Mindfulness helps keep in check what James McElhaney memorably calls our “inner Mongo,” responding quickly and emotionally to a stressful situation. Mindfulness helps us to feel the emotion, but take a moment longer before reacting. One instance is reviewing a project from an associate that fell short of what is expected and thought them capable of producing. Rather than immediately engage in a critical analysis of exactly what was wrong with the work — which would have been “correct” but probably unhelpful to their confidence and ability to truly hear what was being said — awareness was brought to the breath. Doing so, one becomes more aware of their emotions (fear…of not being in control, of losing the motion), evaluating the reality of the situation, and having a more productive conversation where there was more listening and less talking. Practicing mindfulness helps bring about the more constructive and helpful response.Read More
