It’s 7:13AM. You tap the “sleep” button on your alarm. There’s 21 notifications waiting. Most of them are work related.
You notice one from 6:18AM that says “Are you there?? It’s important!”
Your mind instantly switches to work mode. You frantically open the device to see what the emergency is. Realizing it’s something that will need time to address, you quell the asker, “Give me 15, I’ll get on this”
You hurry through the morning, without taking a single minute of peace and quiet for yourself.
We’ve all been there: our mind being forced into fear mode first thing in the morning. And the rest of the day seems to follow suit.
But, there may be a better way to manage our work, and live a more rewarding life.
Jonathan Maxim, host of the Zen Business Podcast and managing director at K&J Growth Hackers spends his time understanding how elite minds handle the stresses of life and work today, and still come out on top.
A Small Prescription That Has a Big Impact
If you’re not currently a meditator, you’ve probably already been sold on it by countless friends and family at this point. But understandably, you have your doubts.
“How can sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day possibly make all 24 hours better?” It doesn’t make logical sense at first glance. Beyond that, it’s an intangible and hard to quantify.
But Jonathan Maxim, whose marketing agency is responsible for helping TikTok reach its viral success, has taken it upon himself to deconstruct why mindfulness works so well, and how the most brilliant minds use it.
He speaks to twenty or more executives and entrepreneurs per week through his work in sales, and when he meets one who truly stands out, he invites them to come onto his podcast.
Nearly every one of them has a meditation practice.
This should come as no surprise, considering that some of the biggest successes of today share this trait. According to a recent Inc. article, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, inspirational speaker and coach Tony Robbins, finance magnate Ray Dalio, Linkedin Founder Jeff Weiner, and podcast host Joe Rogan all meditate daily.
So Why Do They Meditate?
If you ask 10 different people why they meditate, you’ll probably get 10 different answers. But there are certainly some similarities we can draw out.
Jonathan explains, “it’s mostly about getting to know yourself better. And then improving yourself. So, whatever it is that you’re lacking; meditation will help bring awareness to it, and help you improve the area that’s lacking. However, the act of knowing oneself isn’t the only positive outcome. Meditation is proven to reduce stress, control anxiety, improve emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention span, reduce memory loss, generate kindness, fight addiction, improve sleep and control pain.”
Now take the above, and think about if you were to experience all the above benefits. What impact would that have on your productivity at work, and happiness overall?
The answer is clear: we perform better when we’re at peace, self aware and positioned to handle stress effectively.
Small Price, Big Pay Off
American author, philosopher, neuroscientist, and podcast host Sam Harris explains in his book “Waking Up” that just ten minutes of meditation a day can improve the whole course of your day, and even your whole life.
Think about it like first impressions. As the saying goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”
The same goes with our morning routine. If we start it in a positive and powerful way, the rest of the day is more likely to follow suit. The opposite is also true, as noted earlier in this article.
MedicalXpress explains, “Practising mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes a day improves concentration and the ability to keep information active in one’s mind, a function known as “working memory”. The brain achieves this by becoming more efficient, literally requiring fewer brain resources to do these tasks.”
By priming our mind and improving our mood, we can tackle anything that comes our way more easily.
Now let’s go back to the executives who meditate. How much better will they handle financial stresses, operational challenges and complex human matters at work if their brain is more efficient and uses less resources to process their complex responsibilities?
“It’s like mental weightlifting” Jonathan Maxim goes on, “As we lift more often, the weights feel lighter and lighter”
Start Toward a Happier Life and More Powerful Brain
As you read these curious findings, it’s likely you’re wondering how you might incorporate this into your life.
The best part? It’s easy. There are countless free mobile apps out there, and it requires only ten minutes a day to get started. Jonathan recommends “Insight Timer” app, available on both Android and iOS.
Now, cheers to happier you!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
https://www.inc.com/james-paine/11-famous-entrepreneurs-who-meditate-daily.html