Mindfulness Tips From McKinsey & Company
There’s nothing stress relieving about hearing that you should make time to relax when you can’t imagine finding the time! You don’t have to completely overhaul your life. Big changes can come from a few intentional tweaks. Start small and see what works for you.
These are suggestions from Senior Partners, Senior VPs, Research Analysts, and associates at McKinsey & Company who are making the time to prioritize their mental health. Read their tricks for thinking more clearly at work (along for a few tips from me).
Start with 5-10 minutes of mindfulness- Use an app. Pay attention to your breath. Listen to the sounds around you. Aim to “just be” for 5-10 minutes a day. Work will be there when the time is up, and you’ll be more clear-headed to deal with whatever is waiting for you.
Prioritize! Starting your day dealing with emails just leads to stress and being overwhelmed. Instead, make a short list of priorities to keep you focused and on track during the day. Get to know the times of day that you are able to focus the best. Try to plan tasks that need the most brain power during these times.
Attach mindfulness to an existing habit or plan for a few minutes before and after meetings to reflect and clear your mind. For those of us who have worked together…. that’s the “Mindful Moment”!
Monotask! I know. I know. People think they’re good multitaskers- but they’re really just switch tasking. If you’re doing more than one cognitive task at a time, your accuracy and productivity will suffer.
Practice Gratitude- Studies show that the majority of our thoughts are negative or recycled thoughts that we just keep thinking over and over (and over). Counteract negative thoughts with positive ones. Write down 3-5 things you are grateful for every day.
Try choosing one from the list that resonates with you and experiment with it this week. Remember all habits take time to adopt and it’s a process. I’m here to support you. Schedule a discovery call with me to experience a session and to talk about what your mindfulness or meditation goals are whether they’re professional, personal, or both.
You can read the whole article McKinsey & Company article here.