Meditation for Business Leaders

Speaker 1: [Music] I'm Melanie bar welcome back to the shilp podcast your go-to place to empower you to live the life and business that you crave I'm here to talk about everything from Having the courage to make life and career leaps to the details of how to lead effectively create successful teams Implement strategies for growth and Infuse Tech Innovation I'm here to celebrate your wins and navigate through your challenges I live in the city now but I grew up in a town of a thousand people I've navigated did major life leaps a senior level corporate career worked in professional sports and now as a successful entrepreneur who loves business technology family and making meaningful connections with you and the Sheil it Community I also love a good workout and dose of self-care magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business that brings us joy so turn up the audio open your favorite Notes app grab your favorite drink and here we go welcome back to the Shila podcast I'm I'm Melanie bar and today we're diving into something that has transformed my life and I believe it can do the same for you establishing a morning routine with a focus on meditation this keeps coming up in episode after episode with all of the incredible women around the world that I talk to on the show who are building businesses and striving to live the lives that they crave for themselves and for their families the topic of the pace at which we live and that our businesses move today keeps coming up over and over again in one way it is so exciting I love and am obsessed with learning all of the new tech systems and platforms it's so fun and helpful for the way our lives and business operate at the same time we can be constantly distracted and it's become more important than ever to make this space to honor ourselves and take time for what we need to breathe to slow down to dream the morning routine I do takes about 10 to 15 minutes and it has been life-changing whether you're a seasoned meditator or just curious about starting this episode is tailored to help you understand why incorporating meditation into your morning can set a positive tone for your entire day and week how you start your day often sets the pace for the rest of it a solid morning routine reduces stress boosts your energy level and improves your focus but when you add meditation into that mix the benefits multiply I used to work out in the morning and think I had to start my day off that way as my routine shift I have 10-year-old twins who are extremely athletic and can't drive themselves to practice yet I had to learn to be okay with shifting my morning routine to what works best for my schedule it took me saying that that shift was okay since I was used to working out in the morning now I wake up and listen to something in the morning while I'm making the kids snacks and lunches and while I'm drinking my morning coffee sometimes I listen to motivational podcasts like the Sheila podcast sometimes I listen to something educational like a tech platform I want to learn and sometimes I just listen to music depending on my mood after that I do a 5 minute morning meditation and 15 minutes of Weights I'm doing a short meditation and weights to boost my mood in the morning and my longer workouts at night while my twins are doing whatever Sports practice they have that day if I skip my morning meditation and dose of quick weights I feel it particularly the meditation meditation isn't just calming it's a tool backed by science engaging in meditation every morning decreases anxiety improves cognitive function and enhances your creativity it's like pressing the reset button for your brain preparing you for whatever the day has in store a little bit about my own experience I started integrating meditation into my morning routine about 2 years ago initially it was hard I struggled to make it a habit but kept going and working to figure out what the best meditation practice looked like for me I began noticing changes small at first like being less irritable in traffic then the bigger ones like how I approached problem solving when it came to my business if you're thinking that sounds great but I don't know how I would start don't worry I've got you covered here's a simple way and what I did to begin set a constant wakeup time consistency is key as a mom twins so often after they've gone to sleep for a long time I felt like I needed that time for myself now I'm starting to really enjoy my morning routines so I'm becoming better at going to sleep right when they go to sleep it helps me wake up easier in the morning but it has also helped me stay more consistent create a comfortable space find a quiet spot where you can sit comfortably each morning that's free of distraction start small even 5 minutes can make a difference and what I do is use a guided meditation app if you're unsure how to begin gradually increase the time as you get more comfortable extend your meditation time if you can add weights after some time for free journaling Or List making whatever you add that will set your day off in the right tone and most importantly carry you through it this flexibility makes it easier to stick with it long term one of the biggest hurdles can be finding time it might seem like there's no way to to fit meditation into your busy morning here's a tip meditation doesn't have to be long to be effective a few minutes can be enough to see the benefits over time my favorite is 5 minutes in the morning since making meditation a Cornerstone of my morning routine I've noticed I'm more composed and clear-headed decisions come easier and more quickly and I feel more grounded throughout the day give it a try start tomorrow and see how it feels experiment with what time works best for you and adjust as needed for me it's morning but maybe for you it's before a significant other gets home before your work commute before you start your work day or as you're falling asleep it's about building a routine that supports you thank you for joining me I hope this episode inspires you to experiment with adding meditation to your routine if you have stories about how meditation has impacted your life I'd love to hear them share your experiences and let's continue our conversation don't forget to subscribe for more episodes aimed at enhancing your daily life one morning at a time take care and see you next time thank you for joining us today I'd love to hear from you reach out to me at hello sheet.com on our shetit website or @ Sheed on social thank you to my editor Rich draino who always makes us sound good until next time let nothing stop you from experiencing the life and business that you crave