Janet Fouts's Blog, page 10
May 3, 2021
The Language of Mindfulness #MindfulSocial with Brett Hill
My guest on the podcast this week is Brett Hill. Brett has such a delightful approach to teaching mindfulness and meditation. His degree in interpersonal communication and a fascination for technology lead to a career as a technical story-teller, author, blogger, and speaker for companies like Microsoft, Adobe and others. It was great fun chatting with Brett and I think you’re going to love listening too.
About Brett
Brett Hill is a Mindfulness and Communications expert who created The Language of Mindfulness®, soon to be a book, training, and TEDx talk (2021). Brett is also a published technologist with two Microsoft Press books, having worked as a technical storyteller and international speaker for Microsoft and others. Microsoft named him as a “Most Valuable Professional” for 9 years. But his real passion has been studying and teaching interpersonal communication, meditation, depth psychology and mindfulness. He graduated with a degree in interpersonal communication and moved on to study Hakomi, mindfulness-based somatic psychology with founder Ron Kurtz. He also trained as a facilitator in Matrix Leadership group dynamics with founder Amina Knowlan and established the Quest Institute Meditation Center in Dallas. All of this combined with his speaking and teaching experience, has led him to create the Language of Mindfulness – so we can have amazing conversations, every day.
He currently teaches as a meditation instructor at Bemediation.com, hosts the Language of Mindfulness podcast, and is available for coaching, speaking, or training at LangaugeofMindfulness.com
April 29, 2021
Behavior Change Through Tiny Habits
Have you ever done something that was so automatic you didn’t even realize you were doing it? Did you regret it? Can you think of a behavior you’d like be doing and don’t? Or maybe a behavior you’d like to change, but no matter how you try you haven’t been able to manage it?
Yeah. Me too. And it bugs me. I’m guessing you too?
With the right knowledge, we can do so much more and be so much more satisfied with our lives.
Whether you want to:
Start a meditation habitBe less reactive with your family or your bossStop procrastinating and start doingOffer compassion to yourself and othersBe a better communicatorStart exercising or walking routinesMake more time for what matters most to youOr any habit you want to createThere is a way to create the habits that lead to your own personal success..
About Tiny Habits®
The Tiny Habits method is created by Dr. B.J. Fogg, Director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University and it makes habit-creation easy, sustainable and approachable. In the Fogg method, you create lasting change by creating tiny habits that lead to the desired behavior you want.
Motivation isn’t enough
We often think that the reason we fail is that we aren’t motivated enough. We drop into a negative cycle of beating ourselves up for not being able to do what we desire and we may spiral down into self-criticism and eventually quit even trying.
The tiny habits method gives you the tools you need to:
Craft a doable habit triggered by something you already doRepeat the habit regularlyCelebrate your success in doing the habitEach habit follows a simple format: After I (existing action) I will (new tiny habit)
For example:
You want to avoid working on the computer and spend more time relaxing with your family in the evenings.
The recipe might be: “After I end work for the day, I will turn off my computer.”
You want to get off your duff and start exercising.
The recipe might be: “After I eat lunch, I will take a 5 minute walk around the block.”
You want to be less critical and your self-talk.
The recipe might be: “After I notice the urge to be self-critical, I will say aloud “I’m a good person and I do my best .”
You want to practice gratitude in your life
The recipe might be: “After I turn out the light to sleep at night, I will list one thing that experienced that day that I am grateful for.”
Whenever I run into new methodologies I explore them to see if they are a good fit with the needs of my clients and the way I coach and teach. I firmly believe in the concept that small actions stick with us better than big ones in working with life shifts. Like Microdosed Mindfulness, ya know?
Tiny Habits fits perfectly into the way I work, and I’m happy to say I’m now a , and can add this tool to my offerings for clients of all kinds.
Ready to get to some new habits?
The Tiny Habits book is a great start. When you’re ready to dig deeper and start some new habits, take the Tiny Habits 5-day challenge. Learn more here and register!
April 21, 2021
Nurturing Joy – a Half-day Mindfulness Retreat
Joy? Really? In these times when life is so challenging?
YES, it’s even more important when we are living and working in turbulent times when we are struggling with seeing the source of joy in our lives. Maybe even feeling selfish and a little guilty for being happy.
If you are like most of us in today’s busy world you might be feeling like:
You know you need to take time to fill your own energy stores, but you feel guilty taking the time for yourself.You think you could be doing better with juggling work and life and still have time for regeneration and fun.You’re feeling out of balance, lacking the inspiration and energy to keep running on.You’re beginning to wonder what happened to the joy that used to feel so natural.What is JOY anyway?
Most of us think of joy as that heart-swelling, all-encompassing full-body electricity that many of us call joy.
Joy is a compilation of several states of being that can include contentment, pleasure, happiness aliveness, a sense of ease or peacefulness.
When we can accept that these are all states of joy we can begin to notice how often we really do feel joy in our lives and celebrate it more often!
Guess what? Noticing joy in its many forms opens the door to more intensified experiences and allowing ourselves to experience it without regret or guilt.
What’s the first step to having more joy in your life?
Setting an intention to seeking joy and allowing it to reveal itself.
That’s what this half-day retreat is all about.
• Setting intentions to notice joy and nurturing it
• Cultivation opportunities to experience more joy in it's many forms
• Learning specific tools to enable us to expand, not contract when difficulties present themselves (cuz they will!)
• Learning to love ourselves, offering self-compassion and appreciation
• Learning to love others, looking beyond challenge to opportunities to connect on a deeper level
• How movement creates opportunities to shift mindset and energize our mindset
[image error]Special guest!
Monica Welty will be joining us this month bringing her special approach to self-care through movement and fun! Monica has been working in holistic health since 2003. She serves as a massage therapist and health coach, incorporating her background in whole food nutrition and functional fitness. She is currently developing courses on science-based self-care practices for easy use in everyday life and online spaces. She lives in Portland, OR with her partner and two daughters.
What you’ll need
Bring an open mind, a sense of humor, and be ready to connect with others like you who want more joy in their lives!
The retreat is held on Zoom. You’ll need a webcam and a microphone ( a headset is just fine).
The retreat is interactive and we will be doing practices together, sharing ways to incorporate joy in our lives and diving deep into our mindsets with mindful attention to self-nurturing and care.
What to expect
• Gentle guidance to key concepts of mindfulness
• Simple ways to nourish joy in daily life
• Guided mindfulness meditation
• A safe and caring container for discussion and introspection
• Simple micro-doses of mindfulness to continue your JOY practice
• Free access to weekly mindfulness meditation group
Ready to join us? Tickets re limited and available on a sliding scale. Pay what you can afford. All are welcome! Register Here!April 13, 2021
Mindfulness Without the Bells and Beads- #MindfulSocial with @mindfulclif
The word “mindfulness” has become a trendy catchphrase these days, and some avoid using the “M” word altogether because it feels woo woo, or icky. The thing is, whatever you wanna call it, I can tell you that these simple techniques work, and. I was intrigued by Clif Smith’s title. Mindfulness without the bells and beads because, like him, I’ve learned a lot about the value of these skills for productivity, and wellbeing, As scientists study the effects of these practices on our brains, and physical and mental well-being we learn more every day.
Having an “underlying condition” is not required to benefit from mindfulness. It can help you go from good to great when it comes to your performance, leadership, and well-being. Keeping mindfulness framed only in spirituality and wellness/stress relief limits its reach and impact.” –Clif Smith
Book Links:
Pre-order a copy of Clif’s new book Mindfulness without the Bells and Beads – Unlocking Exceptional Performance, Leadership, and Well-being on Amazon, BAM, B&N, or IndieBound.
About Clif
A US Army veteran, former diplomat, and intelligence officer, Clif serves as Ernst and Young’s (EY) Mindfulness Leader and is internationally recognized for bringing mindfulness into the corporate world.
Clif brings his story and over 25 years of experience leading through high-pressure situations into his teachings and demonstrates the value of adopting mindfulness as a fundamental part of our personal and professional lives. Following his passion for developing others, he built EY’s Mindful Leadership program, delivering practical training to over 60,000 working professionals with measurable impact on leadership, performance, and well-being. Now, with Mindfulness Without the Bells and Beads, Clif brings his proven methods of introducing mindfulness and an innovative 8-week course to all interested readers, not just high-performing executives and elite professionals.
Connect with Clif:
March 28, 2021
Mindful Social – Authenticity Reawakened with Vicki Znavor
Authenticity, it’s one of those words bandied about a lot, isn’t it? Often, in marketing and politics especially, “authenticity” just doesn’t ring true. It’s added like frosting or showers of glitter to create a feeling of trust and familiarity. As professor Herminia Ibarra tells us, a simplistic understanding of what authenticity means can hinder our growth and leave us feeling fake. But as we develop a clear sense of our true self we can move more quickly toward our goals and ideals.
When I read Vicki Znavor’s new book, Authenticity Reawakened- The Path to OWNING Your Life’s Story and Fulfilling Your Purpose, I was reminded of the many times I’d heard people say “I’m just being real” as an excuse for being a jerk. Or the times that “being authentic” was like putting a pound of glitter on a toadstool and calling it a throne.
In this book, Vicki gives us some clues to discover our personal truth for ourselves, the real truth, and once we know that truth, how to make better decisions about how we can look to our values to lead our true life with purpose and joy.
She walks us through understanding when we aren’t really happy at all, even though we have all the right things in place, it’s just not REAL happiness, perhaps doing what we think makes us successful and therefore happy.
For some, it takes years of work, or even an existential crisis to learn our real, deep truth. Our one thing that brings us joy.
Vicki walks us through some of the signs to understand how we really feel, and how we might not be as connected to our work as we thought we were. Then she helps us face our fears and embrace our own truths with curiosity, courage and grace.
Listen to the podcast and then give this book a read willya?
About Vicki
Vicki spent four decades in corporate roles in Finance and Human Resources. She has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a Notable Leader in HR in 2020, by ALPFA as one of the Most Powerful Latinas in 2019, and by the International Association of Business Communicators. She is a graduate of Calumet College of St. Joseph and DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. She also serves on the board of directors of several not-for-profit organizations devoted to furthering literacy, alleviating human suffering and supporting the families of fallen first responders.
She’s a wife, mother and grandmother who is passionate about bringing your true self to life and work so that you can realize your true purpose and experience great joy in life.
Get the book! Authenticity Reawakened
Connect with Vicki
Website Twitter Linkedin Instagram
March 10, 2021
A Retreat to Mindful Self-care
What is one of the best ways to incorporate the benefits of mindfulness into your life?
By learning and then practicing the time-tested skills taught by a trained coach and in a safe, supportive environment for learning and growing together.
Why do retreats make a huge difference in our ability to absorb and put into practice these skills?
Because you are making a commitment to yourself by setting aside time to focus on both the learning AND the practice.
Why a virtual retreat? On Zoom?
Listen, there’s nothing that makes me happier than leading an in-person retreat. 1, 2, 3 or 10 days and I’m in heaven. Working closely with people and seeing the transformations as they realize the difference mindfulness based emotional intelligence can make for them is amazing.
Unfortunately, we don’t have that option right now, even though it is EXACTLY the remedy we need for these hectic and scary times. Over the last few months I’ve held these ½ day virtual retreats and the feedback has been wonderful. Being able to take the time for one’s own self-care revitalizes and energizes.
Here’s what my individual clients had to say:
I wanted it to never end!I felt rejuvenated and relaxed, ready to get back to work.Thank you so much for reminding me how much better I feel when I take the time, even a few moments throughout the day.Group sessions were fast-paced, yet centering and relaxingI loved the meditations, the tips on mindfulness, and connecting with wonderful people.And from the CEO after a team retreat:
“I attended one of Janet’s mini virtual-retreats and loved it so much that I hired her to host one for my team. It was the perfect dose of mindfulness for a busy remote team. It was described by many as the first real moment of peace they experienced in weeks and months. It was a much-needed opportunity to recharge and realign themselves, but also to strengthen relationships with their teammates in a safe space facilitated passionately and skillfully by Janet. Whether in-person or virtually, I can’t recommend what Janet offers enough to teams and hardworking professionals alike.”
The virtual retreat experience
In the retreat, my focus is on teaching you simple practices that apply directly to living mindfully with attention to self-care and care for other beings in this world.
OK already, when is the next retreat?
The next retreat is March 27, 2021 from 12 noon – 2:30 PM Pacific Time.
Tickets are on a sliding scale from “Pay What you can” to sponsoring tickets for others.
Can’t make this one?
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear about upcoming events AND download a free e-book with Microdosed Mindfulness® practices you can start using right now.
February 22, 2021
Finding our common humanity
I’m hearing from clients, friends, and people I pass on the street that they’re simply exhausted. The election is over but the aftermath is still shouting at us in the news. So is the pandemic, the economy, the changes in how we work and live. Not to mention wearing masks, working from home, and curtailing most of our usual activities that used to be our stress relief! No late dinners out with friends, conferences for work, travel is limited. Need I keep adding to the list?
No. No, I don’t, ‘cuz that isn’t really helping is it? My point is simply this. We’ve been working in an alien universe for over a year now, and we try to forget all of the factors impacting our day to day, but ignoring them doesn’t make it go away, it just lurks in the dark like a menacing cloud waiting for just one more straw…
What should we do then when we find ourselves squabbling with the neighbor or the woman who cut us off in traffic? The person who cut in line and grabbed OUR coffee at the takeout window? The coworker who doesn’t turn her video on for the weekly staff meeting and nobody knows why?
Again, getting mad isn’t really helpful or productive, and since everyone is in some version of the same boat, adrift on the same sea, how about we can find comfort in identifying our collective common ground. Let’s bring some compassion to our thoughts of what others may be feeling too.
This practice is often called “Just Like Me”. and it’s a wonderful way to remind us that we all have the same basic desires and needs, no matter who we are.
It’s great for that person in your life you just can’t get along with. The co-worker who just, well, bugs you. The family member who is well-meaning but hard to understand. The hospital staff, the essential workers everywhere working hard and often unrecognized and sometimes a little grumpy from sheer exhaustion. Just like YOU.
This increases the understanding that all others are “just like me.” This practice can also be done alone, by bringing to mind a friend, a colleague, a neutral person, or a difficult person. Or it can be done silently when meeting someone new.
First, bring an individual to mind, as though they are right in front of you. A fellow human being, just like you.
Now silently repeat these phrases.
This person has a body and a mind, just like me.This person has feelings, emotions, and thoughts, just like me.This person has experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering in his or her life, just like me.This person has at some point been sad, disappointed, angry, or hurt, just like me. (You can say these one at a time….)This person has felt unworthy or inadequate, just like me.This person worries and is frightened sometimes, just like me.This person has longed for friendship, just like me.This person is learning about life, just like me.This person wants to be caring and kind to others, just like me.This person wants to be content with what life has given, just like me.This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering, just like me.This person wishes to be safe and healthy, just like me.This person wishes to be happy, just like me.This person wishes to be loved, just like me.Allow some wishes for well-being for this person to arise:
I wish that this person has the strength, resources, and social support to navigate the difficulties in life with ease.I wish that this person be free from pain and suffering.I wish that this person be peaceful and happy.I wish that this person be loved.Because this person is a fellow human being, just like me.Now how do you feel about this person? I’m guessing your heart may have softened a bit?
Smile.
Feel a little better?
I invite you to add your own phrase or wish for well-being and join us in our Nearly Mindful Facebook Group.
January 18, 2021
Microdosed Mindfulness?
“I don’t have time for that mindfulness stuff” said a friend not too long ago.
I sighed. I get this a lot, so I thought I’d share my answer here.
“OK, but how do you have time to NOT be mindful?
Remember the last time you tripped on the sidewalk as you were walking along. Did you look back to see what had tripped you up? Was it a sharp rise in the sidewalk or some other obstacle? Why didn’t you see it?
What about that time you blurted out what was in your mind before the other person finished their thought, only to find that you were wrong and regretting it?
How about the email you sent off in a hurry, full off typos and perhaps a thoughtless comment? All of those are examples of being mindless. How’s that working for you?”
“Oh, I have a monkey mind, it’s just too busy to be mindful!”
Yeah, I get that a lot too. In fact, I said it myself for years.
I had tried and tried to force my mind to be totally quiet and failed, so I decided that this meditation stuff was too hard. My mind was too flawed. I was too weak. All kinds of crazy things
The truth is, everyone’s minds are busy, even acclaimed meditators have to learn to manage the thoughts racing through their minds. It’s not just you!
The job of the mind is to problem solve. To think thoughts, and that’s OK. But sometimes it keeps us from being our best.
What meditation allows us to do is not get hung up on those thoughts, or let the thoughts take over.
To give ourselves the space to focus on what really matters, at that moment.
Walking mindfully
I walk a lot, and as I go through the neighborhood I take notice of what is around me. It’s become a habit to allow my mind to do whatever it does without letting it take the focus away from all the tiny treasures that bring me joy.
I see the flowers in the yards, peruse the titles of books in the tiny libraries, see the mom and her new baby out for a stroll. Watch the kids playing basketball or with their dogs at the park.
On these mindful walks, I keep my phone in my pocket and pay attention to what is around me. It brings me peace. It brings me joy, and sometimes it reminds me that I am working too hard without a break.
So what?
When people ask me to teach them mindfulness I don’t make them sit in meditation for 20 minutes, read the great works of knowledge on the subject, or lecture on the evils of mindlessness. That’s not helpful or fair.
Instead, I teach them how a microdose of mindfulness, helps build a habit of being less distracted and more focused. Taken in small doses, mindfulness is quite doable; it makes sense. Once that tiny dose works it’s magic, and we want more.
What is microdosed mindfulness? It's a way to stop the busy, overwhelmed mind and find calm, even in the middle of a storm.
Click To Tweet
Here are a few super-simple practices to try on and see what works for you:
Starting a meeting
Before you start, let everyone get settled in with one minute in silence–without devices, interruption or discussion for each person to settle in their place and be fully present for the meeting. At first it feels odd, but as people get used to taking this opportunity to get fully present before the meeting, you’ll find they look forward to it and conversations are calmer and better focused.
Be GLAD
Reflect on your day yesterday and notice 1 thing each that you:
Share appreciation
Think of someone you interact with regularly. What have they done for you or someone else that you appreciated? Tell them. Email, phone, face to face, it doesn’t matter. Keep it simple:
“David, I really appreciated how kind you were when George made a mistake in his presentation, you didn’t make a big deal of it and embarrass him, you just helped him through it.”
Be kind
When someone cuts in front of you in line, in a conversation, or on the freeway? Take a breath and silently wish that they may be well. We cannot know what burdens they carry. We all need a break once in a while, and when you offer kindness to another person it feels good. Don’t believe me? Try it.
Stop
When you’re busy and the phone rings or someone asks a question, give yourself the length of one breath before you respond. You’ll be surprised what a difference that tiny pause makes in your ability to be present and responsive.
December 30, 2020
Friday Morning Mindfulness
Have you meant to make mindfulness and/or meditation part of your self-care routine, but just not managed to keep it up? A regular practice can help create a habit that lasts and does wonders for your health and wellbeing.
I offer a free 30-minute mindfulness meditation each Friday from 9 to 9:30 AM PT. This is an opportunity to learn some new tools and take time for yourself at the end of the week.
Join us every Friday Morning for 30 minutes of free weekly drop-in on mindfulness and meditation on Zoom. Feel free to join by phone or video, all are welcome to participate, no experience needed.
December 7, 2020
Stressed out? What are you doing about that?
Burnout is very, very, real but we often ignore it hoping it will go away. We don’t realize how it affecting so many aspects of our lives. Our friends and family, co-workers, clients, they all probably see it sooner than you do.
I get it, we are all overextended in so many ways right now. At home, at work, the pressure to perform in the midst of so much turmoil can be overwhelming.
Are you burned out? Ask yourself:
Are you tired right now?
Does it feel like you are ALWAYS tired?
When was the last time you felt energized and fully alive?
Have you been warned at work that your production is slowing?
Have you been more than a little grumpy lately?
Do you have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning?
Exhausted by midday?
Are you dissatisfied or disillusioned with your work?
Do you feel like you just can’t get everything done in a day?
Do you feel detached from others, or a desire to isolate yourself?
How do we respond to overwhelm and burnout?
Hide our head under the covers
Deny that we’re burned out and ignore the obvious evidence that we ARE
Make lists and more lists of things we have to do
Get overwhelmed by the lists
Catastrophize what “could” happen if… (fill in with impending doom)
When we are burned out we are not able to operate effectively, personally or professionally. We often can’t see that we are getting burned out until it is fully upon us, and by then it’s so much harder to recover isn’t it?
What’s the 3-step answer to managing burnout and keeping it from taking over everything?
Recognize the symptoms, and they may be a lot more subtle than you think. By the time we see it it’s already affecting us, sometimes dramatically.
Learn how to make objective decisions about how to moderate the effects of burnout on ourselves and others.
Implement simple strategies to reduce the impact of stress and the likelihood of burnout.
If we have some very simple tools in our skillset we can learn to be productive, get our focus back, and retrain our brain to respond rather than be reactive to stuff that comes up. Because it will.
DO SOMETHING!
I’m offering a free workshop on managing stress levels and burnout on Zoom. Learn more about it at the link below and share it with your team!
Register today for the free workshop on OnZoom: Wednesday December 9 at 12 noon PT.
