Getting Centered
Earlier this week I caught myself starting a coaching session by asking my client a tough question. I immediately felt wrong – abrupt and awkward. In that moment I realized that I hadn’t taken time, nor given my client the opportunity, to get centered. In the world of leadership coaching, we talk a lot about the importance of being “centered.” Centering is a process by which you reconnect your mind with your body, and bring both to a state of calm, grounded confidence. The result of centering is a clear mind and renewed awareness of your power to choose how to show up for yourself and others. How often do you unconsciously carry energy from one event into the next? When I’m off-center, frustration from one conversation carries over into the next, a colleague’s irritability stresses me out and the size of my inbox raises my blood pressure. Centering gives us the ability to choose our state of mind rather than finding ourselves drawn into the chaos around us. It enables us to resist the pull of others’ emotional states. Rather than finding ourselves hijacked by the actions and reactions of those around us, we draw others into our state of calm composure. Centering practices have so drastically improved my ability to focus, to listen and to be fully present with others that I’m compelled to share a few of my favorites with you. Note that these three practices weave seamlessly into the fabric of daily life – that’s precisely why they work for me.
Three Centering Practices for the Busiest of People
As you walk down the hallway to your next meeting, breathe in cadence with your steps: breathe in for five steps, breathe out for five steps. Pay attention to where your breath lands. Focus on breathing air into your abdomen so that your belly extends with each inhale. If you’re trying to calm yourself down, lengthen the duration of your exhale – inhale for five steps, exhale for seven steps. If you’re trying to pump yourself up, inhale for seven steps and exhale for five.
Stop by the restroom, turn on warm water and run your hands underneath it. Look down at the water rather than at yourself in the mirror. Watch the water falling over and around your hands. Move your hands to make the water cascade in different directions. Then turn your attention to your shoulders. Is there tension there? If so, allow the tension to pour out of your body just as the water is pouring out of the faucet. If you have time, locate tension in other parts of your body and one at a time, allow the tension to drain away.
Create a pause between back-to-back meetings. Inform your incoming guests that you’ll be with them in just 2 minutes, close your door, and sit down somewhere comfortable. Set a timer for 60 seconds. Close your eyes and slowly count downwards from 10. Then simply be still until the timer goes off. Do your best to empty your mind. If a thought comes to you, name it and let it go. Take a moment to stretch your arms, neck and back before opening your door to start your next meeting.
If you’d like to explore ways that you can stay centered amidst the chaos around you, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time on my calendar.
