COACHING THE CENTERED LEADER

Premise:

Executives need to manage stress and emotions. They need to stay centered. They need to inspire, create and motivate. They need to problem solve and innovate and do all of these things in an often stressful or chaotic environment. They don’t have a lot of success meditating and that can be particularly hard to do while at work.

Both the mind and the body can regulate and affect the stress and the stress response – the autonomic nervous system. Both the parasympathetic (relaxation) and sympathetic (fight or flight) can be affected by either locus of control. Most practices and techniques approach autonomic control or stress reduction from the mind (i.e. meditation), yet techniques that work with the body are often easier, faster and more effective. Exercise is a good example of this, yet often cannot be done in the moment- at a meeting or during the work day.

Solution—

Simple hand practices and hand positions that shift the focus and nervous system – 1-2 minute techniques that can be done anywhere. In your office, a private conference room, an Uber, a bathroom stall….

From a practical standpoint, these are easily accessible techniques that you can do while on the phone or even a Zoom conference. They are faster and easier to tap into quickly than traditional meditation.

From a scientific standpoint – The positive impact of breath work is well known. Deep breathing helps lower heart rate and blood pressure. Adding the element of touch, increases the impact of the breath work. While hand positions and movement techniques have been used for centuries to increase focus and relaxation (for example yoga) there is now early scientific evidence to suggest that touch increases the flow of Oxytocin, Dopamine and Serotonin.

Key take-aways:

Examples of Haptic Practices that you can use for yourself and your clients