DEVELOPMENT
Do you have the tools to stay focused under pressure ?
A new year is an opportunity to reshape our lives , to change elements that we ’ re not comfortable with and grow in ways we are . One month into 2021 : have you made decisions to positively impact the direction of your life ?
THE EXPERT
Sabina is the founder and developer of the Meditate Now 1:1 Corporate Mindfulness model and has made meditation an integral part of her life and career . After discovering a pattern of behaviour where her work colleagues were constantly feeling tired , anxious and were underperforming at work , Sabina wanted to make a difference . Over the last 10 years , she has helped 100s of professionals become more present in their day-to-day life through her workshops and one-on-one Meditate Now program .
2020 was a year of inordinate change — metaphorically and in some cases , physically , our lives were turned upside down as a result of the pandemic . Organisations pivoted , jobs were lost , families kept apart , children home-schooled , and new learnings developed . It ’ s been hard to keep up with the frenetic pace of change .
It feels somewhat as though 2020 was ‘ done unto us ’ and to that extent , it was a reactive year in which we responded to events beyond our control , but in many cases felt powerless to take control of our own lives . It ’ s still challenging to predict the rapidly changing course of events , but within a difficult set of circumstances , we ’ ve still had room to manage our own response throughout the whole crisis . Did you manage to respond in the way you ’ d have liked , or did the rising overwhelm and stress takeover ?
There ’ s little doubt that as a society , we learnt an incredible amount in 2020 — we acquired an outer resilience that perhaps wasn ’ t there before , we learnt what is important to us ; what makes us passionate about life ; how important it is to plan , to prepare ; and how resilience can see us through the most challenging parts of life , if only we dare to persevere and stay agile in our response . We now know that resilience is our mode of transport to carry us through difficult situations and to proactively seek ways to better manage the hurdles we come across in life .
So , how can you re-ground yourself when the obstacles appear at work and you ’ re finding it challenging to stay calm ? Your role as an EA is to keep a clear head but we know when under stress , that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain doesn ’ t perform as it should , and decision making is impaired . You ’ re probably always on the go , so the first action to take to become more mindful , is to just stop for a few minutes . Even if you ’ re at your desk , concentrate on taking a few deep , slow breaths and focus only on the flow of your breathing . Mindfulness is about becoming more aware of the present and calming your ‘ fight or flight ’ mode — it ’ s teaching yourself to learn to switch off , even momentarily . Short bursts of meditation can do wonders for your productivity , focus and stress levels — if you ’ re new to mindfulness , try a short-guided meditation from Sound Cloud to get you started , all you need is 3 minutes . https :// soundcloud . com / sabina-vitacca / mini-mind-nap-3minute
Another way you can equip yourself with the right tools to tackle 2021 is to learn the SBNRR technique ( Stop , Breathe , Notice , Reflect and Respond )— well known for its ability to instantly refocus , calm and take shape of your own reaction . It ’ s a technique that I used to practice regularly as an EA in busy times of stress , and I highly recommend that you adopt it , too .
Stop : Literally stop what you ’ re doing and what you ’ re thinking . Breathe : One of the key principles to mindfulness and meditation : focus on your body for just a moment , take deep breaths and create an imaginary space between you and the causer of stress . Notice : What are you feeling right now ? Observe your own feelings and how they ’ re making you physically feel . Acknowledge your feelings and accept that they are valid but will pass . Reflect : Tap a little deeper into yourself , what is making you feel this way ? By understanding the reasoning behind your overwhelm or negative emotions , you can find ways to bypass them and communicate better with those around you . Respond : Take just one more moment before you respond . Allow yourself the gift of time and provide a conscious response , which is far more considered than a snap reaction . It ’ ll also buy you more respect and inner calm in just about any relationship — business or personal .
It ’ s time to assess what ’ s in your control and take positive action to run your own show for the rest of 2021 , not let it run you . S
www . meditatenow . com . au
52 Chief of Staff | Issue 1 2021