Lighting a Spark with Mindfulness - Kerene Strochnetter

Kerene Strochnetter spoke to our Kahui Ako "Light it Up!" conference as a guest speaker. I found the keynote really good and came away with some actions moving forward. These are my notes and wonderings from her presentation.

We all know that there are increasing demands on time and attention due to multiple reasons. Whether those demands are technology overload, family commitments, or numerous distractions in our busy world, it is essential to recognise when you function at your best. 

We all have a love-hate relationship with being busy, however we pressure ourselves and our colleagues to remain busy.

The acronym of PAIN highlights some of the demands on our lives. 

• Pressure and stress
• Always on
• Information overload
• Non-stop distractions

When you are functioning at your best, you will be

• Relaxed and energised
• Clear and present
• Kind and generous

Understanding when you are at your best is crucial as the quality of your mind determines the quality of your life and relationships. An overwhelmed and busy mind will potentially result in lower quality of life and relationships with others.

Our mindset determines 90% of our happiness.

One impact on the quality of our mind is the amount of time it wanders. Our mind wanders approximately 47% of the time, and the other time we are in our headspace thinking about the focus task etc. The more our minds wander without being aware of it, the more unhappy we are. 

That is quite surprising and makes me think about the exercise I do as I find it very beneficial to clear my head. Does my head wander on the bike, or does it allow me to focus on one thing and process this?

Research shows that the activity is not crucial, for example taking out the rubbish or playing with the kids. It is more crucial we are present in the moment.

I will have to think about this, yesterday as I was sitting in the spa, I was in the moment. However, I also started to focus on the birds singing and then the noise of cars. Does this mean my mind was wandering, or was I present and noticing things in my environment? 

When we are not present in an activity

• we miss out on stuff
• we are cut off from people and the environment
• we do things poorly

Multitasking

The human brain cannot multitask and must multi-shift attention. There is no difference between men and women when multi shifting! When interrupted, it takes 64 seconds to recover train of thought, and distraction by email of 3 mins adds up to 8.5 hours of lost time a week, impacting productivity.

Stress

No one wakes up in the morning and says, "Good morning, let the stress begin!". Stress like happiness is very much to do with mindset. Often we wait until circumstances change, e.g. when I pay off my mortgage, etc., so we do not have to confront stress in our lives.

Neuroscience

The fast pathway is the old primitive part of the brain. It is the unconscious part of the brain and is quick to react, goal-driven and includes the flight/fight response. 

The fast pathway is described as the Cookie Monster Brain.

The slow pathway is the newer part of the brain. It is the conscious part of the brain, has a more detailed process, and brings more perspective. It allows us to challenge the direction the fast pathway sends us and can help redirect our thinking and actions. 

The slow pathway is described as the Gandhi Brain.

Mindfulness, at its simplest, is being present and being aware of the moment.

Meditation is an exercise for your brain and takes time to develop as a skill. Just as you do not expect a great body after going to one session at the gym, you must continue meditation to see any impacts.

Impacts for me long term!

• Exercise Exercise Exercise - Is all exercise good? Do I mind wander when exercising by myself? Am I always present as it a place to clear my head? Does it make me better? Running with a friend keeps me more in the moment? Swimming with a focus on form, etc., makes me more present because I am thinking of form, stroke, etc., and concentrating more on the exercise.
• Connect with family and outdoors - get rid of wifi at night? Go walking, possum spotting or other activity that is not in front of the TV.
• Family game night, meditation night, movie night, Ellesmere Road Runners, Leeston Cycling (summer)
• Family spa four nights a week
• Switch off tech - am I brave enough? Do we need to if we have family activities planned?
• Check emails every three or four hours. Set the alarm to check email. Remove the Google Chrome tab in between checking.
• Do not numb out - watching Netflix, food etc.
• Run a coaching session as part of my weekly routine as there are impacts for the coach and the coachee in terms of being very focused on one activity.
• Breathe three in and three out for five times
• Having a walking meeting instead of meeting in an office.

What Do I want more of in my life? What will I make happen NOW!

• Check emails first when I arrive at school, after a morning tea break, lunch break and then after school. Set the alarm to check email at home or use school timings of breaks. Remove the Google Chrome tab in between checking.
• Having a walking meeting instead of meeting in an office.
• Run a coaching session as part of my weekly routine as there are impacts for the coach and the coachee in terms of being very focused on one activity.
• Monday - spa night, Tuesday - family game and spa night, Wednesday - Ellesmere Road Runners and Spa night, Thursday - movie night