This article is written by Paula Vital, BCL, LLB, mindfulness coach, yoga therapist and civil servant in the Ontario Public Service.

  • The problem: The pace of change leaders are facing today requires unprecedented levels of resilience.
  • Why it matters: When left unchecked, continual reactivity to the rapid pace of life and work, as well as unprecedented uncertainty, can lead to overwhelm, anxiety and depression, disengagement and burnout.
  • The solution: Mindfulness - systematic training of the mind to increase our levels of concentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity - can help us reconnect with our innate ability to respond effectively to life’s constant changes and increase our base level of happiness regardless of what is occurring. 

Moving into a management role can be one of the hardest transitions in one’s career. Luckily, mindfulness — the ability to be present and aware, moment by moment, without judgment — can help you manage this transition.

As leaders, we’re not just responsible for our own work. We’re accountable for the work of other people, their wellbeing, and their connection to the vision and mission of the organisation and your superiors. It can feel like you are being pulled in a thousand different directions until there is nothing left!

Developing the skill of mindfulness helps you to not only survive the hundreds of emails and the endless requests you might receive every day. It’ll help you thrive, develop a high-performing team, and meet and surpass expectations.

Establishing priorities

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I started a new management job at Ontario’s Ministry of Health, Emergency Health Services. Needless to say, I was concerned about having to work round the clock and burning out. Before taking the job, I clearly expressed to my future superiors that in this tremendously challenging time, my priority was my family. I was clear about what my working hours would be and got their agreement to these before accepting the role.

Still, each day, I have to re-establish my priorities. Are my priorities for the year still the same? How do those relate to the many tasks I am asked to do each day?

Here is where mindfulness comes in. My habitual response would be to open the next email and answer yes to each request. Instead, I pause. I take a breath and then decide. What most needs my attention in this moment? 

Below are some simple mindfulness tools that can help you navigate your day-to-day work.

Make space for just being — three minutes is enough

This is the foundation for every other mindfulness skill that you will practise throughout the day. Being present with what is actually here, as opposed to the many thoughts we have about what is going to happen later in the day, is hard. This is why we need to practise.

A three-minute breathing space, preferably early on in the day, can really help. I like to do it first thing in the morning, before checking my emails. Here’s a three-minute exercise you can try, with US medical professor and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn.

This breathing space will reset your nervous system, putting you into a state that is relaxed but alert, so you can most effectively prioritise and communicate throughout the day.

Know your priorities — confirm and re-evaluate them often

In my first experience in management, I came in wanting to do a great job. So when I was asked to do something, I would say “Yes! I can help” with enthusiasm. In a short time, my workload became so great that I was unable to adequately focus and deliver on my many responsibilities.

Eventually, I realised that it was just not possible to keep taking on the many things people asked me to do. I took some time to figure out what exactly I needed to prioritise and deliver.

I then communicated what I thought these were, confirmed them with my boss, and negotiated for other tasks to be transferred out of my team or deferred. This was not easy! But it was necessary for my mental health and the productivity and effectiveness of my team.

It is not perfect by any means, but this practice of pausing and re-prioritising often allows me to feel I am contributing in a meaningful way, rather than reacting to emails endlessly.

Ask yourself: “what is my key priority for today?” Define one if you haven’t already. Consider if each new task aligns with your daily, monthly, or yearly priorities.

If not, can you respectfully say no or provide an alternative course of action?

This is the first part of a series on why mindfulness matters in leadership. In the next part, we’ll dive deeper into how to use mindfulness when addressing management challenges.

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