This week we are celebrating Stonehage Fleming’s annual Wellness Week. One of the events was a session with Louis Nigrini, Senior Executive and Leadership Coach at Insense Dynamix, who led a conversation about building mental resilience in a fast-paced environment.
Here, he shares key takeaways on becoming a B.O.S.S. of your mind:
Boundaries – claim your time and energy with boundaries. Imagine a force field protecting your well-being. That's the power of boundaries. Be clear on what you will and won't tolerate (negotiables & non-negotiables). Set ‘hard stops’ and ‘starts’ for your workday to avoid burnout. Learn to say ‘no’ confidently, knowing others can still succeed without you being perpetually available. Finally, create physical boundaries by separating work and personal devices.
OpTIMEise – focus wins, multitasking loses. It is essential to focus on one task at a time in order to complete it efficiently. Treat your time as valuable sand, not to be scattered like confetti. Limit distractions and establish a consistent routine by setting regular wake-up and sleep schedules. Remember, ‘Every good day begins with a good night's sleep.’
Systems – create a structure for success. Get organised! Develop a system for note-taking, making sure it's searchable for easy reference. Backup important data and deal with tasks immediately. Set clear deadlines and deliverables for each task and don’t fall for ‘acceleration addiction’. As author of Atomic Habits James Clear reminds us, ‘You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.’
Self – master your inner voice. Mental resilience starts with understanding yourself. Practice self-reflection and become aware of your emotions. Ask yourself: ‘What am I feeling?’ and ‘Why am I feeling it?’ Develop self-regulation. When faced with a stressful situation, choose how you'll respond instead of reacting impulsively. Consider the ‘5 Second Rule’ – count down from 5 to interrupt a negative emotional response.
If you follow the B.O.S.S. model, you are on your way in digging deeper for your purpose. This begins by asking yourself ‘Why am I doing this?’ on multiple levels:
By becoming a B.O.S.S. of your mind – setting boundaries, optimizing your time, building strong systems, mastering self-awareness, and finding purpose - you can build mental resilience and thrive in today's demanding world.