Jude Johnson
Mindfulness Based Therapist at A Keen Mind
Most people struggle with stress and feel overwhelmed when they can keep up with life's demands. I teach mindfulness to help people discover more joy and peace in life. Listen to my...
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- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Techniques to alleviate stress through meditation
- Mindful Living Practices: Daily habits to enhance mindfulness
- Emotional Intelligence Development: Harness meditation for emotional growth
- Mindfulness for Mental Health: Supporting wellness through mindfulness practices
- Mindfulness for Educators: Tools to promote peace in schools.
Meet the mentor
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- Objective information presents all sides of a story and can be proven to be true by checking the facts; while subjective information is influenced by our feelings, opinions and preferences.
- When you ask someone what they disliked about their last job, they are more likely to express their subjective feelings; and share how they interacted with colleagues and management.
- Team interviews allow you to gather multiple perspectives and it is likely that if a person has toxic characteristics, than one or more team members may help elicit negative responses.
- Asking about how a candidate handled past problems will help you see how well they deal with being vulnerable and overcoming probelms..
- Using "we" may blur a candidate's actual work experience and may be a way of shifting blame to others.
- Ask them to do something that may be out of the norm for them, like recording a video in order to be considered as a job applicant. If they don't do the video then, they may indicate they are not up to the challenge or they don't like to follow directions. Ask them what projects they enjoyed working on the most and why they enjoyed them. Ask them what their former employer would say about them, both positive and negative. Ask them to share a time where they had a conflict at work and how they were able to resolve the conflict.
- I would encourage them to practice mindful attention in daily life so that they are not overly focused on their feelings or opinions. I would encourage them to pause and connect with their breathing and body during the interview so they can get a felt sense of their answers. I would remind them that while it is important to pay attention to a person's answers, it is also critical that they pay attention to their gut feelings about the candidate.
- The average human has about 60 thousand thoughts every single day and many of us have a tendency to focus on our negative thoughts. The mind's job is to keep us safe and protected which is why we have a tendency to pay more attention to negative thoughts. With mindfulness, we can be present in the moment without being swept away by a narrative of negative thoughts. Instead, when we are mindful, we're simply observing our thoughts and experiences like clouds and weather patterns in the sky. It is important to remember that while we are observing that we are being as kind and as friendly as possible.
- I love my life. I love my children. I love my parents and friends even though we may not see eye to eye. I hope that I am doing a good job on this assessment. I am excited about the sound proofing box that I am building.
- Today, my inner dialogue is very positive. I did a loving-kindness and gratitude meditation this morning and the thoughts and images of that meditation is continuing to come back to me. My son dressed up for Halloween this morning and I took a video of him that I sent to his mom. I have been able to have small conversations with my kids in addition to meditation on the deep sense of gratitude that I have for my children, my wife, my parents, and my dog.
- I educate people first on how the brain works in terms of the frequency of thoughts and our tendency to have a bias towards negativity as a way to ensuring our survival. I then educate them on how the stress response works and how easily it can be activated due to a conflict with a friend, family member or colleague. I explain how stress occurs when we feel that what is on our plat is too much to manage or feels especially taxing or overwhelming. I educate them on mindfulness and how they don't have to believe every thought they have, but they can rather take a step back and observe the thought for wha
- When we feel vulnerable or exposed for having a weakness it can cause us to become focused on a self-critical narrative; which can cause us to lose confidence and motivation.
- Develop a routine for writing in your diary after a morning meditation or prayer. Consider an evening meditation and or journaling routine to help you observe your feelings more closely.
- Have a close network of friends, colleagues and or family members that you can reach out to when you need support. If you are dealing with issues that are too sensitive or complicated to talk to family and friends about then it would be wise to seek counseling.
- Seek out mentors and people who your respect their feedback. Ask them to give you open and honest feedback to help you grow and learn.
- Ask people to reflect on how they feel when others negatively impact them. Encourage them to notice what they are feeling in their body and to begin to observe their thoughts and feelings more closely rather than dismissing them. Once they are clear on the issue that is caused them to feel negative, go to the person and say "I feel"________ when I observe you ________. "What I need or value is ________. Would you be willing to __________.
- One great way to develop empathy to look at the person's eyes you are having trouble empathizing with. Consider what it would be like if you were them and have their life experiences.
- When I am feeling vulnerable, I have a tendency to doubt my ability. Feeling vulnerable can cause me to have fear in what I can accomplish. However, I have learned to face my fears and vulnerabilities by developing courage.
- I was not a great standardized test taker, which meant that I often felt vulnerable about how smart and capable I would be as a therapist. However, I continued to pursue my goals in spite of a negative narrative that I was not capable, I pursued by dream of becoming a therapist. Now in my practice, I am admired by at least 5 Phd's who have expressed immense gratitude for the help I have been able to provide them. I remember the first Phd client who validated me and this has help me continue to grow my confidence.
- Some of the most common distractions that people face when practicing mindfulness are thoughts about the past and future. People may become consumed with obligations from work or home and not give much attention to their own lives. They may use screens to distract themselves from their feelings.
- I am sitting at my desk taking an assessment for GLEAC.
- I look forward to my morning breathing, yoga, meditation and run.
- Meditation, Yoga, Running, Dancing, Cornhole, Reading, Learning, Hugging, Laughing
- I want to write and record more meditations as a way of growing a bigger following. I plan to grow and expand my private therapy practice and will continue to grow and specialize in the treatment of trauma using Brainspotting and meditation.
- To influence 1 million people in becoming happier and heathier though writing, podcasts, meditations and therapy.
- To write, record, as well as to continue my meditation practice. I plan to finishing my certification in Brainspotting as well as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
- Edit my podcast and record a guided meditation.
- When we are mindful, we can see our strengths and weaknesses more clearly. Being mindful will allow us to take action on what we know, instead of avoiding feelings and situations that are uncomfortable. Being able to observe and experience our thoughts and emotions more objectively can help us lower stress. When we lower our stress then we can improve our ability to focus.
- 1. Notifications from texts, emails and social media accounts. 2. Interruptions from my children and dog. 3. Opening too many web browsers. 1. Turn off notifications and put the phone out of sight while I am completing a task. 2. Make sure to check in with my children to be sure that they have what they need for me and that they know that I will be occupied for a period of time. Make sure to that my dog has enough food and water and time outside prior to beginning my task. 3. Remind my-self to stay focused on the task at hand. If I open a new browser that is unrelated to the task, acknowledge that I'm off task and then invite myself to come back to the task at hand.
- When I have to work on presentations or projects, I make a habit out of going to meet with my children prior to starting to be sure that they have what they need from me and that they know what to expect while I work on the project. I let me know that they can interrupt me if there is an emergency and I make sure to praise them and reward them when they respect the boundaries that I set.
