A lot of leaders in high stress situations, from Phil Jackson to Ray Dalio incorporate some form of mindfulness into their lives. It can even be going for a run

A lot of leaders in high stress situations, from Phil Jackson to Ray Dalio incorporate some form of mindfulness into their lives. It can even be going for a run, and really just focusing on that and nothing else for fifteen minutes. Giving the executive areas of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) a rest is important. It can even be a few minutes in nature, a walk, etc. I prefer meditating, but it’s really just about calming your conscious mind for a bit, focusing on your breathing, being in the moment. I’m reading “Incognito” right now. It’s about contemporary neuroscience. It’s amazing how much our unconscious mind plays a role in finding insight and making decisions. We have a tendency to want to consciously figure everything out. Sometimes letting go can be incredibly productive. Think hard about a problem, then let it go. Meditation can make it easier to do that. Phil Knight, founder of Nike, said in his book, “Shoe Dog”, that “if all you’re seeing is problems, you’re not thinking clearly.”