Revealing Insight: Align Yourself to Start Your Day
Photo by Noelle Otto from Pexels
I don’t know about you, but when the COVID pandemic reached my area, my behavior changed – and not in a good way. I’d wake up, reach for my phone, check my texts, emails, and Insta to see what was happening. My heart was racing. I felt an urgency to be organized and get things done, and I was planning my day’s lists before my feet even hit the floor! Before even peeking outside to check the weather! I had a case of fomo (fear of missing out)! I needed to know what was new and changing. I felt anxious if some news was circulating that I’d missed out on… Until I realized the toll this was taking on my body and my mind.
Up till this time, I’d enjoyed doing a morning practice which aligned me to wake up calmly, to be grounded and to feel centered to start my day. That routine helped me be prepared, ready and strong to face whatever the day would bring.
Career Transition is my field of expertise and I also feel a heart connection to helping individuals and teams shift and change to move forward in their transitions. As I heard during the last two weeks of March that millions of people were losing their jobs or being laid off, I had an internal reaction. I felt pressure to jump into action and share my expertise to support the people in transition. I know what people go through when they’re laid off. And I know how to navigate through these transitions. I was in these moments reacting to the external environment and I needed to reconnect with myself and hear what services I could provide to best support individuals and teams as they want to shift and change to navigate the “new normal” in their career transitions.
I now start my day very intentionally: breathing calmly, grounding myself and getting myself ‘aligned’ for the day.
I’d like to share with you suggestions for aligning yourself to start your day.
Start your day with breathing calmly while lying in bed. Commit to grounding yourself before getting out of bed and commit to keeping your emotions positive throughout the day as best you can. Bring your attention to your breathing and try this Box Breathing technique:
Box Breathing technique
- Place your tongue on roof of mouth. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 6 seconds.
- Then exhale for 8 seconds.
Do four rounds of this breathing.
Then, ground yourself by walking barefoot inside or outside or do 20 – 30 minutes of yoga. Take time throughout the day to ‘check-in’ physically, emotionally, mentally and behaviorally.
- What sensations are you noticing in your physical body?
- What emotions are you feeling?
- What are your thoughts? Let go of negative thoughts which are not supporting you.
- What are your behaviors? What behaviors are not aligned with your vision of your ‘best self’?
Pick one behavior you want to change, say the words “change change” and start doing the new positive behavior.
Stay in the present moment and set one positive intention for the day, e.g. “I am calm and resourceful.” Believe in yourself and trust that your transition will connect you with many supportive people, situations and gifts.
Hi, I'm Jody Béke!
MA ABS LEADERSHIP, CPCC, PCC
I help leaders and teams that aspire to something greater.
I help to empower and shift people to break through their old assumptions and thinking to adopt a new internal operating system that will help them to manage their reactive tendencies and excel in their creative competencies. By doing this, we create more conscious and effective leaders and teams.