A medicine may or may not be a pill, but meditation is always medicine.
Today I want to talk about THAT medicine.
It is scientifically proven that meditation can benefit your brain by increasing focus; reducing stress, anxiety, and depression; improving memory, emotional awareness, and OVERALL HAPPINESS.
Doesn’t that sound like a good pill to take?
I have to admit though – it took me many years to understand this fact.
Being born in the 50s, I was a teenager during the Flower-Power years. I loved The Beatles! John was my favorite, and I still have all my vinyl records tucked away in a safe space.
In my world, I could not understand why there was so much hush-hush around it. You had to pay big money to learn the art of meditation and you got your private mantra – A MANTRA NEVER TO BE TOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE – or else…
BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN TO YOU.
Yes, that was the “story”.
I personally, was more into science and was repelled by the mysticism that was built up around the business – which was big that time.
Years went by and I did not think about meditation at all.
UNTIL ONE DAY, in 2015 – I attended a big event in California about “Building Your Online Business”, as I had started my own business ‘AskDrAnnika‘ a few years earlier and was ready to go global.
There were around 900 people in the room, and the session was about “Taking Good Care of Yourself While Working Online”.
He said: “NOW WE WILL MEDITATE TOGETHER”.
I WAS STARTLED.
My first thought was: “You are crazy, I don’t have a mantra and I guess most people don’t have one”.
Then he asks: “How many of you meditate?” and about 100 HANDS went up. That confirmed my suspicions – he was crazy to do meditation with just that small group of people.
BUT THEN he said: “We will all do this together. We will use the word ‘RELEASE’. Close your eyes and repeat the word SLOWLY OUT LOUD, if you can.”
And we all sat there, eyes closed, slowly repeating the word ‘RELEASE’ for 10 minutes.
AND IT WORKED!
Since that day, I use meditation as a tool in my de-stress work toolkit. Not my ‘teenage version’ of hush-hush and big business – BUT AS A FREE TOOL TO USE FOR ANYONE.
One of the most studied BENEFITS of meditation is STRESS RELIEF. It even relieves anxiety and can even boost your immune system.
THINK OF IT LIKE THIS:
“Your brain is a computer, with many windows and programs open at the same time. Meditation helps you close out windows you don’t need and use for the moment.”
That way, you can focus on what is essential and you will PERFORM ON A HIGHER LEVEL.
Today, I know there are a ton of different ways to meditate, and we all have different preferences. There is the “Breathing Anchor”, “Mantras”, “Guided Meditations”, or just simple walking, coloring, painting, stitching, or other textile handicraft.
You just need to find out what works for you.
I myself am a fan of textile handicraft meditational effects, and I have been doing textile projects all my life like weaving, sewing, stitching, and so on. So I, for one, am a witness to its calming effects.
I now encourage you to now TAKE A SHORT BREAK before you scoot on to your next thing.
Close your eyes and say the word “RELEASE” slowly for a few minutes, and may the rest of your day thereafter be calm, effective, and fun.
If you liked this – GET MORE EFFECTIVE TOOLS HERE.
Halfway into the first month of the year and with the celebrations past us, we are back to the reality of life – and most of our New Year Resolutions are – well, forgotten.
In most cases, that is a fact.
We generally feel elated with the idea of new year. We see new possibilities, set new goals, take on new opportunities, and even make all kinds of promises to ourselves – but then the moment we realize that we’re back into our daily lives, we lose track of everything; and since that is the life that we know, we find it easier to stay rather than move forward.
And just like that, our so-called promises, our #NewYearsResolution – disappears in thin air.
The question is, does it always have to be like that? Or perhaps, is there anything that we can do to stop the cycle from happening?
Of course there is one. Actually, there’s a lot; but this one is my favorite:
“RAISE YOUR STANDARDS – so you can turn your ‘SHOULDS’ into ‘MUSTS’.”
Now why, that out of all the possible things we can do, I chose this one? My answer would be simple – it’s because I believe that once you get to do this, the rest will follow.
Your standard is something that you set – something that you have the ability to control. You decide which level you want to be on.
So when I said ‘Raise your standards’, I meant that if you are stressed out, overweight, or you are a smoker, but didn’t want to be any of those – you don’t get to find excuses not to change. Because if you do, then that is the standard you set for yourself.
But where ‘MUST’ you start? Here are some steps that can help you:
Define what you want to achieve;
Identify how far you are from your goal;
List the specific steps you plan to take in achieving your goal;
Implement; and
Celebrate when you succeed – celebrate with everyone around you.
AND above all, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO RAISE YOUR STANDARDS.
This upcoming week I will travel through half of Sweden to a far away place and work in a health care center for 7 days.
Why do I take valuable time from my business to do that? There are several reasons.
First of all to help out. There is always a lack of doctors in Primary Care in Sweden. In this Corona virus era the lack is even bigger.
Because you are not allowed to work if you have any symptoms. Because a lot of the doctors are of high age and more at risk. Because some primary care doctors go to work in other facilities in internal medicine to help out there. Plus, some doctors are scared and don’t dare to work with patients right now, just like many others.
I am not scared, I am not in a risk group and I have the ability to use some of my time on this. This is my first reason.
Second, I want to stay updated. If I am going to do a good job as a mentor for stressed out business leaders I need to be up to date in my knowledge.
What does the world look like today?
What does science say?
What do people seek help for?
Are there any new big findings?
These are questions I get updated on when going out in real life and work.
And third, of course it gives some money to my company so I can keep working on developing my de-stress business. It also makes it possible for me to contribute to good causes, like being interviewed for both the EvolveUp for PeaceWeekend two weeks ago and for the Suicide Prevention Show taking place last week.
Both of those interviews were deep discussions about serious stuff. But nevertheless, it was fun discussions with lots of smiles and laughter. You see, smiles and laughter help our brain to produce feel good hormones. That helps us to feel calm and focused and the discussion leads towards solutions instead of towards anxiety.
You could say that a smile is one of the most important and powerful tools for stress management!
The video for the other interview is not up yet. I will share it as soon as I get it.
Do you to go off your trail in your current life to expand, help out, learn more or just to get away for a week or two? Whether you do or not write your thoughts on a piece of paper and ponder about it. What could you try out? Is there a place I can go to get new ideas and be updated? Write pros and cons and maybe you will come up with your next big thing in life! And put a smile to your thoughts! What is your next step?
It’s just under a week since I got back from TEDx San Juan Island, where I gave my second TEDx talk. The theme of the event was “Origins” which was a great subject to work with when it comes to stress because as humans stress is our primal reaction to danger from both a physical and mental perspective.
I can’t wait to share the video of the talk I gave which was called “The Key To Staying Calm In A Stressed Out World”, but until that becomes available I wanted to share my journey and experiences of TEDx San Juan Island.
Giving a TEDx talk is a pretty major thing for anyone and for me it was no exception. It’s an incredible platform to influence and spread your message both at the event and then digitally afterwards. For me, I got to influence leaders of the future at the event and I will be able to share the video of my talk to my online audience of business leaders and corporate executives for years to come.
But, with all of these positives comes the equal pressure to create/write the perfect talk, perform it on stage (in English) and deliver my message to thousands if not hundreds of thousands of audience members and online viewers.
Even though this was my second TEDx talk and I thought maybe it would be an easier process this time, I was definitely challenged to create an even more valuable talk. The hands on approach of the team was welcomed as they guided me to bring out my message and tweak it to fall in line with their vision for the event.
I’ll admit that sometimes it was overwhelming and sometimes I could feel the stress creeping in as I prepared the talk, and then got down to the business of learning it and rehearsing/“performing” it.
Remember, I’m Swedish and although I speak fluent english it’s can still be daunting to stand up and give a talk from memory in a different language.
So, what did I do to overcome the stress creeping in?
First I went back to basics and made sure to take care of myself by keeping to my daily routines of gently exercising, sleeping well and eating at regular times.
Your daily routines are the foundations of your health and help you in managing your stress and getting through your day calmly.
Secondly, I prepared and organised myself to make sure I had enough time to put the work into the project.
One of the major triggers of stress is being unprepared and disorganised, and although we can “wing” some things in our lives and in the workplace, being prepared keeps things calm and on track. Plus, it gives you the extra time to deal with the things that will go wrong or change on the way.
Thirdly, I reached out for help from experts.
Reaching out for help is a big sign of strength (not weakness like most people think). We’re not supposed to be experts at everything and it’s ok to say. “Ok, I need some help with this to get it right!” In fact you’re more likely to be successful if you work with others towards your goals.
Leaders just like you will be faced with events and projects that will feel daunting and you could instantly feel a wave of stress rushing over you, or you can remember that there is a process that can help you achieve the goal of the event or project successfully and more importantly….Calmly!
It’s so important that we enjoy the journey towards our goals and we miss out on that if we are stressed out!
In summary:
When you’re faced with a daunting task, check in on yourself and remember to:
Eat energizing, healthy foods regularly. Sleep regular hours every night to rest your body and mind. Exercise your body to boost your energy and clear your mind.
Be prepared and organised. Take some time out before you start to map out everything that needs to be done and by when, giving yourself a little extra time for unexpected things.
Reach out for help. Find the people who are good at the things you’re struggling with. Let them help and guide you so that you learn from them and overcome the obstacles without wasting time trying to work it all out yourself.
If this has helped you in any way, please share your journey or questions in the comments below, and if you feel like you need a bit of extra help you can download my e-book,Leadership With Less Stress, below to set you up with the foundations of stress management.
To your success!
P.s. I’m hoping to get the TEDx San Juan Island talk back on video in the next month but until then (and in case you missed it) here is my talk from Tedx PSU Berks.
I’m so happy to be able to finally share the video of my Tedx PSU Berks talk from last November. It really was such an honour to be up there on stage in the company of all the other great speakers.
At this event I talked about harnessing our own power to overcome the stresses that we all suffer each and every day. As leaders in business we have to juggle so many different things and we are often trying to troubleshoot so many problems that it can be overwhelming. Adding to that trying to maintain and happy home life and social life then it’s no wonder that we can be left feeling exhausted mentally and physically.
The problem that most don’t realise is that it doesn’t matter how strong we think we are and it doesn’t matter how much we think we can cope with it all because stress is stronger and will eventually make us sick physically, and for sure, not be able to be at our best mentally.
That’s why stress management is so important for the leaders of today, for your workforce and just about everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or a man and it doesn’t matter if you’re running a small business alone or the head of an international company because stress doesn’t discriminate.
We can’t run away from stress either or think we can get rid of it because we need it!
We just need to manage it so that we can work at our best at all times and live a happier and more relaxed life.
After suffering the effects of stress myself and seeing many patients become sicker and sicker through stress in my time as a medical doctor, I have made it my passion to help and educate leaders in the business world and beyond to help people lead a better life and become more successful in their work.
If you have a chance to support a Tedx event in your own town, I really do urge you to go. Not just to support the people who work so hard to put it together but to absorb the great knowledge and experience.
Here are a few pictures from the event….
This is not the end of my Tedx journey as I will be speaking at the TedxSanJuanIsland in June 2019 and I will update you of the schedule as soon as it’s released.
If you enjoyed this talk and think that this is something that could help you personally and/or in your workplace then please get in touch via the contact form or click here to book a free call with me.
Today I’m out on my daily walk. I’ve done daily walks since so many years back and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever started doing. It’s not a routine it’s a ritual because I can’t live without it any longer.
So today I wanted to talk to you a little about why am I doing this and why would this stress management benefit lady leaders too.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
