By DonnaLyn Giegerich
Stressed out leaders in life and business have gotten the green light from enlightened companies and scientific researchers that praise the power of pausing.
Senators from Ohio are promoting meditation and CEOs are approving classes in ayurvedic nutrition and holistic learning to support their teams. Studies indicate that even a 10-minute nap will improve cognitive function and vitality for your “central executive” during a distressful day.
So who’s not up for a little rockin’ restoration as we attempt to keep the pace all day? We’ve just returned from another insurance leadership conference in the beautiful state of Kentucky and here’s what attendees wanted more of after business as usual was accomplished:
Daydream more. Meetings less. Most of us are looking for places to improve our energy groove between life’s demands and business quotas. You may not have to move very much or very far to maximize your moneymaker. Start with taking mind naps to pretty places. Neuroscientists at Stamford are knee-deep in research supporting the efficacy of daydreaming in our leadership lives. The research suggests that our lives largely seesaw between tasks that require great attention and others that do not. The important part of the research centers on compartmentalizing our days to avoid distraction to get important things done. That means segmenting the day in chunks to include time to review major reports, evaluate metrics, keep meetings on point and check/respond to priority emails. The science suggests that switching “on and off” amongst multiple tasks consistently throughout the day impedes progress. Think about how many times you check emails all day as a popular impediment to completing priority tasks for targeted deadlines. The argument is, if you’d like to be more creative and more focused without feeling scattered and overwhelmed, take breaks regularly amidst prioritized work deadlines. Try to become more aware of the temptation to be distracted and make strides toward tightened productive processes.
Breathe to succeed. The next time you feel overwhelmed, push back and try this mantra: Slow Down or Begin Again. On the inhale, silently say to yourself “slow” and on the exhale “down” or when you’ve become distracted, try “begin” on the inhale and “again” on the exhale. Remain in a comfortably seated position and commit to several rhythmic breathing rounds until you feel your shoulders relax away from your ears and your seat to root into your chair. Notice how tension starts to melt away as you silently steady yourself into a place of less stress and strain by repeating the mantra with the relaxed breathing pattern. The end game is to center for greater clarity in an effort to savor more and struggle less.
Get connected to nature. After our business conference in Louisville, we jumped on the rolling hills of the scenic loop in Cherokee Park to join the other 500,000 visitors per year that enjoy Frederick Olmstead’s landscaped architectural delight. There’s nothing like being able to bring it all together by celebrating the early signs of autumn while daydreaming and breathing deeply to celebrate the “central executive” of our leadership lives! Namaste.
DonnaLyn Giegerich MBA CIC RYT is an integrated businessowner, professional speaker, workshop leader and lifelong learner. Learn more about upcoming programming at www.donnalyn.org/workshops . Facebook & Twitter @DonnaLynSpeaks.
