Dissolve The Chaos! TOP 3 Mindfulness Tips For Entrepreneurs!

You chose this high-low-up-down rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship because you had a dream. Because as frantic, and demanding, and dare I say ‘stressful’ as all of this is, you still love it. You’ve created, developed, nourished this business baby of yours (yes, I do consider my business a baby), and the rewards of it all far outweigh the downfalls.

SO, HOW DO YOU EMBRACE THE HUSTLE WHILE STAYING SANE?

MINDFULNESS CAN (AND DOES) HELP.

Various mindfulness practices (such as meditation) have been around for thousands of years ~ we knew it worked, but didn’t know exactly why. Now (thank you technology and internet and brilliant minds), we have an ever-growing database of scientific research backing the profound effects that mindfulness has on our overall wellbeing. From the yoga studio to the boardroom to even the classroom, ‘mindfulness’ is taking the world by storm with its powerful mind-body benefits.

Learning a few tips and tricks to help you dive into the mindfulness space, will undoubtedly support your headspace and sanity while managing your business, and your life as a whole.  

UM, WHAT EXACTLY IS MINDFULNESS?

Glad you asked. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what’s happening in the present moment. When we are in tune with our senses, without judgment, we take ourselves away from the anxiety of the past and the apprehension of the future. We are awakened to our present experience, which can instantly infuse us with peace and calm ~ felt in the moment, yes, but also providing us with focus, lucidity and a clear mind to fuel us in all areas of our life, including, of course, in business.

And what’s brilliant about this is that…it’s available to us ALL OF THE TIME. You can stop everything you’re doing at any given point in time, any place, anywhere, and nestle your beautiful mind, body, and soul into a mindful state.

Honestly, I think of it as pure, pixy dust, sparkling, fantastical magic. Because, well, it basically is.

MY TOP 3 (SIMPLE!) MINDFULNESS TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO HELP YOU DISSOLVE THE CHAOS  

1. 10 MINUTE MORNING MEDITATION

Ever wake up and immediately look at your phone? You see a full inbox, you’re reminded of all the unfinished tasks that need to be completed. You may even be notified to an emergency memo that came in throughout the night.

Uh, is this the best way to start your day? Hardly.

TRY THIS.

At night, leave your phone plugged in and turned off in another room. In the morning, before you go anywhere near it, begin your morning meditation.

Ps. If you have kids, I FEEL YOU. Wake up 20 minutes early, so you can do this before the household begins to stir. Or, ask your partner to take the kids for 10 minutes so you can infuse a little peace and calm into your life ~ trust me, your partner will appreciate the new meditated you (lol) as much as you do.

So, I’m not going to tell you exactly HOW to meditate. You need to find what works best for you, and there are thousands of articles on how to meditate in the morning all over the internet. What I will tell you is this ~ my very favourite meditations are guided, and from the Headspace app. Other apps such as Calm, Budhiffy, etc. are available for free or for a small monthly cost.

WHY EVEN BOTHER?

Whaaa? SO. MANY. REASONS. Here are a few.

Meditation fills us with energy boosting endorphins ~ perfect to start our mornings with a lift. It helps us to clear out any unproductive and negative thoughts, so we can start our day with a lucid mind and a fresh perspective. A morning meditation practice also helps us to dissolve stress and anxiety, before the day even begins. Need I say more?

2. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS AND MANTRAS

As you grow your business, there are a few things you can count on as a part of the voyage.

Failure. Falling. Making mistakes. Landing on a bad decision once in a while.

Don’t stress though, this is all a normal par for the course, and a very important part of the success journey. You need to try new things and dive into unchartered territories, and although success IS your birthright, falling and picking yourself back up again is essential to figuring out what works and what doesn’t work.

Now, at times, our ‘fear-mind’ can get in the way of viewing mistakes as a good and necessary part of the process. That little mean-girl voice inside of our heads can take a misstep and turn it into a giant leap into the miserable abyss of despair…telling us that we’re stupid, that we’re failures, that we aren’t doing a good enough job, that we will never be the successful entrepreneur we planned for ourselves.

THIS IS WHERE THE MINDFUL PRACTICE OF AFFIRMATIONS CAN HELP…IN A BIG WAY.

Affirmations are simply a stream of thought running through our minds, affirming beliefs to be true. Once aware, we can replace the negative self-talk with the positive. When we hear that voice creep in with a sly little ‘not good enough’, we can take notice, say NO THANK YOU, and replace it with the opposite ‘I AM MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH. I AM WORTHY! I AM LOVED!’

Said over time, with consistency and conviction, we begin to believe these statements and their validity, leading to a stronger, more improved belief system, and a healthier self-image.

And, the entire process of stating these affirmations naturally brings us into the beautiful present moment, dissolving anxieties of the past and apprehensions of the future.

A glorious win-win on so many levels.

I’m so head-over-heals in love with positive affirmations and the transformative benefits they’ve created in my own personal life, that I co-founded a company focused entirely on the power of positive affirmative thought. If you’re looking for a simple, beautiful and oh-so meaningful guided affirmation practice, check us out at www.lovepoweredco.ca

3. NIGHTLY GRATITUDES

‘The secret to having it all, is knowing you already do’

Being grateful for all of our blessings is a fundamental key to true life happiness. By taking a moment to focus on the good, the beauty, the love, the wonderful things in our lives that we have been blessed with, we become centered and grounded. Rather than dwelling on the negative, we choose to see the positive, and those ‘not so wonderful’ things in our lives suddenly don’t seem so bad.

WHY GRATITUDE?

Research has found (and continues to find) that counting our blessings in 'good' times and in 'bad' times (remember that entrepreneurial rollercoaster you’re on? Yah.), draws us into the beautiful present moment, increases positive emotions, attracts what we want, betters our relationships, and even improves our health. Um, is it magic?! I think so! Uh, and it's free!? Yup! 

From my personal experiences, gratitude literally changes everything.

HERE’S MY TIP FOR YOU.

Today (yes today, why wait?!), go out and buy yourself a shiny new gratitude journal. Something that you loooove and can’t wait to dive into. Before bed every night, write down 3 things you are grateful for. Feel how it feels. Really focus on your gratitudes…pay attention to the love you are filled with as you think of, and write them down. And if you feel so inclined, read them out loud, share them with a loved one, and notice as your heart expands. 

ARE YOU SOLD YET?

Mindfulness is good health for your mind, body, and soul. And when you are healthy on the soul level, my goodness, think of the creativity and productivity that will flow! So, encouraging you to ground yourself into the beautiful present moment, to breathe, to affirm and to be grateful….and then, to watch your business thrive.

Signing off now so I can stop and smell the roses.

Love, Lindy XO