7 Habits of Highly Mindful Leaders

By Dr. Zhen-Phang.

1. Mindful Start: A mindful leader starts the day in the morning with at least 10-15 minutes of mindfulness practice, e.g. mindful stretching and/or breathing. It stills the mind and kick-starts a productive and efficient day. 

5 Steps for Mindful Breathing - HERE.

2. Mindful Communication. A mindful leader gives his/her full presence when connecting with colleagues, customers, friends, and family members. He/she listens attentively, smiles, is open to suggestions, and gives constructive feedback. It improves interpersonal relationships. 

The Art of Mindful Listening - HERE.

3. Mindful Break: A mindful leader sprinkles the day with tiny moments of present moment awareness, e.g. by practicing Mindful-S.T.O.P. & ‘H.T.C.’ (Hearing, Touching & C/Seeing). It refreshes the mind-body and sharpens attention. 

'Purposeful Pause' by Janice Maturano from Institute of Mindful Leadership - HERE.

4. Mindful Eating: A mindful leader gives full attention in savoring his/her meals even if it is just for 15-20 minutes. He/she tries not to answer phone, check emails, answer WhatsApp messages, or entertain other distractions during meals. It nourishes the body and mind. 

The Center for Mindful Eating - HERE.

5. Mindful Walking: A mindful leader grabs every opportunity to cultivate mindfulness. In between meetings at different venues, he/she tries to breathe and walk mindfully (focus on the movements and sensations of walking), before attending another meeting. It makes meetings more productive. 

10 Tips For Mindful Walking - HERE.  

6. Mindful Travelling: A mindful leader listens to inspirational talks related to mindfulness and wellness while driving. Or he/she pays beginner’s mind attention to the wonders of the present moment (e.g. beautiful sky, trees, and birds) - happiness is here-and-now! 

7 Stages of Mindful Driving - HERE.

7. Mindful Resting: A mindful leader ends the day with Body Scan practice to relax and chill out. He/she rejoices on all the pleasant and good-enough moments throughout the day with ‘Google-WWW-Yahoo’ practice. It helps to ‘R.I.P.’ (Rest In Present).

Science & Practice of Gratitude - HERE.

Doing your best at THIS MOMENT 

puts you in the best place for the next moment

-Oprah Winfrey-

Wise & Mindful Clock

Wisdom 1

Life is imperfect; be contented & appreciate whatever little

pleasant moment we have NOW. Google-WWW-Yahoo.

Wisdom 2

Change is natural; let's Accept, Adjust & Move On – AAM.

Wisdom 3

Everything happens with causes & conditions; try to improve on something 
when it's possible. Let it be, let it go, let it flow when it's not.

MINDFULGym Reunion & Open Day 2015

Mindful Siak Sisters

Siak Hun, Siak Jin, Siak Yee, & Siak Teng

Above are four lovely sisters who have graduated from the MINDFULGym program. The '3G' logos in their T-shirts represent 3 ways of paying attention to life events with grateful hearts: be grateful for something that has gone right, is OK (taken for granted), and went wrong with a purpose - HERE. Excited to share what they discovered, their husbands too have signed up for the coming intakes of MINDFULGym (photos to be included soon). 

Mindfulness For Smoking Cessation

Mindfulness for smoking cessation plenary session at KL International Nicotine Addiction Conference.

Date: 24/4/2015 (Thursday).

Venue: Aloft Hotel, Brickfields, KL

Speaker: Dr. Phang Cheng Kar

Abstract: Mindfulness is a concept which originates from various philosophical and spiritual traditions especially Buddhism. For the past three decades, it has been applied in secular ways with empirical support for reducing psychological distress and enhancing well-being in behavioral medicine, psychotherapy, and education. This presentation will focus on the role of mindfulness in smoking cessation. Participants will learn about results from randomized controlled trials, mechanism of mindfulness in reducing craving (e.g. acceptance of distress), mindfulness-based techniques (e.g. urge surfing, R.A.I.N., body scan, mindful breathing). There will also be sharing on a smartphone app (Craving to Quit) developed at Yale’s Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic using mindfulness principles.

For further information on and registration for conference - HERE.

PowerPoint slides are available HERE.