The world is noisy. Fast. Uncertain. Polarised. It’s tempting to either numb out or get swept up.

But there is another path. The path of holding centre.

To hold centre is not to be passive. It is to root into truth while the winds swirl. To act with clarity, even when the field is foggy.

For the Conscious Professional, this is essential. When systems destabilise, our values must solidify.

When noise rises, our discernment must deepen.

This isn’t a luxury. It’s a spiritual responsibility.

How do we do this?

• Begin your day in stillness
• Protect your inputs: choose what you consume
• Return to your core values often
• Speak truthfully, kindly, and simply
• Practice daily grounding (breath, nature, meditation)

And perhaps most importantly: pause before reacting.

Not every fire is yours to put out. Not every invitation is yours to accept. Not every headline deserves your energy.

Discernment is a superpower. And so is kindness.

The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs more presence. It needs people who can see through illusion and speak from clarity.

To be conscious is not to disengage. It is to engage from awareness, rather than reactivity. To speak not because you’re triggered, but because you’re called.

Hold centre. Speak truth. Stay kind.

This is not about bypassing the pain of the world. It is about meeting it with an open heart and a steady spine.

You are allowed to be a lighthouse.

Keep your light steady. Others will find their way.

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 Holding Centre in a Frantic World 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.

Teamwork makes the dream work. That’s what they say. Working well as a team can indeed yield amazing, sometimes miraculous results. However, like all powerful and effective things, they are not always easy to handle. The ‘team’ is a tricky beast to master! Teamwork depends upon the skills of the people that make up the group, and whether or not they feel supported enough to bring their best selves to the table.

There are many academic, administrative and pragmatic ways to make a group of people work effectively together. That being said, it is only when considering more holistic and mindful approaches that communication, compromise and, ultimately, success flourish. By making mindful choices during teamwork situations, you will enjoy a heightened level of productivity and wellbeing both as a group and as an individual. Here are some of the mindful choices the individual can make, whether leading the group or simply participating as part of the team, in order to achieve this…

1.     Stick to the Rules You Set

You should never end up in a situation where your team think there is one rule for them and another for you. We all have expectations of others in a team. This is as true if you are leading a team as is if you are a junior cog in the machine. However, if you are in a position of power, the leader that steers the ship, ensure that you apply the same rules and expectations upon yourself. Hierarchy is important in order to create structure and productivity, yes. But equality, as much as it is possible, is extremely important on both a social and professional level. There always needs to be a decision-maker, however, a sense of equality ensures that no detail or concern is left unaired.

2.     Seeing Other People’s Attributes

If you are in a position to facilitate operations and debates within a group (or even if you are not) it is important to recognise the merits of all of those within that group. Discover and utilise their individual skills and be mindful of things they may find more difficult. This consideration not only makes the goals of the job or project more achievable through efficient use of skills, but it also helps to make individuals feel more self-confident. This will, in turn, make them more likely to invest energy in the work.

3.     Clarity and Economy in Communication

When we talk about economic content, we mean this; do not use more words than you require to convey an idea, and do not clutter your idea-sharing with more information than is really needed. I have seen many a person fall into the trap of muddying a productive day with excess anecdotal content or giving away too much. This can often result in unwanted tangents and precious time wasted. Think before you speak. What is the best way to phrase your contribution in order to get the maximum quality out of your team and to keep them feeling energised and motivated?

4.     Conscious Facilitation

In order to foster mindful teamwork, each person must feel that they are being heard and that they are making meaningful contributions to the situation. Therefore, it is essential that everyone is heard and utilised. This is easier to do if you are in a position of authority, but it can also be helped along by simply recognising when others need space to participate, and pulling yourself back a little in order to allow them to them fill that space.

5.     Honesty

Straightforwardness in communication is not only more efficient but it eliminates unnecessary subtext. In a professional environment, clarity is important for both a clear sense of the facts and for everybody to know where each individual is coming from. Try your best to be honest, economic and clear with the words and thoughts that you share.

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 Boost Teamwork Through Mindfulness appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

1. Observe: become consciously aware of what is occurring without judging it as good or bad.

2. Describe:  neutrally name all aspects of the experience that you are aware of. E.g. I am experiencing anger. I feel hot. My palms are sweating.

3. Participate: make a choice, take action, speak your feelings, take the next step as consciously as you can.

For example, when we are anxious, mindfulness encourages us to meet the experience with acceptance, non-judgment and compassionate awareness. One of the outcomes of the mindful approach is that we step into resourcefulness rather than victimhood. We acknowledge our experience and through not resisting, we allow it to normalize. Anxiety dissipates or we take action.

Mindfulness invites us back into a simpler, purer and more effective state of being and gives us the tools we need to bring excellence to our craft of consciousness. By developing and sustaining a consistent mindfulness practice, we discover new ways to be effective in all aspects of our lives.

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 The 3 Actions Of Mindfulness 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.