Guest blog by Peter Schupp
Mindfulness can create resilience and harmony in life to enhance perseverance through our greatest challenges.
One challenge being for leaders to retain their top talent, their valued resource, their people.
If I were to ask you whether you find life challenging due to your busy schedule, the chaotic world we live in, judgment from colleagues, or the harshest critic being yourself, along with the constant influx of information causing distraction and fatigue, you might agree that these factors can occasionally leave us feeling overwhelmed.
But what if we were to make this journey easier, more palatable, easier to digest, and even more satisfying including experiencing more positive emotions and life-fulfilling moments along the way?
My life has been rewarded with some of the greatest challenges I could have asked for.
Running my own business in the construction industry and the rocky road to divorce… twice.
Why was it a reward? It’s because we learn more from losing than we can from winning.
My learnings from that time had me reaching for answers from the thought leaders of our time and one such teacher was Jon Kabat- Zinn.
He was the man who coined the term, mindfulness and I would like to share with you 6 mindfulness strategies that I believe can help with day-to-day stressors, and how to keep going with a lighter and brighter outlook toward life and work:
- Awareness
This step is the cornerstone of mindfulness. By taking the time to become aware of our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations we can recognise when we feel frustration, self-doubt, or resistance to difficulties thereby allowing us to choose how we want to carry ourselves through a task or a situation.
- Acceptance
Mindfulness encourages an attitude of acceptance toward our present circumstances, including the challenges and difficulties that arise. Rather than resisting or avoiding these challenges, we can learn to accept them as part of our current experience. Life happens for you, not to you.
- Non-judgment
Mindfulness involves observing thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment or self-criticism. By adopting a non-judgmental stance, we can avoid getting caught up in negative self-talk or self-defeating beliefs, which can quickly derail perseverance. This also helps in detaching from judgemental people’s perception of you—which is a massive win!
- Self-compassion
Be your own cheer team! Mindfulness helps us adopt self-compassion, which involves treating ourselves with kindness and understanding in the face of setbacks or difficulties. Instead of beating yourself up for perceived failures, you can offer yourself support and encouragement, which builds resilience and motivation.
- Focus and concentration
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or deep breathing, can create greater focus and concentration. By training the mind to stay present and focused, we can better direct our attention towards the task at hand, increasing the ability to persevere through challenges. Find a flow state in the single focus attention for something you love to do at work or play.
- Patience
Mindfulness teaches us to cultivate patience, understanding that perseverance is a process that takes time. Rather than expecting immediate results or quick fixes, we can develop a patient attitude towards our goals and the steps required to achieve them. Patience is easy to practice day in and day out with things like opening doors for people longer than expected and finding peace in traffic by combining the many aspects of mindfulness along with patience.
By incorporating mindfulness into our approach toward perseverance through life at work or in the home, we can develop a resilient mindset, overcome obstacles more effectively, and maintain a sense of purpose and determination even in difficult circumstances.
Practicing mindfulness in the smallest ways regularly with meditation, breathwork or journaling becomes not only the best part of my day but it helps throughout the day and becomes the thing I love to do the most.
These mindfulness practices can also be a powerful tool for staff retention. By helping your team develop a more mindful approach to work, you can equip them to better handle stress, challenges, and maintain motivation – all factors that contribute to a happier and more engaged workforce.
This guest blog has been written by Peter Schupp. He is the founder of the GAIM ON app, podcast, and system of wellness. GAIM ON is a positive journaling tool that you can share with your friends. Find your way to Win the Day with GAIM ON!
To know more about Peter Schupp, you may get in touch with him through his email: peter@gaimon.com.au or visit their website www.gaimon.com.au.