Do you frequently answer that question by saying something like, “Real good, real busy”? There’s a subtle implication that we are good because we are busy. Is that true? Some very compelling research suggests the opposite. We all have peaks and valleys of energy and productivity, what the renowned psychologist and sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman called circadian (daily) and ultradian (shorter, sometimes hourly) rhythms. Paying attention to when we’re most energized and alert, as well as when we need to take a mental break, allows us to do our best work....

2. Listen deeply to learn Listen intently to what is said; listen to the feelings beneath the words. Listen to yourself also. Strive to achieve a balance between listening and reflecting, speaking and acting. You will be invited to share in pairs, small groups, and in the large group. The invitation is exactly that. You will determine the extent to which you want to participate in our discussions and activities....

Here’s a simple set of instructions for one form of walking meditation. There are many variations. This one relies on a pace that is close to how we might walk in everyday life, and in fact it can be adapted for walking in the street—just as long as you remember to pay attention to street lights, other people, and not looking like a zombie.

Barry Boyce: Well I think it’s a stress or pain. That is the immediate thing that drives a lot of us, we feel like you know it should be better than that, it shouldn’t feel this way. And I think as we get there and start to uncover a little bit, a part of what is causing stress is a disconnect between what we think ought to be going on in our minds, and then what’s actually going on in our minds....

Clearly the post strikes a chord among the typical self-critical, stressed out reader, but it also is followed by an avalanche of negative comments, saying things like: “Oh good grief! Americans think so highly of themselves as it is. Really there shouldn’t be more encouragement,” and “If we don’t hold ourselves to high performance standards, how can we, ethically and morally, expect others to meet those standards?” These comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of what self-compassion is, how it contributes to (not undermines) self-accountability, and how it differs from self-esteem....

And if they looked around for the culprit, they never suspected it was me. Female, white, middle-aged me. Getting away with pedestrian road rage is the least of the privileges that age, sex, race, accent, or wealth bring. Being born into one racial or economic group or another—what group is privileged depends on the society, but most of the research focuses on the discrepancies between white and Black people in North America—offers you greater or lesser access to influential networks that can give you that all-important leg up....

Here’s how you can communicate more thoughtfully and effectively via email. Four Mindful Tips to Email More Clearly Try this Mindful Emailing Practice

Notice. To simply sit and notice the breath is one of the oldest meditation practices there is. By settling in and staying with your breath for a few moments, you recognize that awareness is always here. You can trust that your breath will find a natural rhythm and that you can simply notice things as they come and go. Take a moment to drop in and notice the stillness that is always with you....

texting in a crosswalk; falling off the curb while on the phone; speaking loudly on the phone in an enclosed public space; blocking entry by standing in the doorway of a public building; knocking people over by not watching where you’re going, and jaytexting or jaytalking (wandering into the street while using your phone). The by-law is currently applicable only in city-held, public spaces, but proprietors like Sherman Oaks, who operates the Samadee Duplex, would like to be able to enforce it against patrons who don’t turn off their smartphones at the start of his theater’s films....

There are several aspects to meditation that are part of establishing friendship with yourself. One is mindfulness. Mindfulness is keeping track, or keeping a pulse, of being there, in a nonjudgmental way. There is no good or bad. Everything is allowed to be. Among other things, mindfulness is a stabilizing or pacifying influence. The panic of everyday life and every expectation laid on life can subside. This is a huge relief....

It’s my privilege to humbly call in a community of big, wise hearts—who are out there in the world, illuminating the edges of where the practice of mindfulness meets the sharp points of broken systems and battered spirits—and ask them questions about what they’re learning right now, so we can all learn it, too. Learning to Love Yourself As the founders of the Holistic Life Foundation say, “Learning to love yourself is the work of a lifetime....

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, without being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. An area of focus is often used to reach this state of presence. For example, in mindfulness meditation, you might focus on the breath or another “anchor,” such as a pleasant sensation or the feeling of the weight of your body on the chair....

I feel my youngest daughter’s hand on my shoulder and it brings me out of my thought spiral. “Mom, are you okay?” My dog walks over and nudges me on the cheek, as if to mirror my daughter’s question. “Yes,” I manage to squeak out, not that convincingly. I stand up and try to look like I’m not in pain. “I just hurt my ankle. A little ice will help....

In this video from School of Life, philosopher Alain de Botton explains that a standard approach for calming your worried thoughts is to examine each anxiety in turn and find a solution to it. While this may soothe your worries, it doesn’t explain why they appear in the first place. To understand this, de Botton says it’s necessary to look at the big picture. “It can […] be helpful not to look at the specifics of every worry, and instead consider the overall position that worry has come to occupy in our lives,” he says....

Memoir gives you the ability to plop down like the puddle that forms and spreads from the shattering of a glass of milk on the kitchen floor. You watch how the broken glass gleams from the electric light overhead. The form of memoir has leisure enough to examine all this. Memoir is not a declaration of the American success story, one undeviating road, the conquering of one mountaintop after another....

3 Guided Meditations to Find Balance During Moments of Panic 1. Find Stability with Aden Van Noppen The breath is the most common anchor used in meditation because it’s always with us. Our inhales and exhales may change in cadence or depth, but we can rest in assurance that another cycle will follow. In this meditation on impermanence, Aden Van Noppen reminds us that when the outside world feels overwhelming, we can often find inner calm by coming back to the breath....

In order to be inclusive in mindfulness practices we need to know we can explore different anchor points that will be more aligned with our personal neurology. The general spirit of mindfulness is one of acceptance, which includes being present to all that arises through the six senses (eyes, ears, taste, touch, body, mind). However, for those of us who are wired to experience sensory overload when we concentrate on certain senses, we need to choose anchor points that we can practice focusing our concentration on....

Feeling empowered at work is energizing. You approach your job with enthusiasm, as if you have everything to offer, and everything to gain. You sense that your contributions are valued and are eager to share ideas. An empowered organization is the result of a clear mission, good management, and realistic expectations about resources and workload. If you feel disempowered at work, you’re likely stressed out, feel like there’s never enough time and maybe that your contributions don’t matter....

Commitment There’s a cartoon showing a new meditator with a bubble of worries rising from her head. The caption reads: ‘I realize I’ve only been at it for five minutes, but meditation isn’t bringing me the peace of mind I was promised.’ Mindfulness isn’t a quick fix—like any skill, it takes time to learn, and its rewards don’t always come straight away. When we first slow down and look at our minds and bodies, we may notice pain, anxiety, or desperate thoughts....

5 Guided Meditations to Investigate Panic and Anxiety 1. A Meditation for Investigating Panic Attacks 2. A Meditation to Create Space Between You and Your Anxiety 3. A Meditation for Working with Anxiety 4. A Meditation to Sit With Difficult Emotions 5. A Meditation to Explore Anxious Feelings read more Jill Suttie May 28, 2020 Bryan Welch May 12, 2020 Jill Suttie April 9, 2020