Finding Peace Amidst the Chaos

It has been a few weeks since many of us have returned to work, and the prospect of starting the new year presents opportunities for us to develop new habits that will enable us to be more resilient and thrive as we work towards our goals.

One of the most underrated aspects of human development and growth is the importance of being silent and mindful. Through the great work some of my colleagues are doing with the Men’s Forum we’ve started at our workplace, we’ve dedicated an hour a week to practice mindfulness. This is led by Elan Hoffman, my experienced colleague who hosts these sessions for us every Thursday morning. I’ve found this practice to be liberating, gives one an opportunity to pause, reflect and respond with a sense of clarity. But it is hard, especially when the mind keeps racing on things that need to be done, deadlines, family responsibilities and other competing demands.

Mindfulness has several benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved focus and concentration, enhanced emotional regulation, and greater self-awareness, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life. I’ve had to reactivate my subscription to my meditation app, ‘Waking Up’ by Sam Harris. In the mornings where I practice meditation, my days end up being more productive, I show up better in various engagements I have with my loved ones, colleagues and other stakeholders.

Sam Harris has a simple approach to reboot your mind, which requires the following steps:

1. Notice when you’re off your centre: Healing begins with awareness.
2. Pause to note it without judgment: Be kind to yourself.
3. Set an intention to reboot your mind in whatever way would serve you best: Self talk is one way, others meditate, or exercise, while others prefer ‘power naps’.
4. Take action. Reboot your mind. Don’t forget healthy nutrition, especially water intake.
5. Move forward from a higher state on your ladder. As you do the practices daily, they may not feel like much in that moment, but incrementally, they’ll make a massive difference.

That’s your challenge this week (and always.) Put this wisdom into practice. Notice when you’re off and take action to shift. There are other useful tools people can use, from Headspace, to Calm and a few others. My preferred one is: https://www.wakingup.com/

Let’s be mindful.

#Mindfulness #Meditation #Awareness #KindToSelf #Reboot