How can you incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques to motivate team members during meetings?

Incorporating mindfulness and relaxation techniques into meetings, as I do with a minute of silence at the start of management gatherings, sets a tone of presence and focus. This practice not only calms the mind but also opens up a space for creative collaboration. It allows team members to center themselves, leaving distractions behind, and fully engage with the meeting's agenda. This approach not only enhances productivity but also nurtures a workplace culture that values mental well-being and thoughtful engagement. It may feel awkward and uncomfortable to start off with but hey aren't all practices a little like that when we are experimenting to find what feels right?

More than just breaths...invite each person to notice their 5 senses: touch, hearing, taste, smell and sight...with their eyes closed. It will make each person more present and ready to contribute positively.

In my experience i would rather suggest to be calm, relax and present with active participation. Also being focused with your body language will help to be fresh enough during the meeting instead of moving your hands or shaking of legs will give an opportunity for your other team members that how disturbed you are.

While Breathing exercises are very important, it got unfortunately fluffy connotations for some. In my experience it has been better received when i use ??grounding?? or let’s bring our mind to be here and now. I ask attendees to hold something in their hand or i put an object in the room or the screen related to the context, ask attendees to fixate on it then i start integrating the breathing.

A simple way to start your meeting is to invite everyone to take a few deep breaths together. This can help calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and clear the mind. You can guide your team through a simple breathing exercise, such as inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, and exhaling for four counts. Repeat this for a few minutes, or until everyone feels more relaxed and present. set a positive intention for the meeting. This can help create a shared vision, a sense of purpose, and a positive mindset. You can ask your team to share one word or phrase that describes their intention for the meeting, such as collaboration, creativity, or learning.

I believe you can set positive intention during meetings by doing something as simple as checking in with each of your team members at the beginning of the meeting to see how they’re doing to boost morale, help them feel more present, and increase your connection with them as you start the meeting.

That is definitely a good practice, yet i would suggest to set the intention and share it within the invite. Then at the beginning of the meeting ask the team to share their thoughts, questions or comments on the intention.

Sincere goodwill. Not just about the words, posture and listening, but observe how you feel, and remind yourself of this intention to feel the goodwill, confidence, calm and engagement. Emotional intelligence is something that we often tend to unfairly overlook behind intellect.

Tactical meetings usually lack the structure as they are arranged on an urgent basis to discuss the operational issues. In those scenarios, ‘Mindful & Active listening’ is super crucial to ensure the team is heard properly and everyone is on the same page. The discussion should be oriented towards brainstorming and problem-solving rather than interrupting or judging the counterpart. Believe me, It is a quick win for the small hiccups in business.

Mindful Listening is indeed a pillar for effective communication and efficient meetings. One simple way to integrate is by setting the ground rules and time slots for each member. Then ask other members to share their takeaways or thoughts on previous speaker. By integrating that as a practice it trains the mind of the team members to continuously activate a mindful listening habit.

Information overload can cause boredom, fatigue and even anxiety. Incorporating breaks and stretches provides a great temporary distraction and a moment to decompress and process the information received. It also demonstrates that the organization cares about its employees and their well being.

An often overlooked aspect in meetings. While some individuals may enjoy sitting and looking one way for long many others wouldn’t. Including breaks and stretching shows that you do care!

During breaks and stretches, I like to do simple assynchronous excercies with hands and fingers (simple example when you switch Ok sign and ThumbUp of left and right hands). There are so many of them which can help sharpen the mindfulness and bring back in the moment. Can be easily found on YT.

A long meeting, especially in the age of Zoom and Teams, can not only be taxing for the brain, but also the eyes. Don't just allow your employees to take a moment away from their screens; encourage it! Suggesting to grab a coffee or snack, let out the dog if you work remotely, or just take a quick walk and meet back in five or ten minutes will not hinder your productivity. In fact, it will likely improve it! Let the oxygen flow back into everyone's brains and then meet back refreshed and ready to tackle the challenge head-on.

It is often overlooked but ending team meetings with gratitude is a simple and yet very powerful way to boost morale, foster a positive team culture, and enhance motivation among team members. And more importantly, it doesn’t cost anything. Research has shown that expressing gratitude can have a significant impact on employee engagement, job satisfaction, and overall well-being in the office.

The most effective way to maintain a positive relationship with your team is to ensure they know how valued they are, both as individuals and as a unit. Something I learned from a mentor of mine was that a handwritten note can go a very long way. A great source of team-building can be to pass around papers with the name of each member in large, bold letters right in the centers. Around the names, have everyone write something that the person is just rocking at right now and let them take it home or display it at their work space. Knowing that your team has your back and is cheering you on and is grateful for you can inspire you to make it through all the rough days and on to victory!

On top of those relaxing techniques, I use also mind setting “tricks”. For example, when we have to discusse an protect issue I divide the team in two. One team will be assigned logical tasks, like play 30 min with puzzles or Rubik cube, the other team with creative activities. We have a room with iPads to draw and colour and puzzles, constructions and other items. When the teams join, the different approach between the creative team and the logic team is clear. One of the downside of brain storming is the capability of the brain to tune to others thinking. You think you have reached an agreement, when in reality some minds are subjugated by others. Have you ever received those emails after the meetings: after a second thought… ??

Thinking at all is a bonus, as many in such activities switch off transmission and become merely receivers. Each in their own way, the Cube or the i-pad are modern day boxes or mental prisons. To escape from these dangers, running an Oxford- Cambridge Boat race is not enough. There needs to be an aim to inspire, otherwise you just get a second best of conspiring. One should not under rate the later emails entirely, as any feed back is useful, and they may well contain the odd golden nugget which justifies all the effort put into the team building/barn or brain storming.

I would also include a one word check-in preferably at the beginning of the meeting. It makes every member feel seen and recognized. It also allows them to connect quickly with their state of mind at the moment