Gauteng Women in Insurance (GWII) hosted a motivational event, on Thursday 20 May, with main sponsor Guy Carpenter.
Themed Mindful Resilience, guest speaker Helen Nicholson, from The Networking Company, spoke to the ladies about mindful resilience in the new normal.
Mindful Resilience Training was introduced for the first time at Davos in 2013. World leaders and some of the world’s best minds realised even pre-Covid that becoming more mindful impacts resilience and achieves neuro-science results (innovation, clarity, better decision making, strategic thinking and creativity).
The importance of resilience
"The demands of 2021 are going to be even more intense than 2020 and there is a certain level of resilience required because there is still so much that is unknown,” said Nicholson.
“Now, more than ever, as people are realising Covid is a long-haul journey, people need to utilise mindful resilience to become fit emotionally, mentally and physically for this journey. The environment that we are in is changing at a rate in which it has never done before. For people to perform at their peak, they need to be given the practical toolkit of mindfulness practices to be agile and adaptive to face new opportunities and challenges in the “new normal”,” added Nicholson.
Establish a resilience mindset
In setting out to establish a resilient mindset, Nicholson said that individuals need to:
- Identify that stress is not the bad guy, absence of recovery is the problem.
- Embrace uncertainty through “state management” techniques. Your energy is contagious… whether its face to face or virtual. If you are calm and at peace other people catch on that.
- As a top performer, learn how to integrate intentional recovery in your day, week, month and year. What is the full stop at the end of you day? There is no correct answer! Everyone has their own daily rituals, but we need to know when to shut down, turn off and rest, and when to continue as normal. You need weekend rituals and Sunday rest… and a few days off during the year away.
- Understand that sleep, movement and mindfulness are key strategies for advanced brain function. Sleep is more important than food. If you exercise and sleep, your immune system is enhanced. Sleep and meditation also go hand in hand. You have to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Take Magnesium, have an epsom salts bath to help you relax, put your phone on charge in the kitchen or elsewhere and get an old-fashioned alarm clock so that you have no distractions if you wake up in the middle of the night. During the day at your desk, move around, stretch and take in some air. Instantly you will feel energised.
- Learn practical techniques on how to be mindful in your busy lives. We often think of the past or worry about the future. Try being present in the moment now, be present in the present. Mindfully pay attention to your life now, before it becomes a full-blown crisis. Are there any red lights on your dashboard that signal problems? We have been trained to multitask all the time… multitasking makes us unhappy, do one thing at a time, and do it well.
- Develop your “Old Story” vs. “New Story” to gain insight into what’s holding you back. Covid-19 has given us time to re-evaluate our lives, our families, our careers etc. - navigate and take control of your journeys.
- Establish rituals and action planning to ensure sustainable behaviour change.
“Stop multitasking, have barriers around technology, practice breathing exercises and mediation and practice gratitude. Be grateful for the big and little things, do not focus on what you do not have,” she concluded.
So, what will you do differently?
Lucky draws
A few lucky ladies walked away with prizes. Congratulations to all our lucky draw prize winners who walked away with amazing prizes:
- Two 400ml Tulip Inspired Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffusers and a set of 6 essential aromatherapy oils to use in the diffuser to the value of R1 779, sponsored by CIA; and
- Two Takealot Vouchers to the valued of R1000 each, sponsored by GWII.
Thank you
GWII would like to thank main sponsor Guy Carpenter for their sponsorship and support for this event. Without our sponsors this would not be possible.
Thank you, Helen, for guiding the ladies on how to establish a resilient mindset, and to all GWII members, thank you for attending this event. We hope that the toolkit of mindfulness practices will help you to become more agile and adaptive to face new opportunities and challenges.
View photos here