in a small room with six others, with no natural light, and they used to talk about EastEnders all the time, and I didn't watch it. I couldn't tune into it at all, it was in no way stimulating - no disrespect to the girls, they loved it but they had their families and the job suited them."
Mandy grew up in the Waterside area of Derry and left school at 16, initially to work in a chip shop. Her mother had died when she was 12 and she was the eldest of six children. Some 18 years after taking that first job she feels she has finally found work that she finds satisfying, as a complementary therapist.
But the change of career occurred over a number years and required a few sacrifices. She initially became interested in complementary therapies because she was experiencing ill health herself, most of which she now attributes to the dissatisfying jobs she had.
"When I look back now at my working pattern, I can see that I got bored easily and left most jobs after about a year and a half, I was always looking for a challenge."
She initially started doing weekend courses in such things as natural and flower remedies, reiki and colour therapy. These highlighted some of the problems with the factory environments she was working in. When a redundancy package was offered, she took it.
"On the last day I walked out of there I knew it was the right decision. The pay was very good but I thought that doesn't compensate for happiness."
She then took a part-time job in a restaurant where she was only getting about a quarter of her previous wages, but she liked the sociable aspect of the job.
"It was a good place to bring you out of yourself because you had to talk to people."
The first qualification she received was from the Irish Institute of Reflexology, after she completed a course delivered during weekends over one year.
She has vivid memories of her first experience of reflexology. "It's hard to explain unless you have received it, but it was like 'oh, my God, this is the best thing since sliced bread'. I felt lighter afterwards, like walking on air. It was wonderful. It just made you feel so relaxed, and it's not just relaxed like you'd feel after coming in from work and putting your feet up."
As a reflexologist now, she says she enjoys making a physical and emotional connection with people. She believes that by manipulating the feet and stimulating nerve endings it is possible to activate the healing power of the body.
She stresses that she is not saying that reflexology can heal you but that the body has the ability to heal itself and reflexology can help this to happen.
"But obviously every individual is different and a lot depends on a person's life circumstances. It is not a cure or a quick-fix."
When she first qualified as a reflexologist three years ago she tried to start her own business but this did not work out. She realises now that she would have needed to build up a base of clients before going out on her own.
She has since received other qualifications in Indian head massage, Swedish body massage and facilitation, and has also completed a diploma in stress management.
To gain experience as a reflexologist she initially took work as a volunteer in a voluntary organisation in Derry, Community Action for Locally Managing Stress (CALMS). However, it was only over the past year, and with the help of a pilot scheme aimed at helping unemployed people return to work, that she has been able to get full-time paid work as a complementary therapist.
The scheme, Thumb Print, which is run by Creggan Enterprises, provided money so that CALMS could pay her to work. Mandy was one of 10 participants on the scheme which, as well as placing people in jobs, also involved courses in communication skills and personal development.
Over recent weeks she has also successfully applied to be placed on a panel of part-time lecturers with the North West Institute in Derry.
"I find it hard to believe I even had the confidence to apply for the job - a few years ago I wouldn't have even dreamed of it. I just would not have had the confidence or felt I would have been good enough to do it. I'd have passed out at the thought of it, literally."
She believes taking part in Thumb Print and the experience she has gained with CALMS has made a crucial difference.
"I started to feel I know this, that I know what I'm doing - I'm not saying I know everything, there's always more to learn."
A new work life has been accompanied by changes in her personal life - she got married earlier this year, and she and her husband are now in the process of moving to a new house a few miles over the Border in Co Donegal.
"I feel a different person, a lot more fulfilled. It's all happened that quickly - at this present moment in time I feel very lucky and very blessed - everything is going very well for me."
Having been successful at the interview for the North West Institute job she now feels she could apply for other jobs. "I would definitely have the confidence to do it - I am not afraid to get out there now."