As I begin this post, I’m aware that I have been trying for 4 hours to get enough quiet so that I can concentrate and write. My first impulse is that my schedule, my commitments, my world is doing this to me! But I was the one to make the decision to follow an old insidious rule in my head that perhaps plagues you too – the one that says I have to somehow EARN this time. And the only way to EARN that time is to make myself crazy getting everything else on the To Do List DONE. Big Trap. And I keep falling into it. Just like those potholes in that Dr. Seuss book “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” The places I’ve gone today have been everywhere but where I want to be….. in front of my computer – writing. And finally, at 4 PM…I’m here. But of course, I have 1 hour left before the After Work To Do List pops up. But for now, I’m here. But am I? Am I really HERE? Present? Available for my inner wisdom/muse/inspiration/best productive capacity? Not so much. What would it take to get me HERE?
It’s too bad really, that Mindfulness still has a quirky reputation in the work world. With lingering old hippie, New Age-y woo woo connotations. But in the same way that western medicine is slowly opening to the benefits of eastern, alternative practices, mindfulness is also making inroads. Of course there will be push back, and not just from the entrenched hierarchy. Ashok Nalamalapu, who runs iCST, shared his experience introducing mindfulness as a way to encourage richer and more satisfying experiences in meetings. One employee was so put off by this new possibility that she quit. But apparently, the rest of the staff have noticed a definite improvement, and refer to meditation as a “useful tool” to clear the mind and become more focused. Nalamalapu has even noticed an increase in creativity and willingness to take risks in his employees…. traits essential for innovation, engagement and productivity.
The benefits of mindfulness and meditation are not new and have proven themselves in multiple research trials, such as a Dutch study on the impact of mindful meditation on innovation. General Mills, Google and Intel, among other global corporations have utilized mindfulness as way to relieve chronic stress and to encourage better communication.
If they can do it, I can do it and you can too. Without gaining much notice from anyone else. Let’s get to the HOW of being HERE.
I’ve found my mind to be a major obstacle in meditating. I know I’m just supposed to watch those thoughts float by, but I get caught up in them far too easily. So here’s 2 strategies for focusing my mind that I’ve tried that have actually worked within 2 minutes or less….
Breathing Breaks: Just like the name, these are breaks between activities where all you do is breathe. Try it. Before you move on from this post to something else, just take between 3 and 5 mindful breaths. Then move on to the next task. I’ve found that I can do this quietly, anywhere, and no matter what I’m prepping for: a presentation, writing a proposal, dealing with a phone call from my mother…..this strategy quickly centers and calms me and lets me drop my experience of the past and… Bingo. I’m HERE and available for whatever’s next. I just have to REMEMBER to implement this strategy.
3-2-1: This is a brilliant and simple method of engaging the mind in tracking your sensory experiences. It too can be done anywhere, and I like it because it gives my mind something to do. It does NOT require me to be in a quiet space or to block out what is around me. But it does provide a certain mental distance that appears to be a necessary element of gaining the meditative perspective. Here’s how it works: Be in a position that you can stay in for about 3 minutes: sitting or standing or even lying down, it doesn’t matter. Now focus your attention on 3 things you can see. They don’t have to be beautiful, interesting or compelling. Stationary items would be helpful. Just breathe into these 3 things and see if you can limit your focus to only these 3 items that you can see. Now close your eyes (optional, but helpful for some of us) and focus on 3 things you can hear. Same routine: experiment with whether you can focus your hearing on only these 3 sounds. Breathe into them and move on to 3 physical sensations you are experiencing. Your feet in your shoes. Your hands in your lap. The tension in your neck. Breathe into that tension and feel it release just a little. Again, focus on these 3 sensations. Then you repeat the activity with 2 things you can see, hear and feel. Then 1 thing you can see, hear and feel. By the time you get down to one thing you can feel, just notice if you feel any different from where you started. I’ll bet money that you have slowed down and at the very least, are much more present than when you started. And in 3 minutes or less!
Headspace: For the app-inclined, there are, of course, multiple options, but the one I like is one my teenage daughter actually turned me on to. Headspace is created and narrated by Andy Puddicombe and comes in several usefully titled packages: Balance, or Wellness or Stress Relief, to name just a few. You can customize it for the time you require: from 10 to 15 to 20 minutes and Andy’s British accent is pretty nice too! Put on your headphones, sign up for a trial, try 10 minutes for 10 days, and see if you might just like it enough to fork over the $70 plus dollars per year. I was surprised that I did just that and this year I even renewed.
Now I just have to remember not to jump down that 5 PM pothole. At least not until I’ve done my Breathing Break!
*Think maybe your group/team/cohorts might benefit from some mindfulness? Check out Shift/POV, the new facilitation tool for group decision making. The Random Factor elements have prompts that are straight out of Pema Chodron’s playbook. Or maybe Seth Godin’s. Either way, they may just detoxify and inspire that next staff meeting…..
Happy Breathing!