Wellness
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Are You Working Well?
RACHEL MILFORD, CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR AT PNEUMA LAB, OFFERS A SIMPLE CHECK-IN FOR EVENT PROFESSIONALS HEADING INTO A DEMANDING Q4
2 026 has been a fast,
unsettled year – geopolitically loud, economically uncertain, shorter timelines on every request, and it’ s not slowing down. Before you head into Q4, it’ s worth pausing to ask a question we rarely ask ourselves in this industry:‘ How do you want to feel’? Most people wait until they ' re depleted to ask that question. But your state isn ' t one thing. It shifts by the hour, the meeting, the deadline. Naming it is the fastest way to work with it instead of against it.
How do you want to feel throughout this quarter? 1. Calm and steady? Ground is the state for steadiness when things are moving too fast to think clearly – back-to-back site visits, a technical issue mid-show, a schedule that keeps shifting. Try this breathing pattern: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6. Repeat three times. That ' s enough to settle your system before you react.
2. Elevated and connected? Uplift is the state for moments that need warmth – a team check-in, a difficult client conversation, arriving home after a long day. Try this: ask yourself one affirming question,‘ What am I ready to receive?’ Let the answer arrive as a feeling, not a plan. It shifts you out of task-mode and into presence.
3. Activated and engaged? Energise is the state for momentum – pitching, problem-solving, the final push
before a deadline. Try this: stand up, shake out your hands, roll your shoulders back and step outside for two minutes, if you can. Activation starts in the body before it shows up in your focus.
The check-in You don ' t need an hour or a retreat to do this. Pick the word closest to what you need this week – ground, uplift, or energise – and let it be your filter for the next few days. Say no to what pulls you away from it. Say yes to what moves you toward it.
Above: Rachel Milford
Q4 is coming whether you’ re ready or not. The only question worth asking first is: what state do you want to walk into it in? n
n Rachel Milford is a 2026 Smart Women in Meetings Entrepreneur Award recipient, co-founder and managing Director of Pneuma Lab, based in Las Vegas. She spent 25 years designing incentive programmes and corporate events around the world. www. pneumalab. com
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