Meditation, mindfulness, and self-care are all the rage these days. There's an endless selection of books, apps, and programs to choose from; maybe you've even tried out a few yourself! But you don't often hear a correlation between meditation and personal injury practice.
On Personal Injury Mastermind, we spoke with New Jersey's Rick Console from Console & Associates. Rick had an intriguing and fresh take on meditation that described benefits that would make a skeptic think twice. We all want to be the best leaders we can be. So, how can meditation apply to attorneys, and what are the benefits? We looked to some of the top thinkers on the topic for inspiration!
Manage Self-Doubt
If you're running your own firm, it's impossible that you haven't been visited by that niggling voice of self-doubt every once in a while. It could come in the form of imposter syndrome or just an internal critic pestering you for attention. Sometimes, that self-doubt can become pretty persistent and loud, often in an attempt to shield us from failure. So, how can mindfulness hope?
Well, according to experts, the act of meditation can help you to distinguish which thoughts are real but not necessarily true. That means that unhelpful and negative cyclic thoughts can be identified and seen for what they really are: just noise (most of the time!). Popular podcaster Jay Shetty advocates mindfulness in the way we compare ourselves to others. Of course, it's impossible not to compare the outcome of your firm with your closest competitor. However, when those comparisons become more personal, it may be time to explore a little mindfulness for yourself.
Learn To Live With Uncertainty
As attorneys and entrepreneurs, a little bit of uncertainty can be healthy. Just ask John Morgan, who famously said, 'Only the paranoid survive.' We create our own paths, and there is no guarantee that things will go according to plan! Contrary to popular belief, practitioners of meditation and mindfulness rarely claim that uncertainty is to be avoided, but the way we process it is different.
Mindfulness advocates making room for difficult emotions but choosing where to channel your focus. In fact, Dan Harris claims that by being 'wisely ambitious,' you can do everything in your power to succeed but are not overly attached to the final result. That means that if things go wrong, you're able to pick yourself up and get back out there to try again.
Laser-Sharp Focus
Nowadays, there is an abundance of things clamoring for our attention. We've got notifications pinging at all hours, calls to answer, and social media at our fingertips constantly, and the pandemic lockdowns have only made this worse! All of these distractions are not conducive to running a business. As our minds are pulled from one thing to the next, it becomes increasingly hard to focus on the big things.
Professor Kabat-Zinn explains that mindfulness and meditation can have a powerful effect on your concentration. Meditation has been described as allowing us to develop an internal kind of monitor for where our attention lies. Perfect for if you find your eyes drifting away from that Zoom call one too many times! A regular meditation practice helps you to develop an inner witness that monitors your attention. Over time, it’s like an inner coach who points out behaviors, thoughts, or actions that are at odds with your goals or values. With mindfulness, you are more able to stay on task.
Get Your Creativity Hat On
Some of the world's leading organizations have introduced meditation and mindfulness to their employees. And they're big names, too—we're talking Google, Medtronic, and even Goldman Sachs. So, what value are these market leaders drawing from the practice?
Well, according to their executives, meditation can be used not only as a stress-reducing tool but as a creativity enhancer. The idea is that by creating a zone of quiet, you allow the mind to decompress. Removing that personal and technological overload, we are really left to our thoughts. A clear mind will let your thoughts run free. That might sound a little scary for some, but leaders from these companies are convinced that this is how innovation is born!
Be A Master Communicator
If you can't communicate, you can't lead a team. It's a non-negotiable for many of us, yet it becomes infinitely more different when we're under stress.
Author and podcaster Rangan Chatterjee explains that communication skills go out the window under stress. The main reason is the ancient flight or fight response, which is driven by the amygdala. This is your brain's warning system that fires off if there's a predator close. The problem is that our modern lives are now triggering the same response!
Regular meditation has been shown to increase the thickness of the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with calming down in times of stress. This has an undoubtedly positive effect on the way you communicate with the rest of your firm. It might even help you delegate and elevate! And if there's a calmer work environment as a result, then your company culture will get a boost, too!
