This probably does the practice a disservice, but mindfulness is all the craze right now! Americans find themselves living a frenetic pace, and are all the worse for it. Personally, I still find the “gotta do it all and do it yesterday” mantra exhausting, yet I still find myself trying to live it. I attended the annual Legal Marketing Association’s New England chapter annual conference this year and was thrilled to listen to a TED-Style talk about mindfulness. At first, I thought there was no way a successful business person could work mindfulness into their days.  Boy, was I wrong! Turns out, mindfulness is a fantastic asset for today’s business world, not just legal marketers.

A recent study conducted by researchers at INSEAD and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found that 15 minutes of mindful meditation could help a person make better decisions. That same study shows that mindfulness “can reduce confirmation bias and overconfidence, allowing decision makers to better differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information.”  Wow… that is powerful stuff!

We all find ourselves making a ton of decisions daily. Some of it important (think: setting annual budgets) to less than important (think: what’s for lunch). Regardless of the decision, this constant flow creates stress (both perceived and unperceived), making each decision slightly harder than the next some days. What if we could slow down for a brief period of time and walk away feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the next question? Well, why can’t we?  I know it can be challenging to find a quiet spot to deep breath and meditate for 10 or 15 minutes in our busy office environments, so why not try a ‘walking mediation’? Here is how it works:  Schedule time in your calendar to go for a 15 minute walk a few days a week (if not daily). One catch– you must go it alone.  No chatting allowed.  Just you, the fresh air and your thoughts.  Take this time to move your body while letting your mind randomly flow thoughts. Acknowledge these thoughts and let them go. This time is not for problem solving or making ‘to do’ lists. It is for recognizing emotions, letting your mind relax and recharging your energy.

Making healthy habits takes work. In fact, I have heard it takes 21 times of doing a particular action before you see a routine change in behavior. I encourage you to try walking mediation. It could make a huge difference in how you treat people, care for yourself and find success.