Wellness Begins with Resilience: Resilience Training for Managers and Staff:

Transcription

1 28 th Annual Schedule 2 Employer s Group Conference Oct. 18, 2017 Wellness Begins with Resilience: Resilience Training for Managers and Staff: Presented by: Naomi Nurgitz J.D. Training on Target nnurgitz@gmail.com

2 How Mindfulness Can Help Mindfulness offers an alternative to our habits of worry, anxiety, and frustration. Derived from ancient meditation methods and validated by modern science, it is a simple mental practice that introduces a calmer, more satisfying mode of being. Its benefits include: Reduced stress and anxiety Improved focus Greater emotional resilience Enhanced interpersonal skills Organizations which offer mindfulness training can expect: Reduced burnout and turnover Greater efficiency and productivity Happier, healthier staff Mindfulness produces remarkable changes in a short time, and the benefits continue to deepen with practice. Many Fortune 500 companies already offer mindfulness training to their employees, including Google, Goldman Sachs, and General Mills. 2

3 Principles of Mindfulness Being in the present moment and not in your head. Observing your experience as it is, without judgment. Suffering is Optional The source of all suffering is wanting things to be Different Than They Are. The cure for all suffering is to take time to just be; and be with things as they are in the moment. Be Here Now Paying attention to the body s sensory experience connects us with the present moment. Life only happens in moments; immerse yourself each one. Become Comfortable with the Uncomfortable Turn toward present experience rather than resisting, even when it s unpleasant. See with New Eyes: o o o o o See thoughts as just thoughts rather than getting lost in them. See emotions as just energy moving through the body and allow them to come and go rather than resisting them. See body sensations as just temporary arisings which will pass as you watch. See difficulties as challenges, as events which will pass. Notice moments of beauty even in the middle of difficulty. 3

4 Impermanence Everything is impermanent, so why get your shorts in a knot, when what is here will likely pass on its own. Just stay patient, centred and watch. Accept the present moment as if you d invited it. -Pema Chodron Just For Now Stop Wanting by Donna Torney Just for now want nothing Don't wish to be some place else Be where you are Don't wish for more energy, or less Watch your breath rise and fall and watch your energy settle to where it needs to be Stop planning and remembering let thought disperse Like autumn leaves falling Until all that is left is the calm, clear seeing of your branch-like mind Yearn for nothing, no one Pain or pleasure Peace or war Take a break from feeling incomplete Let the calmness in your mind grow Plant the seeds of contentment and joy Don't look for revenge or seek forgiveness Just for now Offer compassion to yourself Just for now, want nothing and through this practice Ease will come Insight will come Compassion will grow 4

5 Sitting Meditation The Posture: Awake and Aware Experiment with sitting away from the chair back Spine is Tall o Visualize stacking and balancing your vertebrae one on top of the other and letting everything hang from that central column. o For longer sits, tall spine is easier to maintain, if hips are slightly higher than knees (tilt chair seat so it s higher at the back or use a cushion). Feet are flat on floor, under knees. Hands are on lap, or on thighs Eyes may be gently closed, or with soft unfocused gaze downward 5

6 Watching the Breath in Three Easy Steps: Breathe normally. Rest attention on the sensations of breath at the nose or at the belly (whichever is easiest for you to feel). When you notice that attention has wandered, gently bring it back to the breath. o If distractions arise just Notice, Name them with a light word ( thinking, itching ), and Allow them to be there, and bring your attention back to the breath. Sitting Meditation: Pointers Meditation is not about emptying the mind or getting rid of thoughts. Meditation is about changing your relationship to your thoughts: be the witness to thoughts as they arise, without being hooked in. The landscape of sounds, sensations, and thoughts will continue in the background as you focus your attention on your breath. Mindfulness meditation is about choosing to follow distractions or to continue to rest one s attention on the breath. Your mind will wander, and that s okay. This isn t about stopping the wandering; that s impossible. The practice is all about noticing and gently guiding your attention back, as many times as it takes. When you notice that you ve wandered, that s an accomplishment. Congratulate yourself on noticing before returning to resting in awareness of the breath. Apply gentle effort. No need to strain. Be kind, curious and patient. Optional: apply a light mental label to a distraction (e.g., thinking, itching ). There is no failing at this, no doing well or poorly. There s only practicing or not. As Shinzen Young says: A successful meditation is one you did. 6

7 Moving Meditations Rather than sitting or lying still other forms of formal meditation involve movement. Sometimes it s easier to connect with awareness of the body through moving the body Mindfully. Mindful Movements can be as simple as walking, or can involve gentle stretches or balancing poses. They aren t exercise. They are awareness movements. Mindful Movements are done slowly with exquisite presence and with awareness of how the muscles, joints, ligaments and bones feel as you move. Always be aware of your limits and take responsibility for moving safely. Adapt postures as needed to stay within your limits. Avoid any movement that hyperextends the back or neck. Even visualizing a posture has benefits if you know it is something you shouldn t be doing. Visualizing a movement activates the part of the brain responsible for that movement. As you move be curious: o Notice the grounding and how it changes with the movement o Notice where the breath is in the body and how it feels o Notice which muscles are engaged; where there s effort or ease. o Soften muscles which don t take part in the work After you complete the movement take a breath or two, reground yourself and notice how you feel, as a result of having moved. 7

8 Circle of Joy Mindfulness in Daily Life FOFBOC: GROUNDING AWARENESS PRACTICE : TO RESET when you are lost in thought and want to come back to presence or are switching activities: o Form a new habit. When you finish one task and before you start the next, or when you are transitioning say, from work to home, intentionally take a few minutes, to feel the breath in your body, and 8

9 feel the contact and weight of your bottom in your seat and your feet on the floor. Ground yourself in the felt sense of the body, in particular, the sense of touch. If other body sensations, thoughts or emotions arise in the field of your awareness, just watch, as you might watch a cloud passing in a blue sky, letting each come and go without interference. Let yourself reconnect with the natural relaxation response of the body as you rest in the present moment, and emerge fully present in the next moment as you go about your day. PICK A PRACTICE: Take one activity you already do, and do it with awareness: o Mindful walking: rest attention on sensations in the soles of the feet. o Mindful eating: take a mindful mouthful. Experiencing the food with all of your senses, noticing colours, textures, smells, thoughts which arise, sounds. Chew slowly noticing what happens as you do. Notice the process of swallowing. Notice how you feel afterwards. o Mindful washing. Wash your hands and notice the sound, smell and temperature of the water, the feel of the soap, how your hands feel in the moment, the sound of the paper towel dispenser, the thought and emotions which are here. Notice and allow. LABELLING: Applying a light mental label to your experience (e.g., thinking, tingling, heat, sound ) can be helpful to step out of the experience and have space to respond. TO FALL ASLEEP: take three deep Ha breaths. This involves breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, vocalizing the out-breath gently as if you were whispering to someone or sighing; consciously letting go on each outbreath, of your day, of thoughts, of expectations, of judgments. Letting every outbreath be a complete letting go as you soften the jaw and the body. S.T.O.P. Practice, a Mindful Pause: (good to get out of autopilot.) 1. Step out of autopilot 2. Take a deep breath or two 3. Observe what is here as you become aware of your 5 senses, allowing what is here to be here. When you are centred 4. Proceed with your day. 9

10 The Myth of Multitasking The best way to get from Point A to Point B is to be fully present in Point A. Multitasking is a misnomer, it is actually task switching in rapid succession. The brain uses energy every time it reorients to switch to the new task. Multitasking is exhausting and unproductive. Rather than multitasking: o Set an intention to focus on one particular task. Decide how much time you will give to that task and give it your full attention. Then set an intention for the next. o Notice distractions as they come up and bring your attention back to the task. o Label distractions and bring your attention back. These steps are particularly helpful when online. Research shows that people who multitask have poorer recall, are less productive, and perform more poorly under pressure. Anxiety and Difficult Emotions What you resist will persist. Avoidance is another form of resistance. The best way out is always through. -Robert Frost It s already here. Let me feel it. -Jon Kabat-Zinn Emotions are just energy moving through the body to empower you to do what is important. They are a natural evolutionary adaptation- a message to tune into to find out what s at stake. Tune into your body. How does emotion show up as sensation? Mental labeling can be useful to move from overwhelm to witness. Notice and allow. Notice and allow. 10

11 Breathe through it. Be willing to feel it because it s here anyway. Allow it to process though. Remember the rule of impermanence. Be kind to yourself in this process. You aren t alone. All humans feel difficult emotions from time to time. Taking a mindful pause (p. 9) can help. Online Meditations Dianna Winston free guided medns UCLA, most 12 min. or less Mark Williams Finding Peace in a Frantic World- 8 minute meditations. Especially try the Three Minute Breathing Space. Article contains a guided Three Minute Breathing Space Practice voiced by Zindel Siegel a co-founder of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy click on Exercises to download short mediations Good 20 min mindful movement and other short meditations Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion Self-Compassion Break and other meditations including Loving Kindness 11

12 Ibme.info Inward Bound Mindfulness Education for Teens 2 minute downloadable meditations good for adults as well. Suggested Reading Happiness Happiness Is An Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life. Sylvia Boorstein The Art of Happiness-A Handbook for Living. Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler 10% Happier (How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress, without losing my edge and found self-help that actually works.) Dan Harris- ABC News Anchor. Neurobiology Mindsight-The New Science of Personal Transformation. Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. Rick Hanson The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brian Science. Norman Doidge, M.D. Pain Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life (Audio). J. Kabat-Zinn (2009). The Mindfulness Solution To Pain. Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix Stress Coming To Our Senses. J. Kabat-Zinn (2006). Full Catastrophe Living: Using The Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness: J. Kabat-Zinn (2013). Heal Thy Self: Lessons on Mindfulness in Medicine. Saki Santorelli Wherever You Go There You Are. J. Kabat-Zinn (2005). Acknowledgement: This material is adapted with permission from the Mindfulness for Lawyers and Attorneys Handbook written by Jon Krop and available on 12

13 About Naomi Naomi is a graduate of Osgoode Hall law school. She practised law in a two-person firm for 18 years in Toronto, and worked as a mediator for 11 years while raising four children. She always had a love of teaching. She was a certified instructor for the Ontario Real Estate Association teaching Real Property law to realtors and taught workshops to divorcing couples to help improve their communications. She volunteered as a mediator at Community Mediation Services of Downsview (CMSD) for 6 years doing restorative justice and community mediation. In 2009 she trained to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and ever since, has been teaching people in the GTA how to be more resilient and happier. She is a founding member of Mindfulness Everyday a non-profit organization in Toronto dedicated to bringing mindfulness to schools and the community. She is a certified by UBC as a Trainer for the Stress Management and Resilience Training workshop for Educators and has created mindfulness courses for the workplace including Awareness and Resilience Training For Lawyers (The ARTF-L Lawyer) and Mindful Communication for Leadership. She also works one-on-one training people in mindfulness and resilience skills. Naomi can be reached at Training on Target nnurgitz@gmail.com