“The longest journey you will ever take is the eighteen inches from your head to your heart” – Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. This is one of my favorite quotes. It ties into so much of my work as a coach of high performing leaders who are all trying to work out the how to connect their head (IQ) with their heart (EQ – emotional intelligence & CQ – cultural intelligence ).
Mindfulness: is it the latest buzz-word? Or is it something that has been around for centuries and we’re just waking up to the art and science of it all?
We all have so much going on in our minds everyday. Have you ever laid in bed…tossing and turning…trying to fall asleep…you find that your mind is racing because you have 1,001 thoughts rushing through your mind? I’ve been there. In the busy world we live in, our minds can be the driver, conductor and leader of our lives. Often during the rush to get everything done, we lose touch with what is important and what is simply noise.
So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is generally defined as “1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. 2. a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” My definition is a state of mind, body and soul that allows you to be introspective as a daily ritual which supports you to unconsciously move to a state of conscious action that moves you forward.
As a coach to leaders in high stress, high performance roles supporting my clients to practice some form of mindfulness in a way that works for them is core to my coaching practice. I now recognise that daily practices of mindfulness is a core trait of great leaders. Dalai Lama, Steve Jobs and Ariana Huffington are examples of mindful leaders. Mindfulness when practiced daily can support you to clear your mind in order to focus on what is truly important in your career and retrospectively in your life.
Personally my daily mindfulness ritual is walking in the morning. It grounds me. Walking helps me to clear away the clutter, stay focused on my higher purpose and align my daily, weekly, monthly activity accordingly. In business it’s easy to get caught up in the every day grind. I know that when I made that switch to practicing purposeful and mindful daily rituals in line with my values and vision statement “to develop purposeful leaders who then RISE to empower many” my life and business changed dramatically. Note to self. It takes commitment and constant checking-in with self and practicing what you preach. Personally I am constantly on that journey of connecting head and heart. If it was easy we’d all be doing it right!
We all need to take a moment to practice introspection and be more accepting and loving of ourselves, in the present moment that we are in. Taking a more mindful approach will support you to see your career, business and life from a new perspective with less noise.
Would you also be open to more happiness and health in your life? Mindfulness is continually being researched and scientifically linked to happiness and well-being. According to an article from the National Institute of Health it has been shown to improve both your mental and physical health. This is such a logical concept. If you can slow your brain down and take a few minutes to ‘just be’, it calms your nervous system, gives your mind a break and brings a sense of peace and calming to your life.
Take some time for yourself. Slow your mind down. Take some deep breaths and really try to keep your state of being in the present moment.
Some tips for starting out your mindfulness practices. Set an intention to do one or more of these exercises at the same time every day. Love to know how you are feeling after a few weeks. What else would you add?
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2 mins per day – Practice deep breathing exercises notice how you are feeling before, during and after.
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3 mins per day – Gratitude daily practice out loud for everything you are grateful for. A Tony Robbins daily ritual.
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10 mins per day – Find a physical space that makes you feel calm and at peace, try and get to that space once a day . Be in that space in silence where you can meditate, stretch, practice your breathing, pray, whatever makes you feel calm and at peace.
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30 mins per day – Walk, jog, cycle, yoga, paddle board whatever you can do by yourself, physical activity supports you to clear your mind.
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1 hour per day – All of the above or some focused yoga, meditation either in classes or by yourself depending on how advanced you are.
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I would also include some form of journaling as a daily ritual for whatever time you can spare.
Mindfulness is about allowing time for yourself everyday to put into practice rituals that will serve you in your life to move forward. From leaders to community service workers to being the best mother you can be we can all find a mindfulness activity to suit our lifestyle. Each day you will find that you can stay in this ‘mindful’ state for a little longer which allows you to gain clarity, be more creative and focus on what is really important in that moment.
You are worth it. You can do this! Have an amazing weekend.
we RISE together!
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