Mindfulness for entrepreneurs effectively reduces stress while increasing productivity. Increased self-awareness and using the metacognitive insights is a huge benefit to successful entrepreneurs. Using mindfulness at work results in less wasted time, more effectiveness, and the ability to live a balanced life. Be mindful. Be present. Be still. These 11 techniques work to bring out your best.
Entrepreneurs are always on the go. Our minds rarely turn off.
Well … they don’t actually ever turn off.
The more time you devote to work is not necessarily better, but the definition of mindfulness is not the less is more idea. It’s about focus and bringing out your best self.
You want to recognize and manage your emotions more effectively and to understand why you like what you like and do what you do.
These metacognitive insights yield literal dividends in terms of health, productivity and effectiveness which leads to… increased profitability. Yes.
Mindfulness matters to you and to your business.
Mindfulness for entrepreneurs isn’t just a trend.
Enhance your level of self-awareness by looking inside. Understanding why you do what you do offers learnings that enhance your productivity.
It’s not simply hype.
When trying to develop your self-awareness, mindful reflection provides an excellent starting point.
A heightened awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors helps you become less reactive. It arms you with helpful knowledge that helps you avoid negative triggers.
Whether they are your typical reactions to traffic, lousy customer or vendor interactions, or other instances, unfortunate trigger reactions cause you to undermine yourself by taking you off-track and wasting time, not to mention weakening key relationships.
In addition to helping with business planning and execution, looking around and seeing your glass as half full and refillable helps you appreciate the big and the little things. Your life’s purpose isn’t just business and it’s not to simply get through it.
How do we become more mindful?
Start by connecting with yourself using any (or all) of the techniques below. Take those metacognitive learnings and use them.
Mindfulness is often associated with meditation. You’ll hear reference to mindfulness and meditation techniques used together. Think of meditation as slowing down during this fast-paced life.
- In the past, people had time to slow down and rest and think.
- That may have had weekends off or at least 2 days off during the week.
- Maybe they actually had days with nothing to do.
- Or had lazy afternoons lemonade while reading a book or watching the sunset on a hammock.
The word “meditation” was not common or understood – yet people unknowingly did it!
Now we need to make time or literally schedule time for quiet moments to think – or just be. Mindfulness can help.
Don’t laugh or take the idea for granted. An entrepreneur needs this time.
Those moments are often what leads an entrepreneur to success. Being present in the moment creates mental and emotional benefits. It helps improve focus and concentration on a fast-paced day.
The key is to be fully present and understand where you are with your thoughts right now.
- No judgment.
- No rabbit holes.
- No past.
- No future.
Simply exist right in this very moment.
Use these situations to observe your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors without judgment. Emphasis on “without judgment.”
Be present.
Be still.
11 Effective Mindfulness Techniques
Entrepreneurs! Increase your productivity!
- Set daily intentions.
- Use affirmations and manifestation.
- Say morning mantras.
- Listen to your breathing.
- Ask yourself mindfulness questions.
- Acknowledge the positive.
- Use glimmers to find joy.
- Check in with yourself.
- Use the RAIN technique.
- Find peace through movement.
- Listen to music.
Set daily intentions.
Set daily intentions. Start with “today I will,” and fill in the blank.
- “Today I will create a daily plan to help structure my workday.”
- “Today I will turn off my phone for 3 hours so I can focus.”
- “Today I will drink 4 glasses of water before Noon.”
- “Today I will walk at lunch.”
Consider your 8:8:8.
Incorporating mindfulness into your entrepreneurial journey is simple. Write it as a note, put it on a planner, your to-do list, or simply remember.
The point is to have the intention – and the intention of following through.
Use affirmations and manifestation (and watch your entrepreneurship experience improve).
Consciously. Deliberately. Say affirmations. Close your eyes. Or keep them open!
- “I am smart and confident.”
- “My potential is limitless.”
- “I am committed, focused, and persistent.”
Mindfulness is the practice of being you in the present moment.
It’s what you are thinking right now. Your view of yourself, what you think about yourself, your life, and your work.
Positive affirmations and manifesting puts positivity to work.
Relax – and Go. You are working to change your brain.
YOU being mindful of your own actions and words changes the world around you.
Manifest the behavior you want to see in yourself and others. Think of it as your reaction bringing out a new reaction in them.
Say morning mantras.
Mantras are a positive word or phrase – or affirmation – repeated in a focused manner.
Mantras help solidify positive thinking.
- I choose peace.
- I release the tension within me.
- I see the good in myself.
The most famous 5 word mantra: Release; Peace; Tranquility; Love; and Joy.
Focus on your breathing.
Look up focused breathing. It’s another easy DIY mindfulness practice. Try it.
Take 2 minutes (or 20) to literally breathe in and fill your abdomen, hold for 4, and breathe out slowly for 8.
Repeat.
If you want more support, download a breathing app. Try the Calm app.
Pick one. Change it later if you want, but Start.
- Do it before you set intentions, affirm, say morning mantras.
- Do it before you go to bed.
- Do it when you feel stressed during the day.
Ask yourself mindfulness questions.
Ask yourself mindful, reflective questions to pull yourself into the present.
The process is sometimes referred to as mindfulness meditation. These questions require peace and time alone to think and ponder about your present thoughts.
What you think about you. What you feel about you. How you are behaving. How you are reacting. What makes you happy. What makes you sad.
The time isn’t spent coming up with solutions or fixing. The time is spent thinking without judgement or emotion.
Then you take those metacognitive insights and apply the learnings. Choose 1 a day or a few a week. Give yourself time.
- What 3 words best describe me? Why?
- What do I do really well? How do I use those talents?
- How am I different than I was 5 years ago? Is it a good change?
- Where is my happy place? Envision it. What does it feel like to be there?
- What went my way today? How does thinking about that experience make me feel?
Take 5 minutes or 15. Again. Whatever works best for you.
Envisionary Me has 3 articles on mindfulness questions – find them on our site.
Use mindfulness to acknowledge the positive.
The very best way IMHO is to follow Emilie Leyes suggestions on her website or TikTok.
No, we are not related. No, I do not receive a kickback. I actually believe in her and her techniques 100% – so much that I keep talking about them.
She is my #1 go to gal for positivity.
Celebrate everything going your way allllll day long.
You are in traffic.
- Instead of being angry. Say “Everything goes my way! I just got to listen to 5 more songs before having to get out of the car!”
You just used the last bit of ketchup on your fries…
- Yes you have to go to the store, but instead of being frustrated… Say “Everything goes my way! I had just enough ketchup for my fries”
If you actually ran out… Okay, minor inconvenience.
- Pick one! You saved a few calories. You got to taste fries just as they are. You reminded yourself of how very much you love ketchup. You finally learned to buy 2 and keep a backup.
THERE IS ALWAYS A POSITIVE. YOU JUST HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IT.
Use glimmers to find joy (and reduce stress and anxiety).
Using glimmers builds on acknowledging the positive.
Glimmers are the opposites of negative triggers.
Glimmers are:
- cues that lead to happiness
- micro-moments any time of the day that lead to happiness
- appealing scents – food, perfume or cologne, flowers, fresh laundry, ocean air, pine
- the anticipation and then hearing the rustling of leaves
- loving colorful changing leaves or new growth and seeing it
Think about your glimmers. Getting through your final new email. Opening the mail. Lighting a fire in the fireplace. Pulling out sweaters. Putting your sweaters away…
Acknowledge them. Appreciate that time. FEEL that joy.
Use the RAIN technique (and boost your emotional intelligence!).
RAIN is a 4 step process practicing mindfulness when we feel overwhelmed by our thoughts and emotions developed by Michele McDonald. This framework is practical and easy to implement.
Though it was created to ease anxiety, it’s a useful tool for everyone. We all have moments and difficult seasons.
- Recognize what is happening;
- Allow the experience to be there, just as it is;
- Investigate with interest and care;
- Nurture with self-compassion.
Life is often overwhelmingly busy. Enjoy it!
Check-in with yourself. (Mindfulness at work!)
Remind yourself of your mindful purpose.
Pay attention. It’s hard to slow down and notice things in a busy world, but do it.
Live in the moment.
Mid-day check-ins can stem from:
- your daily intentions
- your planner
- a calendar event notification
- an alarm on your phone
- a sticky note
Check-ins help you notice your glimmers. They remind you of your intentions.
They help bring a discerning attention to everything you do.
Find peace (and self-improvement) through movement.
Avoid burnout with the workout of your choice. Mindfulness training can involve high impact or low impact movement.
Think while you move or use that time to purposely not think.
- Yoga, Walking, Running.
- Spin class, Lift weights, Take out your bike.
- Whatever you do for your mind, body, and soul. Just do it.
If combining physical exercise with another mindfulness exercise is stressful, don’t do it. Mindfulness is all about you.
But DO get out and MOVE!
Listen to music (as you embrace mindfulness).
Mindfulness is the art of paying attention deeply to the present moment, and sometimes nothing draws us in quite like our favorite music!
Plan time to listen. To let yourself become absorbed in it.
Become immersed in it. Feel the song. Feel the feelings. ENJOY it!
Mindfulness allows you to realize most negativity is not personal.
As a result, you lose the compulsion to react as if everything someone else does is personal. You lose the compulsion to both become more conscious and protect yourself from those that are deeply unconscious.
Most of us are overscheduled and trying to figure out our next steps. That’s no excuse for rudeness or being abrupt or any one of many other adjectives.
Sometimes you’ll accept what you might not want to in order to protect your own peace and create harmony.
However, that doesn’t mean becoming a doormat or withdrawing and becoming a hermit. You are simply letting the negative instance move through your day without taking more precious time away from you.
“Your greatest protection, however, is being conscious.”
— Eckhart Tolle
Some final fun…
Think about good times and things that make you smile.
If you love breakfast, think of someone – even yourself – as your favorite short-order cook! Allow that memory.
That split second of the past that brought you joy… all curtesy of the egg you just cracked or that slice of burnt toast.
BE CONSCIOUS. Allow the connections. Allow the happiness to float in and capture it.
Feel your breath. Stay focused. Meditate.
When I say cultivate self-awareness, this is what I mean. Practice with personal moments helps adopt a mindset using the core elements of mindfulness with work. If you have more fun with work, start there, and it’ll make it easier for you to find what recreates that joy during your recreational 8.
Even if you so enjoy your work and your clever ideas and production, balance leads to a more effective and creative you. 8:8:8 is not just something I say.
Enhance your well-being and create a more intentional and purposeful day – and entrepreneurial life – with mindfulness exercise. Mindfulness can make you a better entrepreneur.
I’m all about you maximizing your time and effectiveness. When you get to a point of having too many dollars in your pocket because you are that effective, give back. If you never get there, give back anyway.
You got this.
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