PMPI Engage - July/August 2016 - (Page 14)
wellness works!
Practice Mindfulness
During Your busy Day
in The WhirlWind
of modern
life, it's not unusual to feel like you're
operating in an anxiety-ridden fog:
multi-tasking, haphazardly knocking items
off your to-do list and fretting about the
past and what's to come.
That's why we can all use a little
mindfulness in our lives. It's been touted
as meditation, the new caffeine, a new
religion, and a new spirituality. There is
nothing inherently new about the practice,
but it is often misunderstood.
WhaT is Mindfulness?
First, let's debunk the myths of
mindfulness: It is not about going into a
meditative trance or falling asleep. In fact,
it is just the opposite: being aware of what
is happening in our minds, in our bodies
and in the world around us.
Mindfulness is a way of being. It's
about being present and alert in the
moment. It's about seeing things as they
are right here, right now, on purpose, and
without judgment. The goal is to approach
situations and challenges with openness
and curiosity, enabling us to appreciate
the underlying purpose and meaning of
our experiences.
14
By Dr. Kim
A benefit of mindfulness is that it is
portable and flexible. You can do it while
stuck in traffic, before a big meeting, or
in a busy airport (no one will notice, trust
me). It does not require big chunks of time:
even one-minute micro-breaks can relieve
tension and help regain focus.
geTTing sTarTed
Mindfulness is like a muscle that needs
to be worked; the more we practice, the
better we are able to recognize negative
or wandering thoughts, sources of stress,
and how the body responds to stress. How
do we do this? By taking a purposeful
pause. When faced with a stressful
situation, notice what goes on in your
body. Hit the pause button, take some
deep breaths and respond thoughtfully
rather than impulsively. Think of
mindfulness as your coping, calming and
resiliency tool.
Many people - especially beginner
meditators - get frustrated and judge
themselves because they have difficulty
keeping thoughts from intruding during
their practice. That's to be expected: the
brain's job is to be always thinking. The
purpose of mindfulness is to make you
aware of your thoughts so that you are
better able to keep them from getting
chaotic and disruptive. When you notice
your mind wandering, simply refocus on
your breathing.
Mindfulness breaks train the brain
and re-charge the mind, and can include
body scanning (mentally "checking in"
from head to toe), breathing exercises,
yoga, walking, and loving-kindness
meditations (reflections of compassion,
kindness, gratitude). Mindfulness at
workplaces is awareness training:
helping employees reduce stress and
anxiety, enabling them to focus and
perform in the moment. Mindfulness
ENgAgE JuLY/AuGuST 2016 VOL. 37 NO. 6
brain breaks at conferences are attention
training: to enhance alertness and
concentration, enabling learners to focus
and retain information.
Here are some tips to re-energize,
re-focus and de-stress:
* Slow down and find time to think,
reflect, create, be silent and just be - as
you define it.
* Avoid negativity by practicing the 3 P's
(positivity, possibilities, peace) and the
3 W's (ask yourself: What went well
today?)
* Create a quiet space where the
busyness stops. This could be a visual
image, a sound or a physical place to
practice mindfulness
* Be a serial mono-tasker. Multi-taskers
make twice as many mistakes parallel
processing compared to performing a
single task.
* Disconnect from technology to
reconnect with yourself, your colleagues
and your surroundings.
* Try an app (e.g., Calm, Happify, Whil,
The Mindfulness App, Yoga Studio,
Pocket Yoga, Daily Yoga, 5-Minute Yoga).
X bytes® offers yoga and mindfulness
video micro-breaks for conferences
and workplaces.
Make you the priority. Practice
mindfulness now. Not Friday, not when
your event ends or after your work
deadline. Mindfulness is a life tool that,
with practice, is readily accessible to you
anytime, anyplace. ■
Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D., is president and
chief exercise officer of Exercise Bytes,
and author of "Sitting is the New
Smoking" blog. Dr. Kim can be reached
at kim@x-bytes.com, 1-855-8xbytes and
www.x-bytes.com.
http://www.x-bytes.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PMPI Engage - July/August 2016
President’s Message
Does Your Brand Earn a 5-Star Review?
MPI Potomac’s Evening of the Stars
Meet the 2016-2017 Board of Directors
Meetings Thought Leadership
Practice Mindfulness During Your Busy Day
Volunteer Spotlight
Destination Spotlight: Boston
Welcome, New Members!
Members on the Move
MPI Potomac Dashboard
Index of Advertisers
PMPI Engage - July/August 2016
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