Mindfulness is top of mind with many HR leaders in the post-pandemic era. They are seeking ways to fight burnout, support employees, and reach business nirvana. Carson Finkle, an entrepreneur and Founder and Chief Guide Officer of Create Meditation, is teaching individuals and teams about how to properly meditate and reach clarity.
Let the Champagne Flow
Finkle's business grew out of his own personal journey. After experiencing a panic attack that he described as a "nightmare he could not wake up from," Finkle began researching different ways to manage anxiousness and have more control over his emotions.
At first, he was sharing what he learned with loved ones and friends for free. Then, he started getting referrals, and people began offering to pay him or send gifts as a thank you, so he launched the business. The process of mindfulness is a combination of breathing techniques and other processes that he learned in his research.
When Finkle works with businesses, he begins by telling them that their leaders must support his teachings, share these ideas with employees, and model the behavior, or the business will not benefit as much.
"The very first thing I bring up when working with someone is if they know about the champagne tower analogy. As business owners, we tend to put ourselves last on our to do list. Work comes first. Friends come first. Family comes first. I really want to flip that on its head, which means that you are the top glass of the champagne tower. When you choose to fill up your own cup first, it's going to overflow and flow into the cups of the people closest in your life. Their cups are going to fill up and then it flows down below them."
The "positive cascading effect," says Finkle continues and reaches the customer, which positively impacts the bottom line. That point is the key, he adds, to gaining leadership buy in of mindfulness exercise when dealing with the most skeptical.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Once everyone is on the same page, Finkle walks them through a specific process that includes self-reflection about places that are meaningful or provide a sense of peace and the goals individuals and teams hope to achieve. Then, there are breathing exercises that can help people slow down, take a pause, and clear their minds. Finkle suggests that people try the following breathing techniques before every meeting or whenever there is a presentation or project that might be causing anxiousness and stress.
Box Breathing
"This is really popular with the military and law enforcement. It's a great way to dial down that sympathetic into the parasympathetic. And what better way before going into a meeting to have everyone's minds clear, calm. Some creative ideas are going to be flowing through everyone. It is a simple tool. You don't need an app. It's very easy to teach everyone box breathing. You're going to breathe in for four [seconds]. Hold for four, out for four. Hold for four, out for four. And you're just repeating those steps for about five minutes. Amazing!"
Retrain the Muscle
"My go-to when is breathing for five and a half seconds in, five and a half seconds out. If I'm ever in a pinch and want to calm down my nervous system, I just pull out my phone and go to the stopwatch. I actually breathe six [seconds] in, six out," says Finkle. "And I do that over and over and over again for three to five minutes. You can do it for as long as it feels good. You're just telling your body and your nervous system, 'You're good. You're calm.' When you practice, your body will naturally start breathing that way. You're retraining a muscle like you're training a muscle in the gym."
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Finding Purpose
Going through Finkle's entire program helps people achieve clarity and being more present. They discover their north star, says Finkle. Then, he helps them visualize the world in which they have achieved their goals. He helps them see the kind of person they need to be to create the future they want.
For those skeptical businesspeople, Finkle explains the science of the brain and body and what happens with these breathing exercises. He also demonstrates how this kind of work can help arrive at positive business outcomes. Finkle stresses an attitude of thanksgiving.
"I'm a huge believer in gratitude. I like to say it's the greatest free drug on the planet," he says. "When we are grateful, we feel more whole, we feel enough. And we're not always reaching toward something outside of us, some external thing that's going to make us feel a certain way."