Action Tip

Five ways to work on your serenity

1/ Know how to spot whether you are grounded (or not)

To see whether you are grounded here and now:

Scan your thoughts:

• Are your thoughts clear, do words come easily to you, do you have ideas, are you effective, open, and curious? Grounded!
• Do you tend to be judgmental, of yourself and others, do the same thoughts keep going around and around? Not grounded.

Check out your feelings and emotions:

• Are you joyful, satisfied, confident, enthusiastic? Grounded!
• Do you feel angry, irritated, bewildered, worried, fearful? Not grounded.

Watch for bodily signals:

• Is your breathing calm, are your features relaxed, do your legs bear you easily? Grounded!
• Is your stomach in knots, your neck stiff, your shoulders hunched, your back aching? Not grounded.

· Think back on a situation in which you felt grounded and compare what you felt then with what you’re feeling now.

2/ Cultivate a lasting equilibrium

Use these three methods to stay grounded:

Put your mind to good use:

• Practice spotting thoughts that distract you from what is going on with you here and now.
• If you feel your thoughts are wandering, reconnect to the present through activities you enjoy and that make use of your powers of concentration.
• Be clear about your basic needs, those you would not want to compromise.
• Take a step back and look at your mental routines and subconscious attachments, i.e., your personal beliefs and habits that are triggered without your awareness.
• Know the difference between who you really are and your external “character,” your role – so you don’t end up identifying with it.
• Use your knowledge of yourself as an aid in making decisions and prioritizing. Are your choices coherent with your inner you?

Excerpt from Business Digest N°308, July – August 2020