Latest news with #mindfulness
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Leadership Lives In The Now: 5 Tips On How To Stay Present
Jim Becker is CEO of Becker Logistics LLC. Most of the leaders I know are lost in time. They're replaying old mistakes like highlight reels of regret or fast-forwarding into futures packed with assumptions, plans and what-ifs. They think doing this provides some kind of control without realizing that control only exists in the now. All you have is the now. And if you're not careful, you'll miss the only moment that actually matters. The only moment you can make an impact and where you can gain understanding to move forward. The Cost Of Leaving 'The Now' When you live in the past, your decisions often come from guilt or nostalgia. You end up dragging outdated lenses into new opportunities, trying to apply past patterns onto what you are currently working on. On the other hand, when you're stuck in the future, you lose track of the plot. Everything becomes about what's next, not what's now. And, unless you execute correctly in the moment, there may not be a next. Which makes all your planning a complete waste of time. The result of all this? Disconnected conversations. Missed red flags. Teams that don't feel seen. And a version of you that's physically there but mentally checked out. Your Power Is In The Present You can't act in the past. You can't know the future. The only levers you can actively pull are the ones in front of you right now. It is now, the moment you are reading this, that you have the power to make change, to make the decisions that will get you to your desired state. Presence builds trust with your team. In leadership, it's not just a personal habit; it's a cultural signal. When you're present, others feel safe to be, too. You transform a room of people trying to define and visualize success into a room of people succeeding. My Personal Wake-Up Call I used to think being a visionary meant living in the future. Always planning, always strategizing. But I started to notice I was missing things, the real things that were impacting my business in the now. I'd have conversations where I wasn't really present. I'd sit in meetings but leave with no sense of connection or understanding. Worst of all, I was around my family but not really with them. My brain was in a pitch deck while my body sat at the dinner table. Then one day, a manager started talking about a conversation we'd had the week before about some new project that they were leading, something that was a great opportunity, and I had no recollection of it because it was not in line with the future that I was in. That's when it hit me: I wasn't leading from the present. I was trying to lead from the future and only listening to those who were speaking in alignment with that one particular vision. And it was really starting to show and impact those around me. That was the moment I knew something had to shift. How I Stay In The Present Here are the tools I use daily to keep me anchored. A few times a day, I pause, take notice and make sure that I am still on track and staying in the now. It's simple, but powerful. I've used sticky notes, computer backgrounds, calendar events and alarms on my phone to remind myself to check in. I have notebooks upon notebooks filled with the details of all the meetings I am in. This ensures that I am paying attention and retaining the information. However, there's a fine line between taking note of the key details and trying to get down every word said at the expense of your attention. Make sure you are not overdoing it. Everything is planned on my calendar, both work and personal events. This is not to restrict me, but to free me. When I know what's coming up, I don't waste energy worrying about it, trying to think about what I need to do next, or trying to figure out when I last worked on something. Multitasking can be presence poison. You are training your mind to split its attention instead of focusing on just one thing. When I can, I try to do one thing at a time. Whatever is in front of me. It sounds basic, but the more I focus on what's in front of me, the better I lead. I still drift. Everyone does, and that's just a fact of life. But now, I have systems in place to catch myself. To bring myself back into the present. Then, instead of beating myself up, I use that moment to learn and grow. That awareness is a win. Beyond Business Living in the now and being in the present isn't just about leadership. It's about life. Being present isn't only for boardrooms or Zoom calls. No, it's for those quick morning chats with your kids, the way you greet your partner at the end of the day, even how you answer the phone. Leadership presence starts with human presence. And you can't outsource showing up. Not at work. Not in life. All You Need Is Right Now The present is uncomfortable sometimes. It asks for your full attention. But it's also where the magic happens…your leadership, your connection, your actual life. Not tomorrow. Not after your next milestone. Right now. Start here and start making an impact. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Estelle Bingham wants you to know that manifesting isn't about wishing for outcomes – it's about healing
Estelle Bingham calls herself a heart-led healer. And though this job title will likely sound 'woo' to some, Bingham seems to commonly show up as the most practical person in the room, whatever the topic of conversation. She's calm yet direct, and discusses the harms we humans inflict on ourselves through self-doubt and negative self-talk as though they're obvious mistakes we've simply forgotten how to correct or avoid. After speaking with her, it does all feel a little more obvious. The idea that self love, self awareness, and gentle mindset shifts could change your life for the better seems like a no-brainer. But could it all be that easy? In recent years, these sorts of ideas have become wildly popular, particularly on social media. We have practitioners like Bingham to thank for the widespread adoption of techniques like 'positive self talk', journaling and manifestation mantras. But Bingham is careful to ascribe credit where it's due. She tells me that her family has used these techniques for generations and when we speak about her new book, Manifest Your True Essence, we discuss the cultural origins of practices like meditation and mindfulness. In a world full of TikTok mindset coaches offering questionable money manifestation courses, Bingham is the real deal. Her approach, which blends modern therapy and mindfulness with spirituality and mysticism, isn't about wishful thinking. It's about feeling your feelings, doing the work and transforming the parts of yourself you've been avoiding for too long. A framework for self love and success 'What I help people do is get out of their heads and into their hearts,' Bingham says. 'The heart has a wisdom of its own. Science has finally caught up with what wisdom keepers or shamans or mystical people have known for centuries.' Her book Manifesting Your True Essence: Clear Your Blocks, Find Your Joy, Live Your Truth is a toolkit for self acceptance. Each chapter aims to help readers understand what's holding them back in life and learn how to love themselves, offering useful exercises and meditations that encourage us to find confidence and compassion where it might be lacking. The homework isn't always easy, as I found when I started reading the book. At times, the things you're encouraged to think about will make you feel uncomfortable, but for Bingham, 'feel' is the operative word. 'Instead of thinking about healing, we are feeling healing,' she explains. 'When we feel our healing, then it's no longer intellectualised. It's happening in real time, and that's why it's so successful.' Before her career as a Goop favourite and mindset expert to the stars, Bingham worked in TV and radio – something she enjoyed but never truly felt aligned with. She tells me that she's always been able to see where people's strengths lie and that some of her friends and clients today were people she saw a spark in decades ago. ' Charlotte Tilbury and I have been friends for years, since we were teenagers, and one of the things I knew intuitively about Charlotte was that she would succeed. She really embraced that idea completely and utterly, with every cell of her body. And I saw it in her.' she says. That self-belief – and the blocks that often stand in its way – is a central part of Estelle's one-to-one work. 'A lot of us have a voice in our heads that says, 'You can't do that. I don't believe in you.' It pulls us down. It's there when we're waking up, in our quietest moments, or when we're about to start something new. I realised I needed to help people shift their mindset – to help them move into the unconscious and pick apart that negative voice,' she explains. The phone call from Gwyneth Paltrow came before Estelle even had a website. 'She was coming to do an In Goop Health summit in London. They'd heard about me, and she said she'd been looking for me,' Estelle recalls. 'I always say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you're doing something well, word gets out.' Beyond the TikTok manifestation coaches But with mindset work and manifestation now booming on TikTok and Instagram, the nuance of these practices is often diluted and exploited – sometimes to the detriment of people in vulnerable positions. There's a danger, Estelle says, in turning ancient practices into 'life hacks'. 'Ultimately, it's great that people are waking up to the idea that they're powerful – I really love that. Because I completely, wholeheartedly believe that we all have that power,' she says. 'But it gets tricky when we're manifesting from the head, based on things we think we want, instead of the heart. I'm not saying you shouldn't want to manifest a relationship or a better job. But you might not be able to love, or feel safe in that job, because of something stuck deep in your unconscious. That needs to be understood and alchemised. It needs to be transformed in order for you to actually receive, and not sabotage it.' The real work, she says, isn't about wishing for outcomes, but getting to know yourself deeply enough that joy, connection and self-worth aren't dependent on external circumstances. 'When we manifest from our hearts rather than our heads, it's a little bit deeper – it's sort of a master manifestation. The more you know about yourself, the more powerful you are in your own life. Happiness isn't outside of us. It's something inside of us. And when you manifest with understanding, openness or curiosity, life brings you everything you need.' So how does someone begin? The social media version of manifestation often looks deceptively easy – a vision board, a candle, a single thought repeated enough times to become reality. 'I wrote the book so people could start the process of healing and self-discovery and empowerment. To go on that journey of deep, proper self love. Because that's what manifestation really is – it's what radical self-love looks like,' Estelle says. 'When we meet the parts of us that have been hurt – with love, curiosity and compassion – it can feel overwhelming. But it's the greatest gift. You'll be amazed when you gather together the parts you've pushed away. The ones you didn't want to look at. When you bring them in from the cold, you'll be so excited and wowed by how beautiful they are. Because that's your true essence.' Self belief in a time of crisis Bingham's philosophy is gaining traction at a time where mental health services are stretched, and loneliness is widespread. 'The loneliness epidemic is worldwide,' she says. 'The way we are online all the time, always on our devices – it's doing us damage.' She's been working with the charity Body & Soul for over a decade in an attempt to share her philosophies with those who need it most. This is refreshing at a time where so many esoteric practices are whitewashed and repackaged as money-making schemes. 'I've been doing one-to-ones, workshops, working with the team. We just need more spaces where people can talk, connect, and allow feelings to flow,' she explains. But for those who are sceptical of too much talk of feelings, or of concepts like the power of positive thoughts, Estelle is keen to open up a dialogue. 'For millennia, there's been this push-pull with people who can't quite get their heads around these ideas. And that's okay. But some of these things are basic. My work intersects with neurology and the study of the heart's connection to the brain – how our beliefs, feelings and reactions shape who we are and who we want to be.' Her book makes reference to several fascinating pieces of modern research that point to the tangible benefits of practices like mindfulness and meditation. Estelle Bingham's wellbeing rituals I'm keen to discuss the benefits of transcendental meditation with Estelle, having learned that she began practicing aged six. So she tells me about her routine. 'I start my days with some organic matcha and I set an intention every morning. I meditate. I learned transcendental meditation when I was very young – but it's basically just mantra-based meditation. And I move. I go to the gym or take the dog for a walk. I spend a lot of time inside, so I try to get out, even if it's just to walk around the park with some music.' You don't need to be still, she adds, to shift your state. 'Walking can take your brain waves from beta to alpha and theta. You don't need silence – you just need awareness.' A mindset shift can feel a long way off for most people. But, she explains, it's all about habit formation. She tells me there are three things you can do every day that are simple and accessible to everyone. 'Just take a couple of minutes a day to meditate. Breathe into your heart. Listen to what your heart is telling you – it will guide you. 'Hold both hands on your heart, breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and ask, 'How are you today?' The heart will tell you. And then write it down. Journaling is still such an amazing tool. Just breathing, heart connection and journaling – it's a great place to start.' Her book is designed to be used intuitively. 'You can dip into chapters, flip to the right meditation or journal prompt when you feel triggered, and use it as a tool. I wrote it with the ups and downs of life in mind,' she says. Because life, like healing, is a process. As Bingham explains, 'there's a beginning, a middle and an end to every piece of healing. It's like a bridge, to get to the other side, you have to start.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Yoga, art and nature: Thrive Day inspires pupils at Maidenhill School
PUPILS in Stonehouse spent a day exploring mindfulness, creativity and emotional growth through hands-on activities. The event, known as Thrive Day, took place on Thursday, July 17, at Maidenhill School and was designed to promote wellbeing through the Thrive approach, which focuses on emotional resilience and personal development. It was funded by the school's parent-teacher association (PTA). Andrea Roberts, who organised the event, said: "Thrive Day is about more than just fun. "It's about helping children understand their emotions, build strong relationships and develop the life skills they need to flourish." Children took part in a wide range of activities, including yoga, storytelling, nature exploration, music and creative arts. Each session was designed to support children at their individual stage of emotional development. A yoga teacher from Calm Club led sessions focused on relaxation and body awareness, while former primary headteacher Bill Church delivered live storytelling. Other activities included sensory play, pond dipping, painting and a climbing wall challenge. Eco-themed activities took place in the school's garden with the support of parent volunteer Sarah, giving children the chance to connect with nature through hands-on exploration. Artistic activities ranged from finger painting in the nursery to mandala drawing in Year 6. Classrooms also gathered for Thrive circle time, where pupils shared fruit, played connection games, and reflected on kindness and empathy. The Thrive approach is embedded throughout the federation and focuses on supporting unmet emotional needs, building resilience and celebrating progress. The day brought these principles to life in a practical and engaging way. Mrs Jones, executive headteacher, said: "It was a day full of smiles, laughter and connection. "We saw children shine in ways that go beyond the classroom." The school extended its thanks to the PTA, staff, volunteers, and visiting practitioners who helped make the day possible.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Experience: I am the world champion of ‘doing nothing'
From an early age I worried if I was doing enough. Growing up in Hong Kong, a city where competition is keen, I wanted to do well. That brought a lot of anxiety. I started to practise mindfulness in 2012. It helps a lot with my emotions, and I can think more clearly. As an educational psychologist, I see lots of mental health issues. I think bringing mindfulness into our schools is an important way to find moments of calm, especially in the fast-paced city of Hong Kong. That's what drew me to the Space‑Out competition – a contest about doing nothing. I saw it advertised on social media last year. The founder, Korean artist Woopsyang, has said that there's a lot of societal pressure to always be productive, so it's important to appreciate downtime. Woopsyang started the Space-Out competition in Seoul in 2014. It was a performance-art piece that involved people competing to effectively do nothing and 'space out' for 90 minutes. There have since been competitions all over the world, held several times a year. I entered one in Hong Kong last October. It was a hot afternoon and the event was held in an open space inside a busy mall in the centre of the city. There were many spectators chit-chatting. About 100 people took part, each sitting on a yoga mat that had been laid out neatly on the square. We were guided through a series of stretches before we settled down for the 90 minutes. You have to sit there without any significant movement; you cannot sleep, make any noise or check your phone. After the time is up, the final 10 participants are voted for by the spectators, likely based on our statements about why we joined the competition, and our expressions over the 90 minutes. The finalists' heart rates are measured throughout – the one with the steadiest is the winner. Every 15 minutes or so the judges come to measure your heart rate. These approaches make you nervous. I could feel my heart beating faster, but I tried to see it as a way to practise acceptance – to notice those feelings of tenseness, and try not to force myself to relax. We all have wandering minds – my thoughts jumped from my family, to the sound of the wind in the trees, to the fan humming around us. But you just take note of them. You observe it, like seeing the clouds up in the sky and how they come and go. I paid attention to my breath, to the feelings in my body, and my thoughts and emotions. I focused on the sensation of the breeze across my skin, noticing subtle changes in the environment and how they affected my body. Though it was a 'space out' competition, I was doing the opposite: actively practising mindfulness, observing my mind and my breath. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion After about 30 minutes, I remembered we were being judged by the spectators, so I tried to imagine what being spaced out would look like. I dropped my glasses down my nose and sat like that for the next hour. When they announced the competition was over, I wanted to sit for longer. I have a busy life – alongside my job, I am studying, and have two kids, aged 11 and nine – so having this space was a luxury, especially in this world where our minds are stimulated all day long. Often we can get through a day and our mind might not have settled for even a second. I was surprised when I was announced as the winner. I understand that, for many people, sitting in silence for 90 minutes would be a nightmare, but I found it very enjoyable. I think it's vital to take time to come back to ourselves. In many parts of the world, people live day in, day out, never stopping – it's as if stopping is a kind of laziness. Although the event was just for 90 minutes, it gave us a way to just be ourselves, and I hope it reminds people that productivity isn't always the most important thing. The trophy I won is based on Rodin's The Thinker statue. It sits in my living room, and I see it as a reminder that we should all spare at least a few minutes a day to allow ourselves to do the things that nourish us, or just to have the space to do nothing. That is a gift. As told to Naomi Larsson Piñeda Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Experience: I am the world champion of ‘doing nothing'
From an early age I worried if I was doing enough. Growing up in Hong Kong, a city where competition is keen, I wanted to do well. That brought a lot of anxiety. I started to practise mindfulness in 2012. It helps a lot with my emotions, and I can think more clearly. As an educational psychologist, I see lots of mental health issues. I think bringing mindfulness into our schools is an important way to find moments of calm, especially in the fast-paced city of Hong Kong. That's what drew me to the Space‑Out competition – a contest about doing nothing. I saw it advertised on social media last year. The founder, Korean artist Woopsyang, has said that there's a lot of societal pressure to always be productive, so it's important to appreciate downtime. Woopsyang started the Space-Out competition in Seoul in 2014. It was a performance-art piece that involved people competing to effectively do nothing and 'space out' for 90 minutes. There have since been competitions all over the world, held several times a year. I entered one in Hong Kong last October. It was a hot afternoon and the event was held in an open space inside a busy mall in the centre of the city. There were many spectators chit-chatting. About 100 people took part, each sitting on a yoga mat that had been laid out neatly on the square. We were guided through a series of stretches before we settled down for the 90 minutes. You have to sit there without any significant movement; you cannot sleep, make any noise or check your phone. After the time is up, the final 10 participants are voted for by the spectators, likely based on our statements about why we joined the competition, and our expressions over the 90 minutes. The finalists' heart rates are measured throughout – the one with the steadiest is the winner. Every 15 minutes or so the judges come to measure your heart rate. These approaches make you nervous. I could feel my heart beating faster, but I tried to see it as a way to practise acceptance – to notice those feelings of tenseness, and try not to force myself to relax. We all have wandering minds – my thoughts jumped from my family, to the sound of the wind in the trees, to the fan humming around us. But you just take note of them. You observe it, like seeing the clouds up in the sky and how they come and go. I paid attention to my breath, to the feelings in my body, and my thoughts and emotions. I focused on the sensation of the breeze across my skin, noticing subtle changes in the environment and how they affected my body. Though it was a 'space out' competition, I was doing the opposite: actively practising mindfulness, observing my mind and my breath. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion After about 30 minutes, I remembered we were being judged by the spectators, so I tried to imagine what being spaced out would look like. I dropped my glasses down my nose and sat like that for the next hour. When they announced the competition was over, I wanted to sit for longer. I have a busy life – alongside my job, I am studying, and have two kids, aged 11 and nine – so having this space was a luxury, especially in this world where our minds are stimulated all day long. Often we can get through a day and our mind might not have settled for even a second. I was surprised when I was announced as the winner. I understand that, for many people, sitting in silence for 90 minutes would be a nightmare, but I found it very enjoyable. I think it's vital to take time to come back to ourselves. In many parts of the world, people live day in, day out, never stopping – it's as if stopping is a kind of laziness. Although the event was just for 90 minutes, it gave us a way to just be ourselves, and I hope it reminds people that productivity isn't always the most important thing. The trophy I won is based on Rodin's The Thinker statue. It sits in my living room, and I see it as a reminder that we should all spare at least a few minutes a day to allow ourselves to do the things that nourish us, or just to have the space to do nothing. That is a gift. As told to Naomi Larsson Piñeda Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@
