DEVELOPMENT
Mindfully building resilience to change
The past year has brought with it many changes in the business world . While most corporate employees are , hardened to transformation and change , the pandemic has brought about its own challenges to executive assistants and their teams surrounding them .
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 .
Change is one of those words that either inspires excitement at the prospect of new innovation , or dread at the prospect of heavier workloads and altering priorities to meet the new goalposts . The realities of the past year mean the face of organisations has changed , which has had a dramatic flow-on effect for teams and in particular , EAs . Managing stressed executives , competing priorities , uncertain teams and shifting projects have become par the course for many EAs . In isolation , many of these elements are challenging to deal with , but when coupled with additional challenges such as remote working , leadership change and possibly home schooling , it ’ s fair to say that EAs have been under the pump while still expected to play a pivotal role in the running of departments and organisations .
Change fatigue has started to manifest itself in many organisations , with employees feeling the strain of constant change and the uncertainty of working in a global pandemic . Characterised by mental and physical exhaustion , a distinct lack of enthusiasm and a lack of optimism about the change , change fatigue is a real risk to the continued effective operation of any organisation . As time passes , the greater this fatigue sets in , the harder it becomes to show any resilience to the ongoing reel of changes . While the realities of the pandemic and our digital transformation are here to stay , there are practical ways in which EAs can support themselves , the EA community and their wider teams in dealing with the unpredictability of a modern organisation .
Mindfulness helps us to bring awareness to any given situation . The more we practice mindfulness , the more we build and align our inner resources , which help us to manage and strengthen our resilience to change . The face of a crisis is exactly when we need to be building our resilience and our ability to cope internally with change . Our mental state impacts upon how we react to an already challenging situation and our natural instinct is to dwell on the negative or become distracted at work , especially during times of crisis . However , by building our natural resilience through mindfulness , we ’ re helping to notice our own thoughts and are able to quickly rebalance ourselves through disassociation with negative thought patterns . It ’ s almost like recalibrating our expectations by practicing focusing our minds on the present , not on the distractions surrounding us .
Much like our external bodies , our brains are wonderful muscles that are shaped by the way in which we train them . Much like a fitness guru trains their muscles through regular exercise and healthy eating , which helps shape the way their muscles form and the way their body looks , someone who practices mindfulness is helping to form new positive connections among all the neurons in the brain . The more a muscle is used , the fitter it becomes and the better its memory develops .
As a busy EA , there are simple , easy to practice methods you can use on the go to develop your brain ’ s neuroplasticity : w As people connectors , EAs are often involved in multiple projects simultaneously . Taking a moment to apply SBNRR — Stop , Breathe , Notice , Reflect , Respond — to a situation that may be inflammatory , can mean the difference between calming or diffusing the heat . w As an EA , you ’ ll be used to planning . But how often do you plan your responses to the triggers that may set you on edge ? Take a moment to think about what stresses you the most . Start planning how you ’ ll react with kindness and consideration , instead of responding in haste , and watch your reaction change . Most importantly , feel how much less stressful a more mindful reaction can be . w Take a moment . Maintaining high energy in a busy role doesn ’ t leave much opportunity for introspection to absorb what ’ s going on ; assess and become more aware of how you ’ re feeling and what you ’ re thinking . Reserving even five precious moments to complete a short meditation can help reset your energy and bring back your focus . There are a few great bite-sized meditations on my SoundCloud to get even a beginner going ( soundcloud . com / sabina-vitacca ). S www . meditatenow . com . au .
60 Executive PA | Summer Issue 2021