Meditation - A Tool for Personal Brand Maintenance
How are you doing? No really, how are you?
On a scale of 1 to 10...1 being “I need a bubble”, and 10 being “I am the best I’ve ever been”.
I think I’m somewhere around a 6.75.
Real talk, I make a conscious effort daily to stay positive, optimistic and to keep the faith; some days are harder than others. It is much easier to maintain this mindset when you have routines in place to assist; routines and practices like meditation, exercise, and time for reading and writing.
Okay...before you raise your eyebrow, turn up your nose or say... “I don’t need that”...there are different forms of meditation that could work for you.
Mindfulness Meditation - Hone in on your thoughts as they pass through your mind...think about what you’re thinking about. One of the important aspects here, is that you don’t judge your thoughts but just observe. I know that’s hard for some of us, because we can be pretty critical of ourselves, but let it go girl…
Spiritual Meditation - Similar to prayer; this can be quiet time where you are connecting with God, seeking guidance and spiritual growth.
Focused Meditation - Remember your five senses - pick one and use it to concentrate . You can focus on your breathing, or focus on what you’re hearing...the trick here is to not let your mind wander.
Movement Meditation - You can move with meditation, this is an active form. I automatically thought of yoga, but maybe it’s a walk in the park or maybe even planting.
Learn more about other forms of meditation here.
Spiritual meditation is usually where you can find me. I combine my meditation with devotions - it’s quiet time in the morning and the night. Yes, the night! I have a full house and after finally settling everyone down - I really need that time to recalibrate. Oddly enough, I am probably my most creative, at night, when it’s quiet. The morning of course is also a great time for meditation, before you get bogged down with the tasks of the day, reading through emails, and looking at your to-do list; taking time to muse, and ponder can assist with jump starting your day and helping you have a more focused and positive attitude about the day.
I believe meditation is a critical tool for your brand maintenance, Why? I’m so glad you asked. Here are just a few ways meditation can help strengthen your personal brand. Think about how you can incorporate this practice in your brand care regimen.
Meditation….
1. Offers time for a conscious connection with yourself. Meditation provides a space for you to just be present and block out the distractions and not be concerned with barriers that may impede you from moving forward. We’ve all been managing a lot lately, we’ve had to pivot, and maybe even redefine what’s next for our brands. However, meditation can help you take time away from those stresses, and just be present in the moment.
2. Provides a time to pause and clear your head. Our thoughts are usually running a mile a minute but meditation helps you to stop – breathe and improve your focus. I mentioned earlier that one of the forms of meditation is focused meditation. Have you ever just sat for maybe 10 minutes...I mean really just stopped, without your phone or computer? I’m sure you have at least 10 minutes to spare. You can even try it right now..stop reading and pause...but make sure you come back though!
3. Allows time for authenticity. A core element of our personal brand is being authentic. Meditation helps you to be mindful, aware and accepting of yourself. Hey there busy lady - you are important, you are beautiful, and you are amazing. Do you take time to think about your characteristics and traits - and what really makes you - YOU? It blows my mind when I actually think about the fact that God created me to be unique. There is no one on this earth like you, you are indeed one of a kind...and that my friend is what makes your personal brand authentic. Recognize who you are and what you bring to the table!
Is meditation part of your routine?
I asked a few of my fellow women in business about meditation and if/ how they incorporate it in their lives, businesses and brands, here’s what they had to say…
Do You Meditate?
I listen to guided muscle relaxation and breathing videos on YouTube before bed. In addition to that, I take 15 - 30 minutes in the morning to sit quietly and journal. - S. Allen
I have about 30 minutes of quiet time every afternoon...it's like my "mindfulness" time. It involves deep breathing and I'm usually sitting outside in my car, no phone, journal or music. It helps me to refocus and/or switch gears from one segment of business to another within the same day. - H. Pittmon
From a biblical perspective, I do meditate on scriptures, repeating them, finding different ways to declare them according to the situation. When I'm meditating on the Word, I'm usually in the middle of something. I am working on doing better about constantly doing this and keeping the Word in the forefront of my mind. My reading/studying and prayer is usually when I'm quiet and try my best to make sure I'm not allowing any distractions. - K.M.
How does Meditation help you with your brand?
Meditation helps me with my brand because it helps me release all of the thoughts I have going through my head and find which things I should focus on and what should be left with God. As a business woman meditating helps me tremendously, I tend to be really tense all the time and by doing the muscle relaxation it helped me teach my body how to relax. The natural tension of my body takes a lot of my energy, but with the help of guided muscle relaxation, I've learned how to get that energy back. - S. Allen
As a woman in business, it helps me to evaluate my current emotions, time spent that day and life priorities (like a self check up). - H. Pittmon
What’s next for you - is meditation a tool that you’ll add for your brand maintenance?