Lots of people are anxious, stressed, stressed out, and some at complete burnout phase; running on empty with the extremely intense experiences we’ve been living through personally and professionally these last few years; especially in tourism.
We often think we need a break, time out, and we might try to grab a few minutes during the day to stop, however those breaks (if lucky enough to be taken) are rarely effective, because we treat them like a zone out, rather than actually zoning in. We spend more time hashing over the to-do list not done, what we should have said or done instead, or what’s next. We actually rarely switch off or truly benefit from these moments.
Whilst there’s a lot to diagnose and find solutions for, here’s a quick technique that can be highly effective with practice.
When we zone in during a Power Break, what we’re actually doing is focusing very effectively on one sense, whether that be our sense of smell, taste, sight, sound, hearing or touch. The reason we hone in on that one sense, is that neurologically, when we’re fully concentrated on it, we’re unable to experience a negative emotion.
Yes, that’s right, in the actual moment of concentrating, with laser like focus, on our fingers tapping on the keyboard, or the sound of the boiling hot water, car driving past the office, or nearby dog barking, we can’t focus on a negative emotion, or a positive one either for that matter.
So when we’re stressed, frustrated, angry, annoyed, resentful, upset (insert whatever your most frequently experienced negative emotion might be), if we take a Power Break, we can actually learn to calm those negative emotions, and as a result, the impact they have on us, and the way we react, interact and act, day in day out.
Focusing on the colour of the water in the image on this post for 20 seconds certainly won’t change your life. This skill takes practice, but with practice it CAN change your life and transform your business.
It’s called a PQ rep and comes from Shirzad Chamine’s Positive Intelligence (PQ). It’s a critical technique for building mental fitness, our ability to have our mind serving us rather than sabotaging us.
Whether you’ve already worked with me on this, or you’ve never heard of it, ensure you work your senses. Instead of letting negative thoughts and emotions run your day, concentrate on one or two sensations.
My favourite to use is sight. I love visual PQ practice, hence my regular insta/FB stories with ocean, parks, nature. If you can combine your PQ practice to use several sensations, you might notice the coloured leaves in the trees, feel your feet in your shoes, and hear the birds singing. Likewise if you’re at work and you notice the tension start to rise because you’ve read an email, had a phone call, or walked out of a meeting, then use any art hanging, feel your bottom in a chair, notice the colours on someone’s tie or clothes, the colour of their eyes, feel the shape of the coffee cup. There are so many ways to PQ rep under pressure.
The better you can be at zoning in and taking Power Breaks, the more equipped you’ll be to overcome challenges and manage your stress.
Genevieve x
P.S Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you develop and work on your business leadership capabilities:
- Grab a free copy of Smash Indecision and Overwhelm, 4 Steps for Better Business Leadership E-book
It’s the road map to overcoming doubt and indecision, how to deal with “overwhelm” to improve your business leadership capabilities. —Click Here
- Join the Tourism Business Leader’s Facebook group and connect with like-minded leaders focused on building highly effective teams
It’s our Facebook community where smart leaders get to learn more about creativity, leadership and performance for tourism business success. —Click Here
- Join our Tourism Pro-Team Program
Helping tourism business leaders develop their skills to improve engagement, accountability and performance of the team. If you’d like to work with me so you can stop being reactive, have the difficult conversations and drive performance to get the results you want and know the business need then…message PRO to me here and I’ll get you all the details.
- Let’s get the Whole Team Together
Would you like a different perspective and someone else at the front of the room or on zoom/teams to lead regular and consistent team building, accountability, and engaging learning experiences, that drive results and outcomes for individuals, teams, and the business? If you feel a little challenged with everything going on, maybe sounding like a cracked recorded saying things repeatedly, or actually not 100% how to motivate and inspire the team, given the current nature of business, it may be useful for us to chat. Message TEAM to me here… and tell me a little about the business, your team, and what you’d like to work on together.
