Continued on from Corporate Mindfulness - Part I of our Experts & Insights blog series. 

How did you come to pursue a career in mindfulness coaching?

I was referred by a friend to Potential Project in 2012, and after a couple of years of attending their seminars and workshops, joined the organisation as a coach in 2014.

While I knew the impact of my mindfulness practice in my own career and life, I was curious as to how Project Potential approached mindfulness for the corporate world.

I found Potential Project had created a fantastic job in creating its corporate mindfulness program with high quality content and material, and neutral language free of any religious principles. Importantly, the language and concepts were simple and straightforward, making the program accessible for busy professionals.

I genuinely believe mindfulness is THE silver bullet that can solve most of problems faced by human beings… A video that illustrates a little of bit of that is here.

Who are your clients typically, and why do they seek to learn about mindfulness?

My clients are typically busy professionals who are seeking balance.

They are high achievers, ambitious and passionate about their work, but also conscious about their health and personal lives. I initially specialised in working with IT clients because of my own background in IT.

I now work with people across all industries and disciplines. The common ground across my clients is the desire to improve performance at work while looking after themselves. I have worked with teachers, allied health professionals, students, photographers and sales people.

How has practicing mindfulness benefitted your clients?

Immediate results include a general feeling of ease, relaxation and greater wellbeing.

Once a regular practice is established (10 min daily for at least 4 weeks), my clients report greater clarity, and ability to focus on the task at hand and on interactions with people which tend to improve their relationships at work and at home.

It’s common for clients to report that people around them (family members or colleagues) notice there is something “different” about them. In the long term clients report improvements in their creativity, productivity and resilience.

What basic mindfulness techniques could help jobseekers clarify their goals and stay at their best while jobseeking?

I believe that establishing a mindfulness practice can be a great habit for jobseekers.

It can give them clarity and help them to identify their ideal role and organisation, improve their listening skills (which is handy for interviews and later on to keep their jobs), and also help them to relax and keep calm in tough times.

It is common knowledge that having a routine is critical for jobseekers as it is grounding, and allows them to experience a feeling of familiarity regularly in the midst of the uncertainty in the phase between jobs.

I would highly recommend jobseekers download the Potential Project app and practice one track a day. Each track is just 10min - click here for iPhone and here for Android.

The book One Second Ahead is another wonderful resource. It was written by Potential Project founder Rasmus Hougard.

Do you have any other advice for our clients?

#1 is to slowly establish a mindfulness practice even if just for 2min a day.

The important thing is the consistency, not the length of the sessions. Even with only 2min a day you will start to notice changes.

Just like the body is trained with physical exercise, our minds also need to be trained. It pays off.

I recommend developing a habit of checking in with your breath from time to time. Some of my clients set smartphone reminders to simply stop what they are doing and take 3 deep breaths few times a day.  

Your breath reflects your mental state. You can regulate your nervous system through your breath. In other words by neutrally observing your own breath you can soothe your nervous system.

I believe the transition phase between jobs is a great opportunity to re-evaluate our values and determine what kind of organisation or environment we want to associate with.

The practice of mindfulness can assist you to gain that clarity and help you to join an organisation that is aligned with your core values, and one that will appreciate your strengths.

Once you get clarity on your ideal employer and manage to get your dream job, again mindfulness can be your best friend and help you to settle in your new role, integrate into the oganisational culture and fast-track building trust and rapport with your leaders and peers.

Wherever you are in your career I’m convinced that mindfulness can add great value to your professional and personal life.

For those curious about corporate mindfulness, click here to find out more about Zen High Achiever, or here to connect with Nathalie on LinkedIn. 

Part I of our Corporate Mindfulness post can be found here.