Welcome.
I'm Janice Martirano,
The Executive Director of the Institute for Mindful Leadership,
And today I'd like to speak about the importance of setting some boundaries.
If it was nearly impossible to distinguish work time from personal time before the pandemic,
Now it truly seems like an unattainable dream.
The demands of the new ways we are working,
The pulls to care for family and ourselves,
And our attempts to stay connected with friends can make the day and night seem like a blur of computer screens and smartphone notifications.
Our body and our mind begin to feel under siege and,
Without setting some boundaries,
We can begin to feel isolated,
Exhausted,
And overwhelmed.
In this complex,
Rapidly changing world,
Is it possible to really set some boundaries between work and non-work time,
Between tech and non-tech time?
Can we find the courage to put down the demands and distractions so we can recharge and more fully inhabit our life?
Before you believe that inner voice,
Reactive heart answer that says,
There's no way I can change this chaos,
Try these simple experiments ones we use in teaching mindful leadership.
Number one,
Begin to look at the transitions between segments in your schedule.
Look for the natural breaks in your scheduled day and create an intentional boundary.
Boundaries require intention.
They require discipline choices.
So,
For example,
Your 10 a.
M.
Conference call ends at 11.
When you leave that meeting,
Take a few minutes to stand and stretch at your desk.
Take a few deep breaths and exhale with a sigh each time.
Invite your mind to let go of the interactions in that meeting and pay attention to how your body feels as you stand and stretch,
Feeling the sensations of your breath.
These few minutes belong to you.
Use them to care for yourself and to recenter your mind and your body so it's ready for the next segment of your day.
A second example involves making the choice to really nourish yourself during the day.
When it's time to have lunch,
It's also time to transition away from work.
Close the computer,
Put away your phone,
And eat lunch.
Each time your mind drifts away to this afternoon's meetings or something about the evening,
Redirect it back to the sensations that are here as you choose to nourish your body,
The tastes,
The aromas,
The colors of your food.
And every time your mind drifts away,
Just bring it back,
Redirect it back to the sensations of eating.
If you're home with other family members for lunch,
Invite them to join you.
If you're at work,
Invite a colleague to join you.
These short breaks are important ways to help you cultivate resiliency in a hectic schedule.
Look for other mindful breaks that support you and make a conscious choice to integrate them into your schedule.
Number two,
Setting boundaries between tech time and no tech time.
Although it may seem strange to even think about it,
Your smartphone and your laptop have off switches.
Choose to use them.
At some point in your day,
At least an hour before bed,
And ideally more,
Turn them all off and keep them out of your bedroom.
If you've been relying on them to wake you up in the morning,
Consider investing in an alarm clock.
Having tech right next to your head while you're trying to sleep often interferes with deep restorative sleep because there's a part of your brain that's waiting for the next technology buzz.
And the failure to get a good night's sleep affects your physical and mental health.
You are not only feeling tired,
Lack of quality sleep affects,
Among other things,
Your immune system,
Your memory,
And your creativity.
You take great care to keep the technology recharged.
Do the same for yourself by disconnecting from technology for set periods every day.
This choice to create a boundary and leave tech behind for a while will allow you to connect to yourself,
To your friends and family,
And even your pets.
Trying to authentically connect with one eye on a screen feels disrespectful and is guaranteed to be noticed by others.
Think about it.
When you are speaking with someone and they keep glancing at their phones,
How does it really make you feel?
Create a no tech zone for your house and set aside no tech hours for your entire family.
You may soon find that tech connections are no substitute for human connections.
