I was listening to a talk recently about coaching high performing leaders, and the speaker was talking about how anxiety is the easiest emotion to pass on. This got me thinking about how many times my coaching clients are anxious about something. Anxiety is common, and more and more common as we continue to be absorbed in our electronics. The electromagnetic waves distress our systems, and that’s without looking at email! I encourage you to put your phones away from your head while you are sleeping, along with removing the television from your sleeping area, or covering it before you retire for the night. Truly, we don’t need more anxiety!
This brought me to the antidote to anxiety – the cleansing breath throughout the day that renews energy and releases anxiety and stress. I reminded myself how powerful my meditation practice is as the mechanism to set my day in motion, and the difference in the days I don’t start with meditation. So, is meditation a self-help practice? I define self-help as those things that help me be more self-aware, help me understand who I am at a deeper level, and help me be the best I can be in front of audiences, or one-on-one with coaching clients. In that definition, absolutely! So, if you are afraid of self-help, play with 5 minutes of deep slow breaths. Set a timer, relax into it. You might become a believer in my definition, and carry on with your amazing life with less anxiety and stress. Now there’s a great idea!
