Mindfulness has dominated the headlines a lot over the past five years, but it has actually been around for thousands of years. In the Far East, it takes on a more spiritual and religious meaning, while in the West, it is mostly about finding a secular inner peace. As an entrepreneur, life is all about priorities and goals and following your passions. Successful entrepreneurs need to find a balance between all the things that matter in their lives. Mindful meditation, however, is not an easy tool to learn. It takes practice, and it is a constant work in progress. Nobody wins at mindfulness. It’s about being present in the moment in a non-judgemental way.
Entrepreneurs are arguably one of the most high-energy personality types. To leap into starting up your own business, it takes someone who has dedication and passion. This goes hand in hand with the need to juggle a plethora of things, most of them potentially stressful. Mindfulness has been proven to help with many issues, including professional, social, and physical. It not only helps with emotional regulation, but it can also help you in the world of business. Having less stress means producing less of the stress hormone, cortisol. This, in turn, leads to less potential damage to cardiac systems and blood pressure. If you are running a business, you not only have a staff of employees dependent upon you for survival but also a family of your own to support.
Some practical perks of becoming a mindful entrepreneur include becoming empathetic to others’ needs. Especially in times of crisis, it’s essential to show your human side, so your employees know that you care. Mindfulness helps you see the big picture and gain a better perspective on a situation. It enables you to get out of your own head by only letting non-judgemental thoughts pass by.
It also helps to revisit your original purpose from time to time to ensure you are still on track with your initial vision for your product or service. Remind yourself why you got into the business and what you felt like when things were going in that direction. If you feel yourself straying from your original purpose, this could be an excellent time to make some changes. It’s never too late.