For the next five minutes,
Find a quiet place to sit.
Start to relax your shoulders and your jaw and make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Take this time to forget about work.
Everything will still be there when you get back,
But you might find you'll have a more focused and effective approach after this break.
Now slowly close your eyes and take five deep breaths.
Now continue to breathe naturally in through your nose and out through your mouth or nose,
Whichever feels best for you.
Notice how you're breathing today.
Breaths long or short?
Are you having an easy or a hard time focusing on the breath?
On some days,
Especially the stressful ones,
It's harder to clear your mind.
If that's the case,
Remember some of your meditation tools.
You can focus on the way your body expands and contracts as you breathe or simply count the length of your inhalation and exhalation.
You can place one hand on your stomach to help you feel your breath come in and go out of your body.
And is wandering,
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Any day your attention can be pulled in a hundred different directions at once.
That's why it's so important to take this time for yourself to pause and re-energize.
Giving your mind this break will help you stay focused,
Creative,
And motivated.
It might seem that working hard is the best way to come up with ideas,
But that's not always true.
When Sir Isaac Newton discovered the concept of gravity,
He was sitting under a tree in a relaxed state of mind,
Not checking his email or working on a proposal.
It's highly beneficial to your creative process to clear the mind.
Just because you're meditating doesn't mean your brain stops working.
You might be surprised at how powerful your mind can be when it's calmer and clearer.
Now let's take five more deep breaths.
Feel your body sink into your chair.
Let's begin your physical check-in.
But the goal of this is to make sure you're not holding tension in your body.
Tightness can result in your mind and body using energy that gets in the way of maximum productivity.
That's why this part of the meditation is so important.
Start at the top of your head and move down your body.
Are your cheeks relaxed?
And jaw?
If you're feeling tension anywhere,
Spend some time and try to relax that area.
Continue to move down your body.
Notice the way your arms,
Your back,
Your torso,
And your legs are feeling.
Let's take five more breaths and let all your tension go.
Before we close the meditation,
Take a few seconds to visualize your goals.
What motivates you to work hard,
Reach the next level in your career?
Is it your family?
Or are you building a legacy?
Taking the time to think about your goals can put things in perspective and help motivate you.
Ultimately,
What will drive your productivity?
Let these goals drive you as you travel through the rest of your day.
And if you begin to feel yourself losing focus,
Take a moment and visualize those goals.
Take one more deep breath.
Start to bring yourself back into the room by noticing any sounds around you.
Bring your fingers and toes.
Slowly open your eyes.
Come to the end of your productivity meditation.
Hopefully your mind and body feel calm and focused and you're ready to take on the rest of your day.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.