Why Law Activates Confidence Triggers

The legal profession attracts conscientious, capable and highly responsible people. These qualities help lawyers prepare carefully, anticipate risk, protect clients and maintain high standards. Yet under chronic pressure, the very qualities that support excellence can distort into patterns that undermine wellbeing and confidence.

A commitment to excellence can become perfectionism. A strong sense of responsibility can become over-responsibility. A desire to serve clients well can turn into chronic people pleasing. Self-deprecation and low self-appreciation can become impostor tendencies or the more intense version, impostor syndrome.

These patterns arise because getting legal work right matters, stakes are high, the pace is relentless and the professional culture often rewards availability, precision and endurance. Over time, the nervous system learns that switching off is unsafe, mistakes are intolerable, and saying no may be dangerous.

Many lawyers, when they feel safe to reveal vulnerabilities present as both overwhelmed by the constant busy and victimised by endless thought. Even when the laptop is closed, the mind continues reviewing, rehearsing and scanning for what might have been missed. It may look like down time from the outside, yet inside there can be pressure, vigilance and a quiet sense of never quite being able to relax.

Let’s pause here though, to acknowledge all the law firms that have worked hard and continue to evolve their cultures to move them away from blame-laden hierarchies into learning cultures with a growth mindset. I have the pleasure of working with many of these.

Why Senior Lawyers Are Still Vulnerable

It is tempting to imagine that confidence issues disappear with seniority. In practice, the opposite can also be true. Seniority increases visibility, responsibility and consequence. Success brings larger matters, more complex clients, bigger teams and greater exposure. The more senior the lawyer, the more pressure there may be to appear calm, certain, self-sufficient and to bring in new clients to the firm which requires additional socialising and time away from both billing and home life.

Many senior lawyers also feel they have less permission to admit the struggle. The inner pressure becomes: At my level, I should have all of this under control.

There is another issue. Lawyers are trained to spot flaws, test assumptions, anticipate risk and identify weakness in an argument. These are essential professional skills. Yet when turned inward without compassion, they can become a harsh internal cross-examination.

The mind begins to ask:

Why did you not see that sooner?
How could you have missed that?
What will they think of you now?
Are you really good enough for this level?

The confidence challenges of senior lawyers usually arise when they have insufficiently developed inner capacities for self-awareness, self-compassion, and resourcefulness which shows up as a tendency to ruminate, stew, self-judge and a reluctance to seek help. The outcome of this recipe: insufficient recovery and exponential stress.

So let’s break down some of the most common confidence challenges and point towards their antidotes.

Confidence Killer 1: Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is the internal experience of believing that you are less competent than others perceive you to be. For lawyers, this can be particularly acute because professional credibility is so closely linked with knowledge, judgement and composure. If you are used to being the person that others come to for answers, it can feel uncomfortable to admit uncertainty, ask for time, or say, I need to check.

These feelings often become more intense at moments of stretch: stepping into partnership, leading a new client relationship, entering a new practice area, returning from leave, or facing the current AI transformation of legal practice. When the professional landscape changes quickly, even senior lawyers can feel as though the ground beneath their expertise is shifting.

Antidote 1: Conscious Self-Talk

One of the most powerful antidotes to impostor tendencies is conscious, emotionally intelligent self-talk. This is a practice of professional self-regulation allowing the mind to return to evidence, perspective and action.

Confidence Killer 2: Perfectionism

Perfectionism gets confused with excellence. This is especially true in law, where precision matters and mistakes can have serious consequences. Care, accuracy and rigour are essential. The difficulty begins when excellence becomes fused with personal worth.

Perfectionism says: Only flawless is good enough.

This founds a brittle form of confidence. It may hold while everything is going well, but it cracks quickly when challenged by error, ambiguity, criticism or delay. The perfectionist lawyer may spend too long refining work beyond what is proportionate, struggle to delegate, become defensive when challenged, or find it difficult to appreciate success. The mind focuses on the tiny imperfection rather than the overall value delivered. Beneath all of this is a human being who believes at some level that their self-worth is dependent on moment-to-moment performance.

Perfectionism also has a time cost, an energy cost and a relationship cost. It can lead to overwork, micromanagement, reduced creativity and a constant sense of internal pressure. At its root, perfectionism is often an attempt to feel safe through control.

This is particularly challenging for senior lawyers because the work often contains genuine complexity. There may be competing risks, incomplete facts, difficult clients, urgent timelines and commercial realities. A lawyer trying to remove all uncertainty will end up exhausting themselves and burning out their team.

Antidote 2: Optimalism

The antidote to perfectionism is optimalism. (Note that does not say optimism).

The optimalist still cares about excellence. They still prepare, think carefully and hold appropriate standards. The difference is that they remain in relationship with reality. They can assess context, constraints, proportionality and purpose.

Perfectionism asks, How can I make this flawless?

Optimalism asks:

What matters most here?
What level of detail is proportionate?
What is the best achievable outcome within the real constraints?
What can be learned?
What is good enough for the purpose?

This distinction is especially useful for lawyers because legal work is full of very real constraints: time, budget, evidence, instructions, risk appetite, incomplete information and commercial pressure. The pursuit of perfect becomes disproportionate. Optimalism restores balance, judgement and is more humane.

From The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben Shahar.

Confidence Killer 3: People Pleasing

People pleasing can be difficult to spot in law because it often disguises itself as commitment, service and responsiveness. The people pleasing lawyer is helpful, available and constructive. They want clients to feel supported. They want colleagues to feel they can rely on them. They want to be seen as calm, capable and easy to work with. These are valuable qualities. The difficulty begins when helpfulness becomes self-abandonment.

People pleasing may show up as saying yes to work that should be declined, taking on responsibility that belongs elsewhere, giving premature answers, avoiding necessary challenge, softening advice too much, or failing to hold a boundary with a client or colleague.

The underlying belief may be:

If I disappoint them, I will lose standing.
If I say no, I will seem difficult.
If I challenge this, I will damage the relationship.
If I am always useful, I will be safe.

For senior lawyers, this can become particularly draining. Their role often involves holding clients, teams, commercial expectations and institutional relationships. The desire to be useful can gradually become a pattern of over-functioning.

People pleasing also weakens judgement. Sometimes the most helpful thing a lawyer can do is say the clear thing, set the limit, challenge the assumption, or slow the client down. When the fear of disapproval becomes too strong, the lawyer may avoid the very conversation that would build trust.

Antidote 3: Values-Led Boundaries

The antidote to people pleasing is values-led boundaries.

A boundary does not need to be defensive, abrupt or apologetic. At its best, it is an expression of clarity, service and professional integrity. A boundary delivered skilfully is both impressive and can build relationship. The key is to connect the boundary to the value it protects.

For example:

To give this proper attention, I would need until Friday.
I can assist with X, but Y sits outside my involvement.
I don’t want to answer that without checking the linked material.
I can help, but I can’t take this on today without moving another priority.
That timescale is too compressed for the level of review required. Is there flexibility?

A values-led boundary says, I am protecting the quality of the work, the clarity of the relationship and the sustainability of my contribution.

For lawyers, this is essential because the demands are infinite. Without boundaries, professional commitment becomes personal depletion.

Final Thought

If you are reading this and wondering whether you will ever move through your own confidence challenges, please know this: many of the lawyers who reach the highest levels of the profession have lived through moments where they felt shamed, humiliated, belittled, or exposed – and they came through them.

The confidence that senior lawyers develop over time is not impregnable. It still has human edges. Yet those who cultivate the skill of Conscious Confidence, the title of my forthcoming book, learn how to find their way back home: back to centre, back to the breath, back into the body, and back into the heart of confidence itself. From that place, they can restore their equilibrium and respond in ways that are aligned with their values.

Confidence is not something we are born with. It is something we build – again, and again.

And if you take nothing else from this article, take this: reaching out for support is not a failure of confidence.

Very often, it is the beginning of strengthening it. 

By Neil Seligman

Neil Seligman is a pioneer in the field of conscious leadership and a passionate advocate for mindfulness, confidence, and spiritual growth at work and in life. He is the author of The Conscious Witness Handbook, Conscious Leadership, and 100 Mindfulness Meditations, and the Founder of The Conscious Professional.

Ready to go deeper? Here are three ways to connect:

1. Explore Keynotes and Team Trainings: Let’s Talk

2. Explore 1:1 Coaching or Energy Work: Schedule Here

3. Try our 10-day online mindfulness course: Zen in Ten

The post Three Confidence Killers for Lawyers and How to Overcome Them appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Many people recognise two familiar patterns in themselves. In some situations, they collapse, softening their position, holding back their perspective, or deferring too quickly in order to maintain harmony. In others, they move towards force, becoming more rigid, more certain, or more defensive in an attempt to hold their ground. Both responses are understandable, and both are driven by the same underlying dynamic.

At the point of disagreement, the nervous system often interprets the moment as a form of threat. This may be social, reputational, or emotional, but the effect is similar. The body tightens, the breath shortens, and thinking narrows. From this place, communication becomes reactive rather than intentional, and what is said is often shaped more by protection than by clarity.

Learning to disagree well begins with recognising this internal shift. Before focusing on language or strategy, it is worth noticing what is happening in the body. Is there tension in the chest or jaw? Has the breath become shallow? Is there an urgency to speak quickly or defend a position? This awareness creates a moment of choice.

Stabilising the system, even briefly, changes the quality of the response. A slower breath, a pause, or a simple awareness of physical contact with the ground can be enough to interrupt escalation. From this more settled state, it becomes easier to communicate clearly without becoming forceful.

One useful principle is to separate clarity from aggression. It is entirely possible to express a different view without raising intensity. In fact, the more grounded the delivery, the more likely it is to be heard. Language that opens space, rather than closes it, supports this. Phrases such as “I see this differently” or “Can we explore another angle?” allow disagreement to remain constructive rather than adversarial.

Equally important is the willingness to listen. Disagreement is not simply about presenting a counter position. It is an opportunity to understand more fully, to refine thinking, and to see where perspectives may overlap or diverge. When both parties feel heard, even without agreement, the conversation becomes more productive.

There is also a deeper layer at play. Disagreement often touches identity. Being right can feel closely linked to being competent or respected. When this connection is strong, conversations carry more charge, and it becomes harder to remain open. Developing confident communication involves loosening this link, allowing disagreement without taking it personally.

In my experience, those who navigate disagreement most effectively are not those with the strongest arguments, but those with the greatest internal stability. They can remain present, hold their perspective, and stay open to others without collapsing or escalating.

This is not about becoming passive or agreeable. It is about developing the capacity to stay grounded under pressure, so that communication remains clear, respectful, and effective. When this capacity is in place, disagreement becomes a strength rather than a risk.

By Neil Seligman

Neil Seligman is a pioneer in the field of conscious leadership and a passionate advocate for mindfulness, presence, and spiritual growth at work and in life. He is the author of Conscious Leadership and 100 Mindfulness Meditations, and the Founder of The Conscious Professional.

Ready to go deeper? Here are three ways to connect:

1. Try our 10-day online mindfulness course: Zen in Ten

2. Explore 1:1 Coaching or Energy Work: Schedule Here

3. Explore Keynotes and Team Trainings: Let’s Talk

The post How to Disagree Without Collapsing or Attacking appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

I recently had the immense honour of marrying my husband, Jack.

Our ceremony was not just a celebration of love, but a conscious act of union. A spiritual acknowledgement of two beings choosing one another, with presence, reverence, and joy.

In a world quick to rush through rituals, conscious relationships ask us to slow down. To witness each other. To honour the mystery of another human life intersecting with our own.

Conscious love is not perfect love. It is awake love. It invites truth over performance, curiosity over assumption, listening over fixing. It allows space for evolution, solitude within union, and a shared path rooted in values.

Whether you’re in a relationship or seeking one, the principles are the same:

• Choosing presence over projection
• Speaking from awareness, not reaction
• Honouring the journey of the other
• Making room for mystery

We wrote our own vows. In them, we didn’t promise perfection. We promised presence. To keep showing up. To keep listening. To stay open-hearted, even when it’s hard.

One of the most moving parts of our ceremony was the palpable energy in the room. This was our community, our family, and the unseen guides. It honestly felt like a dance between the ethereal realms and earth.

The experience was so transformational that it has inspired a new offering: Conscious Wedding Celebrancy. If you’re seeking a spiritual, grounded, and heart-led celebrant to hold space for your non-religious union, I would be honoured to support your journey. More details coming soon to The Conscious Professional.

Relationships are sacred grounds. They invite us into profound self-awareness and deep service. They are mirrors, teachers, and temples.

And like all temples, they require tending.

Love is not a finish line. It is a daily devotion. A living conversation. A dance between souls.

By Neil Seligman

Neil Seligman is a pioneer in the field of conscious leadership and a passionate advocate for mindfulness, presence, and spiritual growth at work and in life. He is the author of Conscious Leadership and 100 Mindfulness Meditations, and the Founder of The Conscious Professional.

Ready to go deeper? Here are three ways to connect:

1. Try our 10-day online mindfulness course: Zen in Ten
2. Explore 1:1 Coaching or Energy Work: Schedule Here
3. Explore Keynotes and Team Trainings: Let’s Talk

The post Conscious Love and Relationships appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

The September school launch is a big deal for me this year. Probably as big as it will ever be. The reason for this is that it is my firstborn’s first year in reception.

Now, for him, he is leaping into the unknown. My wife and I are very aware that this is new territory, and that the emotions he is feeling about it need attention, respect and explanation. He is going from a summer full of play, freedom, and unscheduled joy into, a hopefully no less joyful, but very different environment, in a new building, with new expectations on him, with a bunch of people he doesn’t know.

Now, whether your kids are first-timers or not, the gear shift back into school after a long holiday is a significant one, and so, they will always have feelings about it, good or bad. Helping them to work with their emotions, and to be resilient through them (if that is required) is important in building them up to be independently resilient and emotionally intelligent adults.

1.     Ask Them How They Are Feeling

Regardless of whether they are apparently fine or visibly having breakdowns and tantrums about it, ask them how they are feeling about school. You may have some wise words for them, you may not. What is most important is that you are engaging with them and their feelings and that they understand that, no matter how hard tough feelings about school are to get through, you are there to support them when they come home.

2.     Understand That This is All Normal

Don’t freak out or worry if your kid is really stressed about the transition. It’s not necessarily because there is something huge wrong with the school, or a fellow student, or a teacher. It probably isn’t that at all. It is most commonly because they are about to step from spending all their time in their safe place with their safe people (you) into a world where they are swamped with unknowns and without their parental safety net.

3.     Work Out Their Specific Worry

If it turns out that they are specifically worried about something, make sure you work out what that is. General support with general worry is fine, but knowing exactly what is triggering their anxiety means that you are one step closer to finding a concise and specific solution for them. And when you do, try to work on solutions together. Anything that brings you closer to them is going to make them feel more anchored once they are drifting out at school.

4.     Wind Down Post-School

No matter how good school might be, it is intense. Ensure that you install a post-school routine that gives them a chance to relax and enjoy downtime. Resilience will be built through out-of-school routines, as it will mean that they know what to expect. School, being new, is full of surprises, but the stability of routine when they get home will alleviate that fear of the unknown. Also ensure that this downtime is fun, nourishing and calm.

5.     Celebrate with Them

Every school year begins with a leap to the next level. Celebrate all that has come before. Remember with them all the things that they have learned and achieved in order to get them to this stage. If they are not new to school, try to remind them of some of the wonderful school memories they have from years past. Remind them what they have to look forward to.

By Chris Thomson

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 3 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Learn To Meditate With Neil In Just 10 Days!

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

2. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Coaching Partnership or Professional Wellbeing Appointment is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil Seligman here.

3. 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 Big Emotions: Helping Your Kids to Feel Ready for ‘Back to School’ appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

The summer is a long old stretch of time if you have kids. As much as this is wonderful, it’s also a lot of time to fill. So, between the picnics, the play dates, the vacations, the cousins, the parks, the pools, the restaurants and the craft activities… maybe you’d like to take some time to engage in something a bit more chill. A bit more mindful.

Here are some nice, calm, mindful activities for you and your kids to enjoy this summer.

1.     Take a Nap

A meditative power nap is a great way to rejuvenate yourself during the day. This can be done alone, or it can be done as a family. Put on some calming, music, get comfortable and close your eyes for 30 minutes. Whether you sleep, stretch or let your mind be quiet during this time, it is wonderful way to bring your conscience back to the self.

2.     Wash and Relax

As most of us have got the time at the moment, why not make bath time or shower hour a bit more special, as opposed to a more everyday functional experience. Put some music on, light a candle, put on a face mask beforehand, and take your time. Really appreciate the soothing nature of the hot water, and take your time to wash with care as opposed to, what might usually be, a quick scrub!

3.     Dance

Feeling down, bored or stressed in lockdown. Have a dance! This is a wonderful and joyful way to shake off whatever is bothering you. Whether you choose a bop or something a bit more relaxed, be aware of your body as you do this, making sure that you extend your energy through every limb and extremity.

To entertain your kids with this for longer than a few minutes, why not challenge them to go away and create a dance routine together?

4.     Prepare food

Food, as we might be reminded from the point above, is a multi-sensory experience. Why not invite your children to cook with you? Encourage them to get involved; to smell and feel the ingredients, to see and learn about what happens to food when you cook it, to listen to the sound of something boiling or frying in a pan. To notice these things is to be mindful of the process.

Great things for kids to get involved in the preparation of include; dough kneading, batter mixing, salad tossing or pasta rolling.

5.     Write

One of my friends, during lockdown, has been writing a letter a day to one of her friends. She has designed her own cards, written bespoke messages on the front, and filled said card with kind words and thoughts for that person. This is a great thing to do, not just for adults, but also for children. Sit them down with their favourite craft bits and get them to pick three friends to write cards or letters to.

6.     Snack

One of the hallmarks of being mindful is to focus on the moment, and the sensations you are experiencing within that moment. Any time at which you are consuming food is a great way to practice this; a great opportunity to fully experience and appreciate the food. For example:

“I once had a group and someone shared this story with me: During the war, her parents could only afford one bar of chocolate a week. So, every Friday evening, the whole family sat together by the fireplace and broke up the bar of chocolate. Two pieces for mum. Two pieces for dad. And one piece for each of the three children. When they received that piece of chocolate, they slowly put the piece of chocolate in their mouth and tried to make the chocolate last for as long as possible.

She told me it was the most delicious experience of chocolate she ever had. And I’m almost certain it’s not because of the make of chocolate. It’s the way they ate it – savouring every moment.” (Shamash Alidina).

Whatever you and your kids are snacking on, make it an experience; make it conscious as opposed to passive. Encourage them to savour the tastes, textures and smells of what they are snacking on.

By Chris Thomson

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 3 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Learn To Meditate With Neil In Just 10 Days!

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

2. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Coaching Partnership or Professional Wellbeing Appointment is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil Seligman here.

3. 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 Mindful Holiday Activities to Enjoy with Your Kids appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Empathy is arguably still quite low on the list of skills for a conscious and resilient professionals. However, being in tune with the emotions and experiences of others is of enormous value when nurturing professional relationships. Empathy helps us to tap into the viewpoints of others, and to use that skill to come to mindful and mutually beneficial resolutions.

1.      Consider More Than What Someone is Saying Verbally

Look for other forms of communication. This is especially important with vulnerable people, or with people you do not know so well. What does their body language say? Do they seem to feel comfortable talking to you? If they don’t appear to be so, is there something you can do to help? Offering a drink or a seat, for example. Try and notice the whole person, not just the content of their words.

2.     Out of Your Shoes, Into Thiers

Sometimes one of the most difficult things about empathy is not agreeing fully with the views or decisions of the other person. Sometimes your opposition is unavoidable, but in many cases, putting yourself in their shoes helps you to understand their plight a little better. Always try your best to see where they are coming from.

3.     Really Listening

Often we hear but don’t listen. One of the most important things when demonstrating conscious empathy is to listen really well. This means to listen without letting your mind wander to what you feel your response should be. How often do we drift off half way through somebody else’s sentence because we are now waiting for an opportunity to jump in with our opinions?

Also, when you listen with intent, you are showing the other person that you are fully investing your attention with them. And when you reply, do not be afraid of taking a moment to gather your thoughts in order to respond carefully and usefully.

4.     Out Others at Ease

Invite the other person in. This can be done through the simplest of gestures; a smile. A smile says, ‘you are safe’, ‘I am comfortable with this situation’ and ‘you can trust me’. Do not underestimate the power of a smile and an open face. Appearing to be relaxed and understanding is also a simple way to gain trust and offer a safe space for the other person to get something off their chest, without judgement.

5.     Try Not to Fix

If someone needs to offload on you, very often, that is all that they need. Do not feel that you must always have the answer for them, because you may not have it. Indeed, always needing to fix things may lead to you giving poor advice. Just be there for them without feeling the need to close the case!

6.     Avoid Unsolicited Advice

If somebody comes to you asking for guidance, it is easy to simplify your answer; ‘why don’t you just do this?’ It is important, when advising with empathy, not to judge and not to deal in absolutes. To be empathetic we can sympathise with others, and tell them what we think might be a helpful path. But the most empowering and useful path to set them on is one that they come to themselves. Do your best to guide them to a place where they find the answers based on their own decision-making and their unique experience.

By Chris Thomson

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 3 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Learn To Meditate With Neil In Just 10 Days!

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

2. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Coaching Partnership or Professional Wellbeing Appointment is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil Seligman here.

3. 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 Improving Empathy appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Conscious leadership involves skills that, until fairly recently, were not on the radar for most companies. Now that many businesses are waking up to the importance of a more sympathetic and, dare I say it, human style of leadership in their leaders and decision-makers, emotional intelligence now has a much higher status.

Emotional intelligence is not only key if you are aiming to have a happier workforce, but more emotionally connected leaders have also been seen to cultivate more success for businesses. One of the biggest emotional skills that are now being sought after, is empathy. Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

This skill, for a long time, has been overlooked in the past. This is slightly strange, as the ability to communicate with people, and to understand their emotions, needs and wants seems vital to making a team of people run coherently and consciously. Empathy at the top also sets an example for empathy throughout a company, which results in a kinder, more considerate, and therefore more communicative and productive operation.

Here are a few thoughts on how to cultivate leadership with empathy as one of its defining pillars.

1.     Make A Habit of Wearing Other People’s Shoes

 In big companies especially, employees can become faceless numbers to those in charge. Putting yourself in the shoes of employees is much easier in smaller businesses, as you tend to know the individuals better. This is one of the reasons workers can become sceptical about their leadership if a company expands quickly, as the people at the top seem to be operating at a level that doesn’t really consider their needs as they used to.

Still, whatever the size of your company, and however many people you look after, it is never a bad idea to remind yourself to walk a mile in other people’s shoes from time to time. Each time you make a big decision, really take a moment to consider how it impacts the people it affects. If you consider this, there may be changes you can make. However, if it can’t be changed, it is still important that you communicate to those affected that you understand its impact and why it had to be made. You can then also have a dialogue with them about how to move forward in a way that benefits everybody.

2.     Get to Know Your Workers

Get to know your workers. Pay attention to them. how do they work? Where do they excel? What circumstances might hinder or trigger them? What is their home life like?

As questions about them. Talk to them. Get to know them. The more you know about somebody, and the more you take a genuine interest in them, the better you will be able to communicate with them and understand where they are coming from when problems arise.

3.     Look For Signs of Burnout

Burnout happens to us when we don’t see the overwhelm burying us. We reach burnout because things have already gone too far. Therefore, one of the most empathetic things you can do as a leader is to always be on the lookout for burnout in your team. Burnout isn’t good for anyone, and the earlier it is caught, the less the damage is for both you and the person in question.

To tie into the last point about knowing your workers… if you know people’s habits and situations, you will be in a much better position to see burnout coming.

4.     Be Willing to Help with Personal Issues

 As the years creep on, especially with the rise of home working, work-life and home-life are melting into each other in a way never seen before. As a conscious leader with empathy, you need to understand that the people that work for you have lives outside of the organisation and that their satisfaction with those lives will have an effect on how they perform and feel at work. Therefore, it is wise to make yourself available to help with any personal issues that may arise on your team.

5.     Make It Known That Empathy is Important to Your Organisation

 Place a premium on empathy in your workplace. You do this by demonstrating it, talking about it, and directly encouraging it. There is no need to be subtle about willing your employees or colleagues to be kinder and more empathetic to one another. Tell them. Indeed, teach them. There are now many training options available to businesses on how to be more mindful and conscious workers. Invest in this idea, as it benefits both the business’s commercial success and the happiness and wellbeing of everybody who works for it. 

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 Why Empathy Is Important in the Workplace appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

So here we are. 2020 is coming to an end. Did you have a good year? Well, it has been a bit of a rocky twelve months hasn’t it? This year has been a challenge for us all. Although much has been lost, much has been altered and much has been argued over, there might be a few good things to take away from this collective experience.

This year has required everyone to accrue an extra dose of emotional robustness. This resilience is something that must be remembered and reflected on in the future, and used to our advantage when there is a storm that need weathering.

So, what has 2020 taught us about emotional resilience. Well…

1. We Will Find A Way

With rules in place such as social distancing, mask wearing and isolation, many of the comforts of everyday life that we take for granted have been stripped away from us. Social distancing has removed the possibility of hugging and shaking hands, indeed, isolation has meant that many people have not been able to connect ion person at all. A mask wearing has made us realise how much joy there is to be had, and clarity there is to be gleaned from communicating with a person whose entire face is visible.

2. Vulnerability Is A Path to Healing

Many struggle to be venerable, but the extremity of the strain mant of us have been under this year has, I think, led to people talking about emotions and how they are feeling in a way that they didn’t before. I think it is, conversely, helpful that so many of us share similar experiences this year, as it removes the potential worry that we will be misunderstood or not taken seriously in our concerns.

Being open, venerable and verbal is a path to healing. This often helps to release the emotional pressure on yourself and to get a view on things from another persons angle. This is a habit we should all aim to keep.

3. Emotional Resilience Can Be Built

My sister has had an interesting journey this year. Our family has been hit hard by this pandemic, and we have sadly lost people. My sister found it especially difficult to cope, and as a result of discussion and reflection she has attributed this to a life of relative ease up until this point. My sister has always been popular, intelligent and successful, and thus has not weathered many emotional storms in her life so far. The pandemic bought her sadness and stress that she had not yet come close to experiencing; a situation that required metal and resilience to deal with.

Resilience is a muscle, and can be developed. If you are a person who found this year hard yet has come out the other side feeling stronger, as my sister has, then perhaps you have gained something very valuable from a situation that has otherwise been, well, lets say ‘not that great’.

4. Don’t Fret About What You Can’t Control

I think its fair to say that we’d all the like the pandemic to be done now. I think we’ve had enough pandemic for now, don’t you? The thing is, there is nothing most of us can do about it. This reality has pushed many people to replace the uncertainty of this year with hobbies and projects; putting emotional energy and physical effort into something that they can control. The nation has never had so many neat gardens, highly decorated cakes or pending publishing deals! This displacement is another thing to keep, a good tool for those times when the thing we are worrying about is out of our hands.

5. We Can Make It

If you are reading this, then you made it this far. You re still here! Sometimes terrible situations are so emotionally ruinous that we wonder if we will ever stop feeling this way. We wonder how we will get through it. But hey, it turns out that humans adapt, they get on, they tolerate, they find a way to get through. If you got through 2020 and are still relatively sane, you can get through anything!

By Chris Thomson

Worry is not always unfounded, but it certainly isn’t useful. Here are some thoughts on keeping your concerns under control… 6 Tips for Dealing with Worry

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 What Has 2020 Taught Us About Emotional Resilience? appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

I think it is fair to say that the pursuit of happiness is something that unites us all. We all want a life that is comfortable. A life in which we feel ultimately fulfilled, and in which we enjoy a harmony, balance and symbiosis between all aspects of it.

To strive for happiness is a simple idea. However, we know that achieving that perfect balance is no simple thing at all. A human life is ever changing, it many moving parts meaning that you must remain conscious of the structure of your life and constantly adjusting your choices and behaviours in order to maintain overall happiness and wellbeing.

In fact, all though many consider, at least subconsciously, the word ‘happy’ to be the primary colour of positive emotion; the base feeling from which all more nuanced feelings of positivity branch, knowing whether you have obtained it is not always that simple. Have you ever asked yourself if you are happy and realised that you don’t quite know the answer? Do you know what makes you happy? Have you ever taken time to reflect on your happiness at all?

1. You Appreciate Simple Things

Happiness is directly connected to contentment. When you are content, and your mind is at ease, you tend to find the time to notice the little details in your life, and to have the time to appreciate them. Your favourite song comes on, and you enjoy it and sing along. Perhaps you catch the sunset out of the kitchen window when you are washing up, so you turn the tap of and take a moment to look at it. You get excited about eating, taking your favourite route to work or sitting in your most comfortable chair.

2. Small Bumps Don’t Bother You

When we are in a bad mood, or are feeling unhappy overall, little issues tend to wind us up. Being irritable and blowing small issues out of proportion is a sign of bigger things going on with you. However, when you are happy and content, these niggles don’t, well, niggle at you so much. So your house is a little messy. Never mind. So you got caught in the rain. That’s OK, you’ll dry off eventually. So you missed that train. No sweat, there another one coming in two minutes.

3. You Feel Happiness For Other People’s Success

When we think we are not doing well, it is easy to resent the success of others. Sometimes we project our own disappointment in ourselves onto other people, as if displacing the blame for your apparent situation over to them. This is a very human and perfectly common behaviour. When you are in a good place, and feeling happy about your life, this won’t happen. Indeed, you might even be really happy for the success of others, and demonstrably praise them for it!

4. You Enjoy A Range of Fulfilling Relationships

Human beings thrive on nourishing relationships. A happy life usually involves a range of relationships, all different, and all adding to the richness and growth of your continued existence. Think about the relationships that are important to you. If you have a supportive family, a nurturing partner and a range of diverse friendships and working relationships, then you might just be happy!

5. You Know What Activities Make You Happy

Learning to be conscious of the self involves learning about how you react to situations, what triggers you and, perhaps most crucially, what makes you truly happy. Even a contented life has bumps in the road, but if you know how to visit your happy place, then you have a powerful tool, a key to keeping you in a positive place. I know that, if I am feeling down, an hour in the kitchen preparing food will calm me. I also know that exercise, going food shopping, or simply going outside are great ways to clear my head.

6. You Are Able To Reflect On Yourself Without Panic

Being able to look at yourself honestly is important. When we are unhappy, many of us avoid looking at our own actions and behaviours in fear that opening a tin of worms will make an almighty mess. If you are in a place where you are able to self-criticise, and able to actively work on altering your own behaviour and outlook, then you are in a good place.

By Chris Thomson

One of the keys to being happy is to have a variety of fulfilling interests in your life. Hobbies are important, and here’s why… The Importance of Hobbies, and Some to Try!

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 Am I Happy? appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

Resilient professionals have an authentic relationship with their emotions. They do not let their emotions control their behaviour, they use appropriate means and language when expressing emotion. Above all, they are responsive rather than reactive.

2. Intuitive

Resilient professionals trust their gut feeling and go with what feels most true and authentic in situations. In other words, they honour both the rational and the intuitive.

3. Compassionate

Resilient professionals have spent time increasing their capacity for empathic listening and compassionate response. They are able to sense feelings in others and respond appropriately in different situations. They skilfully navigate between issues and personalities and practice self-compassion when it comes to their own flaws.

4. Mindful

Deep resilience comes from having a strong sense of self, nurtured through a practice of mindfulness. Finding time to engage in contemplation exercises or mindfulness meditation for short periods each day takes resilience to the next level. Mindfulness will soon be seen as the antidote to employee overwhelm.

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 4 Soft Characteristics of Resilient Professionals appeared first on The Conscious Professional.