Health & Wellness - Returning To Ourselves

Mindfulness Strategies For Women Leaders

By Shumirai Chimombe

In this fast-paced world of work, life can become frenzied for busy women. With diaries filled with business and boardroom meetings, deadlines, appointments - all while juggling family and social life - it’s easy to lose oneself. Added to that, technology has become a way of life, meaning that we are always connected, day and night.

The word mindfulness may not appear readily on people’s radar. Yet, this practice could drastically reduce the effects of stress, burnout, fatigue - which have become all too common for professional and business women. And companies that encourage and adopt mindfulness practices at work are seeing positive results on both an individual and organisational level.

Mindfulness is defined as the practice of being fully present and aware of the current moment without judgment or distraction. By paying close attention to your thoughts, emotions and what is happening around you, in your environment, you’re able to observe your experiences and also recognise your habitual patterns of thinking. Being aware of these patterns allows you to react consciously, rather than reflexively, and change course if needed. Cape Townbased certified meditation and mindfulness practitioner, Lisa Firer says: “As leaders, there are so many demands on our attention. Our attention can become fragmented and frantic. We need to learn to cultivate the wisdom to choose carefully where to place this precious resource. Life is available only in the here and the now. If we are able to bring our body and mind together in the here and the now, we are more able to make thoughtful, nourishing choices. We are able to take care of ourselves, our workspaces, and our relationships from this more integrated space.”

The study Making the Mindful Leader suggests that leaders need new tools to support them as they grapple with increasingly testing realities. It proposes that a critical skill for adaptive leaders is the capacity to be mindful - to be present and aware of themselves, others and the world around them, to recognise in real-time their own perceptions (and their potential biases), their emotional reactions and the actions they need to take to address current realities more effectively.

Mindfulness is a skill that can be learned and developed over time and with regular practice it can provide leaders with practical methods for enhancing attention and awareness. That in turn can significantly enhance their potential for adaptive action and greater selfmanagement.

“Little of leadership development has focused on understanding oneself in the present moment. But it is the present in which all human activity occurs.

The ‘here and now’ is the “live feed” view into how a person experiences life.”

The website Her New Standard offers some simple techniques for women in leadership to enhance their wellbeing. These include:

Mindful Breathing

Start your day with a simple breathing exercise to center yourself. Take slow, deep breaths, focusing your attention on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body. This practice helps you bring awareness to the present moment and promotes calmness.

Mindful Listening

Practise active and attentive listening in your interactions with others. Give your full presence to the person speaking, maintain eye contact, and genuinely listen without interrupting or formulating responses in your mind. This cultivates deeper connections, empathy, and understanding.

Mindful Communication

Incorporate mindfulness into your communication style. Before responding, take a moment to pause, reflect, and choose your words consciously. Consider the impact of your words and strive for clear, compassionate, and authentic communication.

Mindful Time Management

Apply mindfulness to how you manage your time and prioritise tasks. Regularly evaluate your commitments, assess their alignment with your values and goals, and make intentional choices about where to allocate your time and energy. This helps reduce overwhelm and increases productivity.

Mindful Self-care

Prioritise self-care as an essential aspect of mindful leadership. Engage in activities that nurture your wellbeing, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, or spending time in nature. Taking care of yourself enhances resilience, creativity, and overall leadership effectiveness.

Mindful Decision-making

Integrate mindfulness into your decision-making process. Pause and create space for reflection before making important choices. Pay attention to your intuition, consider different perspectives, and align your decisions with your values and long-term goals.

Mindful Work-life integration

Foster a healthy worklife integration by setting boundaries and creating moments of mindful transition between work and personal life. Practice being fully present in each context, allowing for greater focus, work satisfaction, and overall happiness.

Mindful Leadership Development

Seek out opportunities for continuous learning and personal growth. Engage in women’s leadership development programmes, attend mindfulness workshops, and carve out time for reflection on who you are becoming as a leader.

“By practicing even a few minutes of mindfulness daily, we learn to return to ourselves. We bring our attention home” -Lisa Firer

Source: Wiley-Blackwell | Her New Standard | Mindful