Micro Mindfulness for the Modern Lawyer
Micro Mindfulness in Four Easy Steps
When it comes to practicing mindfulness, a little bit can go a long way.
In fact, small steps can create big change.
“We don’t need anything else to add to our to-do list,” writes Colleen L. Byers for the NCBar Blog. “We don’t need to overhaul our entire practice. Instead, we can do one little thing that could make a big, positive impact through a practice called micro mindfulness.”
Micro mindfulness means sprinkling small doses (think less than 0.1 of your time) of attention to the present moment a few times throughout the day, says the founding principal of Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC.
“It’s as simple as adding just a pinch of salt to enhance your meal,” she writes. “As my late grandmother used to say, ‘A little bit will do ya.’”
Colleen focuses her practice on conflict resolution, wellness and quality of life. She is also a registered yoga teacher. Below is her four-step program for introducing micro mindfulness into your daily routine.
Read “Micro Mindfulness for the Modern Lawyer” in the NCBar Blog here.
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Here are the four steps Colleen L. Byers recommends for micro mindfulness [from the NCBar Blog]:
Step 1 – Notice
Step 2 – Get Curious
Step 3 – Choose Differently
Step 4 – Feel the Impact
Here are the steps in action, as Colleen explains in her post:
Step 1. You notice you are constantly on the go from the minute you wake up, that you are almost always running late, and that you feel stressed as a result.
Step 2. You read the following article: “Creating balance in our lives is not an easy thing. We are a hungry, noisy people, bombarded by stimulation and advertisements that promise to grant us our deepest desires…. We can easily fall victim to false promises and fill every breathable space with appointments and activities and all the responsibilities that go along with a full agenda. We are bombarded and we bombard ourselves. And if we have any doubts, our calendars will reveal the truth.” – Deborah Adele, The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice
Step 3. You review your calendar and realize you are overbooked. You choose to begin scheduling free time between appointments so you can relax and center yourself.
Step 4. You find that when you arrive at meetings early, you feel calm, creative and patient.
“We do not have to make any broad sweeping or revolutionary changes,” writes Colleen. “Instead, micro mindfulness invites us to look for brief opportunities for a few deep breaths to regain focus and better serve our clients. Where can you add 0.1 of micro mindfulness to your day?”
Source: Micro Mindfulness For Modern Lawyers – NCBarBlog
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