Imagination is something we tend to associate with children. Unless you are in a stereotypically imaginative field, like the arts, for example, imagination is something you probably don’t exercise that often as an adult.

As we grow older, we tend to question more. We tend to worry more. Life, when it is at its hardest, can make flights of fancy and exercises of the imagination seem trivial or like a waste of time. However, I put to you that imagination is one of the most underrated tools an adult can have. Not only can imagination help us in many parts of our lives, but it can also help to breed happiness and resilience. Indeed, if you are into mindfulness, then a sharp imagination can be very useful for visualisation and right-brain cognitive function.

If you fear that you don’t have much of an imagination, or that it is lost to the archives of childhood, then worry not. Imagination is like a muscle, it just needs a bit of exercise. Here are a few reasons why I think it is worth giving your imagination a workout.

1.     It Helps You To Dig Out Of A Rut

When one is in a rut it can be hard to see a way out, let alone act in it. Part of being able to lift ones-self out of a bad headspace is to visualise a moment beyond the dark moment you are currently in and to conceive how you might move towards such a time.

Also, if you have tried everything that you would normally try to lift your spirits and put yourself back on track, imagination will help you. It will make you more able to conceive activities, mind frames and coping mechanisms you may not actually have experienced before.

2.     Creativity at Work

Pretty much every job on earth will require, at some point, a problem to be solved. An imaginative mind is able to come up with an array of creative ideas and solutions in a way that a mind without a well-exercised imagination might not. To be known as somebody who can come up with creative solutions, and can add value in that way, can only be a positive thing.

Not only is it good to be this person, but you will find problems in general much easier and less stressful to solve.

3.     Being In Your Own Head is More Interesting

Devices, for all their amazing functions and capacities to keep us entertained, are the death of imagination. They do not require us to have one, as they are doing all that imaginative work for us. This means that, if ever you are without a device in front of your eyes, your thoughts are not likely to be a particularly interesting place to be.

There are two solutions here. Either make sure you always have a device on you, should you have some time to kill, or spend some time in your own head exercising your imagination. I think we can all agree, that the latter is probably the healthier and more mindful option. I often exercise my imagination in these moments by designing my dream home in my head or revisiting my favourite holiday destination, Greece, in my mind.

4.     Improves Cognitive Function

There is a study out there that proves those who play musical instruments have better connectivity between the left and right sides of their brain than those who don’t. See here, if you are interested. Imagination, similarly, uses both sides of the brain. When the two sides of our brain communicate with each other, our overall cognitive function improves. Imagination not only makes you happier, but it also makes you smarter!

By Chris Thomson

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten-day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post How Imagination Breeds Happiness appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

It will not have escaped any of you that life is pretty challenging right now. At the time at which this post is being released we are nearing the review date of the UK’s third lockdown, and who knows how much longer some, or indeed many, of us will continue to be treated to the familiar confines of our own homes. This year has been a feat of resourcefulness for many of us; finding ways to uplift ourselves and keep on top of our resilience and wellbeing has taken energy and creativity. That being said, I think I speak for us all when I say that one of the biggest issues with being locked down is how boring it is.

Boredom has taken on a whole new meaning in the last twelve months. The banana bread and jigsaw puzzle phase has long since passed, and many of us are struggling to keep ourselves, yes entertained, but more crucially, mentally active.

Boredom busting tips are useful at any time, but they are especially handy after the well of ideas has become a little parched. So, here are a few tips on how to spend a little less time feeling bored, and to keep your resilience afloat as we continue to live a confined life for a little while longer.

1. Structure

This is something I have personally found extremely valuable in the past months. Having a structure for your day, however loose, is hugely helpful when evading boredom. Part of boredom is feeling hopeless, useless, and out of control of your life… like you haven’t got the energy to ‘do stuff’. A short to do list for each day will help you to find things to do as well as giving you the uplift of having been productive. It only needs to be short; three or four things. Here is an example of a list I completed last week…

• Hang up that picture in the lounge
• Play the piano
• Empty all the bins
• Try that new recipe for dinner

Try it. Write your list every evening for the next day and see if it makes a difference to both your boredom levels and how much you can get done!

2. Find A New Hobby

My wife has a new hobby. She has decided to learn how to decorate cookies to a high standard. This has taken her away from entire evenings binging TV shows. Instead, she is now excited to try a new technique, or a new design. She is so pleased to be using her brain in a creative way again. Learning something new doesn’t gave to be a drag, and it really can be anything you like.

3. Make Plans with People

We are all bored of Zoom. I think that’s fair. Zoom is no replacement for actually hugging your friends. That being said, even though I often dread zoom calls before they happen, imagining the long conversations about the fact that nothing is going on, I always feel so much better for having connected with other people. Connection is key to our wellbeing, whatever form it might take. And it doesn’t have to be a video call. Plan that walk in the park. Plan to play that PS5 game online with your mate. Although it might feel like fruitless effort, it will nourish you, and, frankly, it will take up some time!

4. Make A Fuss Over Your Go-To Indulgences

I love TV and I love movies. I have watched a lot of both of those things in the last year. However, watching TV on a Friday evening is something that I particularly look forwards to. Friday is my wife and I’s wine and pizza night. We don’t really drink during the week, and pizza is our favourite thing to eat. So, watching our favourite show on a Friday feels different, it feels like an event. Whatever it is that you do to pass the time, whatever your go-to is; make an effort to make it special from time to time. It helps!

5. Put Your Phone Down

We all know phones are addictive. So much so that we, or certainly I, find myself unable to pull myself away from it whilst feeling frustrated that my social media scrolling is boring me. So, I have taken to simply and consciously leaving my phone in another room. It is amazing how quickly you will engage with other activities once your device is not within arm’s length. It’s really simple, and it works wonders.

 By Chris Thomson

Cultivating creativity is also an excellent way to boost wellbeing and tackle boredom. Take a look at this archive post for more… Cultivating Your Own Creativity

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten-day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten-day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post 5 Tips for Coping with Boredom appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Creativity is something that everyone has inside of them, but it is also something that can be immensely illusive. You may be of the opinion that creativity is not something that everybody needs; however, it is creativity that helps us to solve problems every single day. We all need it at some point, but the spark is not always present when it would be most appreciated.

The thing about creativity is that it is not a separate entity that graces us with its presence whenever it sees fit, creativity is something that must be honed. It is a skill that must be practised on a regular basis in order for that part of our brain to remain resilient and blossoming. Cultivating it is the key; here are few ideas on how to start such a process…

1. Don’t Wait for Inspiration

As I have mentioned, creativity and inspiration to not come to you, you have to go and find it. Inspiration does not come floating in through the window, fall out of a starry sky or float in on the ocean, it is an action that you must take. The best way to be creative is to create. This is easier said than done, as often the fear of failure holds us back.

I like to think of new ideas this way: If you are looking to build a palace, you do not go out and simply buy a palace. You have start by digging the foundations, then you must buy the bricks, and then the windows and doors, the plaster, the insulation and so on. Creative solutions do not arrive fully formed, they are built in steps. The only thing you need to do at the beginning of a creative process is to take the first step, the rest will follow.

2. Do Things that Excite You

Fill your life, both inside and outside of work hours, with things that you love. Do, see, enjoy things that excite you that bring you joy. It is a great deal easier to be creative when you fill your life with creative and inspiring content. Creativity often comes from referencing the things that you learn about or experience in real life, so, with that in mind, it helps to have a diverse and active lifestyle. Also, an enjoyable life makes you happy, and what is happiness good for? Answer; resilience, inspiration and creativity.

3. Accept That Creating New Ideas Is Hard

I have spent many an hour looking at a blank page with no idea how I am going to fill it with fresh, interesting and viable ideas. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, and if finding the next big idea were a simple task, we would all be doing it. It is easy to get frustrated, to berate yourself for finding it hard to create original ideas, but this frustration only serves as an extra block to creativity.

Accept that being creative is hard. Instead of spiralling in front of your blank page, walk away, do something that you know is good for your mind, and come back to it later.

4. Know You Can Do It

Everybody has creativity, passion and inventiveness inside of them. Like any skill, all it takes is practice and self-confidence to lure it out. Doubt is the enemy of creativity, and a little conviction in your ability to spark new ideas can go a long way. Can you do it? Of course you can. Why not?

5. Creativity is Not A Luxury

The idea of being creative is often seen as a luxury. The rhetoric around creativity would have us believe that it is not necessary for everyday life. There is also a tendency to think that it is confined to inherently creative personalities and industries. However, this is not so, creative solutions and innovations are required in every walk of life and every industry. The creative part of your brain deserves as much exercise as any other. Problem solving requires creativity. The design of any system requires creativity. Making do with limited resources requires creativity. If you are of the mind that you are not built for creativity, perhaps you should take a closer look at what you do on a daily basis!

By Chris Thomson

It is hard to create if you are not feeling up to it. Here are some ideas on how to get in ‘the zone’… Workplace Wellbeing: Techniques for Energy and Motivation

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post Cultivating Your Own Creativity appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Researchers at UCLA studied the brains of people who had meditated for years comparing them with those who never meditated or who only did it for a short period of time. They took MRI scans of 100 people, half meditators and half non-meditators. They were fascinated to find that long-time meditators showed higher levels of gyrification (a folding of the cerebral cortex that may be associated with faster information processing). In a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience in February 2012 they shared that the more years a person had been meditating, the more gyrification their MRIs revealed.

2. People Who Practice Certain Forms Of Meditation Are More Creative

Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands looked at the way two types of meditation, focused-attention (for example, focusing on your breath) and open-monitoring (where participants focus on both the internal and external) affected two types of creative thinking: the ability to generate new ideas and solutions to problems. In a study published in April 2012 in Frontiers in Cognition, they revealed that those who practiced open-monitoring meditation performed better than non-meditators at tasks related to coming up with new ideas.

3. Meditators Are Less Distracted And Less Stressed During Multi-Tasking

A computer scientist at the University of Washington teamed up with a neuroscientist at the University of Arizona to test whether meditation can help professionals stay focused and calm. The pair recruited 45 human resources managers and gave a third of them eight weeks of mindfulness-based meditation training, a third of them eight weeks of body relaxation training and a third of them no training at all. All the groups were given a stressful multitasking test before and after the eight weeks. In a study published in the Proceedings of Graphics Interface in May 2012, they showed that the meditation group reported less stress as they performed the multi-tasking test than both of the other groups.

This study has further obvious implications for burnout and breakdown, which cost global business a fortune in lost productivity every year.

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten-day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post 3 Scientifically Proven Ways Meditation Can Benefit Your Career appeared first on The Conscious Professional.