How To Succeed At Work: 17 Body-Mind Connection Tips
Simple daily practices such as deep breathing, movement breaks and mindful transitions can make a significant impact over time. Here, 17 members of Forbes Coaches Council share powerful strategies for connecting one's body and mind to show up stronger, calmer and more effective at work by maintaining that connection.
1. Leverage Short-Term And Long-Term Strategies
You can include ongoing, long-term and short-term, immediate strategies in your life. It's important to take time during the day to listen to your body, take a break and breathe. They work in the moment. However, building in regular exercise or meditation outside of work enhances your ability to manage daily ups and downs at work. You can't go to the gym in the middle of a stressful meeting. You can, however, take three deep breaths. You can go to the gym after work! - Julie Kantor, PhD, Julie Kantor Consulting
2. Take 'Intention Pauses' To Reset Your Mindset
In the fast pace of work for most busy professionals, it is easy to become reactive, hustling from one meeting or video call to the next. One simple way to calm the body and mind is to take a 10-second 'intention pause.' Take a breath, reset, reflect on how you want to show up or your intention for the next engagement and realign your actions to be proactive, not reactive and hurried. - Katie Anderson, Katie Anderson Consulting
3. Use Creative Breaks To Reconnect Body And Mind
To reduce stress and create a mind-body connection, you should take small breaks throughout the day. Some suggestions are breathwork, meditation, going for a walk, stretching and doing something creative, such as playing an instrument, drawing something or prepping for dinner. Allowing the mind-body connection sets you up to be more engaged in your work and positions you well to support others in achieving this. - Jamie Griffith, Echelon Search Partners
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
4. Trust Gut Feelings In Moments Of Conflict
The mind-body connection is increasingly important these days, not only for practitioners but for clients as well. One area where I see it quite often in my executive coaching is in career transitions. Here, I ask my clients, 'What does your mind tell you?' and, 'What does your body, gut and soul tell you?' If they are in conflict, you go with your body, gut and soul. They will never steer you wrong. - Ash Varma, Varma & Associates
5. Regulate Your Nervous System Before Your Inbox
One key is to start your day by regulating your nervous system before you regulate your inbox. A three-minute breath practice, movement ritual or moment of stillness can shift your physiology from reactive to responsive. When your body is calm, your mind gains clarity, and decisions become more intentional. Success starts in the body before it shows up in your work. - Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Sunil Kumar Consulting
6. Walk Without Distractions To Unlock Mental Clarity
I will recommend something simple but effective: Plan every day to run or walk for at least 20 to 45 minutes without phone, music, TV or other distractions (ideally, in nature). This will allow your brain to wander and improve your creative, strategic thinking. This will have an incredible effect on your focus and efficiency. - Aurelien Mangano, DevelUpLeaders
7. Set Boundaries To Protect Energy And Joy
One of the best ways to create that connection is to set boundaries. Less is more. Enough is enough. You need to stop overcommitting. Work is never-ending, but it doesn't have to be a burden. Managing your time and effort on the projects, work and people that are aligned with your goals and the business will bring you joy, satisfaction and success. Your body-mind will thank you years down the line for having set healthy boundaries with work early and consistently. - Miriam Simon, Mi Sí Coaching and Consulting LLC
8. Name Emotions And Locate Them In The Body
In a stressful moment, you pause and name the emotion—'I'm feeling anxious'—then ask yourself: 'Where do I feel this in my body?' You may notice it's tightness in your chest, heat in your face or a knot in your stomach. Sensing and naming both the emotion and its physical location help integrate body and mind, reducing emotional intensity and restoring clarity and control. - Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
9. Reflect After Meetings And Note Reactive Thoughts
Any leader, consultant or coach can often spend their days listening to others, which can lead to feelings of emotional overload as we navigate other people's feelings and situations. One thing that made a big difference to me was spending a few minutes after meetings to jot down any reactive thoughts or feelings I had, and some time at the end of the day to read and reflect on these. - Tanya Edgar, Tanya Edgar Coaching and Consulting
10. Schedule Recovery Time Like An Athlete Would
I recommend treating your calendar like an athlete treats recovery: If you don't schedule decompression, your brain will start pulling emergency breaks in weird ways—procrastination, snappiness and brain fog. One walk between meetings is often more productive than another Zoom call or answering 20 Slack messages. Your nervous system is your real project manager—calm it, and clarity returns. - Alla Adam, Adam Impact Institute
11. Align Posture And Movement With Your Mindset
The way we carry ourselves tells the world how we feel inside. One powerful tip is to honor the connection between your body and your mindset. When you stand tall, breathe fully and move with intention, your body tells your brain, 'I'm ready.' It's not about pretending to be confident but aligning how you feel, think and act. The body doesn't just carry us. It guides us. - Rahul Karan Sharma, RahulKaranSharma.com
12. Recognize Somatic Cues To Reduce Reactivity
Professionals can use somatic cues to better understand their emotions, reduce stress and develop greater self-awareness. Our body often recognizes stress before our mind does. Physical cues like tight shoulders or a clenched jaw can signal stress or emotional misalignment. By recognizing these cues when they're happening, professionals can respond to the stress before it turns into reactive behaviors at work. - Megan Malone, Truity
13. Schedule 'Walking Reflections' To Clear Your Mind
One unconventional but powerful tip is to schedule 'walking reflections' as part of your workweek: solo, uninterrupted walks with no phone where your body moves and your mind makes sense. This rhythm of motion unlocks a deeper clarity and focus, calming the nervous system while allowing subconscious ideas to surface. Sometimes, your best business breakthrough starts with your feet, not your keyboard. - Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)
14. Prioritize Sleep, Breath And Movement
Success isn't just a state of mind—it's a 'state of body.' Sleep sharpens focus. Breath regulates emotion. Movement restores clarity. Do you want to lead better? You start by sleeping better. Smart professionals don't ignore the signals. They listen, adjust and treat self-care as part of the job, not a reward after it. We all have 1,440 minutes a day. It's time to prioritize. - Julien Fortuit, Julien Fortuit Agency
15. Dress With Intention To Boost Confidence
One way to leverage the body-mind connection is through intentional self-presentation. When you dress well—whether working from home or in the office—you naturally boost your mood and confidence. Feeling good physically sends uplifting signals to your mind, increasing motivation. As a bonus, compliments from others can reinforce this positive feedback loop, creating momentum for success throughout your day. - Sandra Balogun, The CPA Leader
16. Work In Focus Sprints With Physical Resets
My tip is to adopt a 90-minute 'focus sprint, reset' rhythm. You work deeply for 90 minutes, then spend five minutes on a ritual: Stand, roll shoulders, inhale for four, exhale for six and walk to daylight. The physical shift lowers cortisol, raises brain oxygen and resets attention, so you return sharper, calmer and more resilient for the next sprint. You can schedule it as a diary alarm and model it—your crew will copy too. - Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
17. Listen To The Body's Wisdom To Make Better Decisions
The body is a sacred instrument; more than flesh and function, it holds memory, intuition and a rhythm far older than logic. Success blooms when we stop overriding this rhythm and begin to listen. A closed throat may reflect unspoken truth, and a heavy chest might carry unseen pressure, providing vital feedback. You need to align to the body's wisdom to sharpen decision-making and sense the emerging future. - Neerja Bhatia, Rhythm of Success
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