“Did I read that wrong?”, you wonder. “Certainly she didn’t mean mindlessness.”
Let me confirm that was not a typo.
There’s much being written and practiced about mindfulness these days. I agree it’s a skill that should be cultivated. I teach mindfulness techniques to my clients, supporting them to be strategic and intentional about their life and career. It’s also a topic in one of the upcoming small group coaching circles. But I also want us to not always be thinking. Wondering what I’m talking about? Read the feature article below.
Warm regards,
Susan
Feature Article
Cultivating Mindlessness
The definition of mindFULness is “the state of always being conscious or aware of something”. Most of the time in our lives we need to be conscious and aware of what is happening around us. It helps us manage our emotions and reactions. But there are times when we need to be mindLESS. This is when we are performing an activity that is so automatic that we can do so without any thought.
A study published by Georgetown University and presented at Neuroscience 2013 suggested that mindfulness, while having many benefits, can also limit the formation of good habits. In other words, there are some things that are just better and more efficient for us to do without having to think about them. Brushing your teeth is one example. We need to practice mindfulness with an intention, but we also need downtime. Time to be mindless.
This is time when we refresh and reinvigorate ourselves. Time when we reserve and replenish our cognitive energy. I find that running (once I get past the initial stage of being miserable) is a mindless activity for me. Because I don’t have to think about it, it becomes a form of meditation. Meditation is a way of calming our mind and releasing it from the need to be constantly processing.
In addition to running, I use a breathing activity as a simple meditation to calm my mind. I sit quietly and breathe…focusing only on my breath for one minute. I start most of my mornings with a four-minute breathing exercise, followed by one-minute meditations several times throughout the day. It helps clear my mind, relax me and renews my energy. Just sitting in a pleasant environment and being still can create downtime for your mind.
Finding ways to still your mind is essential. It allows you to make space for a silent or moving meditation in your routine every day. You will feel refreshed, focused and have an improved ability to be mindful.
After your next session of mindlessness, I hope you will feel centered and eager to join my next small group series, “Coaching Over Coffee”. This week’s topic is “Having Difficult Conversations with Ease”.
New Workshop for your Company: “Taking Command of Your Stress Response” – This workshop is now available for private groups. If your company or department is struggling with low morale or incessant change which is impacting productivity and employee satisfaction, contact Susan for more info on this half day workshop. They will come away energized with new tools to use in and out of the workplace to enhance well being.
About Susan
Susan Hodge created Women Leading Together in order to provide one-on-one executive coaching, seminars, workshops, and coaching circles to help career women move forward to create fulfilling professional lives. Visit our newly redesigned website at www.WomenLeadingTogether.com
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Events
Curious about how coaching can support your success in 2018? Sign up for a 20-min consultation at Women Leading Together to see if Individual Career and Executive Coaching is right for you! For more info email Susan.
Introducing the fall series, “Coaching Over Coffee”. Choose one at a time or a package of three. Click here for more information and registration.
Invite Susan to speak at your organization, conference, special event or women’s group. All presentations are an interactive experience where each participant will come away with something new to support her career. Click here for a sample list of topics.
