In my recent blogs I shared my ideas for how you can bring the first four of the ‘ways of wellbeing’ into your non-profit organisation. These are:
- Connect with others
- Keep learning new things
- Move
- Give
The fifth pillar, as identified by research from the New Economics Foundation (NEF), is Take Notice.
This is definitely one of my favourites (though I prefer to call it ‘Live Mindfully’). I’ve been a fan of mindfulness for a while and for me this one is all about living consciously and taking notice of what is happening – in yourself, in others and in the world around you in any moment.
Living mindfully has huge benefits. You become much more aware of your own feelings, needs, motivations and values. You are less battered by outside forces and feel more able to make positive choices.
Here are some of NEF’s suggestions for how to live mindfully.
- Be curious
- Catch sight of the beautiful
- Remark on the unusual
- Notice the changing seasons
- Savour the moment whatever you are doing
- Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling
- Reflect on your experiences
You are a catalyst
Doesn’t that all sound lovely? How could any of these fail to bring more peace and wellbeing into life? This pillar is very much about making small changes within yourself that will support your own wellbeing, but you’re also acting as a model for your team. Your behaviour is hugely powerful and will have a significant influence on others at work. It’s not necessarily easy but the rewards are clear. Here are my ideas for how to inspire others.
11 ways to inspire others to live mindfully at work
Put plants in your workspace – and water them!- Have a ‘clear the clutter’ day
- Use Headspace or Finding Peace in a Frantic World to do a ten-minute meditation together three times a week
- When colleagues ask ‘how are you?’ take a moment and answer honestly – ‘Right now I feel…”
- Begin team meetings with a check-in of how everyone is
- Do the 8-week mindfulness course together as a team
- Write thank you cards for jobs well done
- Lunch together once a week and leave your mobiles behind
- Suggest team members spend five minutes at the end of each day reflecting on their successes and challenges
- Use curious, non-judgmental questions in one-to-ones
- Share these Morning Power Questions from Notes from a Friend by Anthony Robbins and encourage your team to run through them on their way to work:
What am I happy about in my life right now? What about that makes me happy? So, how does that make me feel?
Ask the same three questions for Excited, Proud, Committed, Enjoying, Grateful.
I have been asking these questions most mornings since I read this book in 1995. I can’t recommend them enough.
Over to you
Have you noticed yourself or members of your team rushing from one thing to the next without stopping for breath? What small change could you make today to encourage a more mindful approach? Perhaps you’re doing some great things already? I’d love to hear from you so we can inspire the Be The Change community. Drop your suggestions in the comments below.
What next?
Want some help creating a low-cost wellbeing programme for your non-profit team? Give me a call on 07958 501 427 or send me an email to katie@be-the-change.org.uk.