TSD Mindfulness

18/11/2022

17/11/2022

There are three main categories of benefits business leaders and entrepreneurs gain from leadership training and coaching. These categories are Improved Relationships with Staff, Stress Reduction, and Improved Organization and Focus.

Improved Relationships with Staff
• Increased consideration and empathy for others
• Increased active listening and reading body language
• More awareness of your subordinates’ needs
• More comfort asking staff clarifying questions

Improved Organization and Focus
• Better at accepting feedback
• Better at focusing on one thing at a time
• More aware of areas that need improvement

Stress Reduction
• Improved ability to slow down and clear their mind
• Better able to prevent rash reactions to situations
• More proactive in planning for stressful times

The mindful Shield: The effects of mindfulness training on resilience and leadership in military leaders; Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 2021

Learn more about using mindset and mindfulness to execute ideas (whether you are a business leader, stay-at-home parent, solo entrepreneur or an employee) during our most recent podcast episode “Mindfulness Vs Mindset: What We Need to Know About Both to Execute Ideas and Avoid Burnout”. The Aware Mind Podcast found on any podcast app.

16/11/2022

Robert Pater, writes that mindfulness allows leaders to be aware of when employees are strained, when they're stressed and unhappy. And this helps management and staff stay more connected. Pater also says leaders use mindfulness to scan for better options and use heightened awareness to see out-of-the-box solutions that maybe they wouldn't see otherwise and that best fit the needs of their subordinates.

A Strategy for Achieving Significant Change By Robert Pater published in “American Society of safety professionals” 2020

Learn more about using mindset and mindfulness to execute ideas (whether you are a business leader, stay-at-home parent, solo entrepreneur or an employee) during our most resent podcast episode “Mindfulness Vs Mindset: What We Need to Know About Both to Execute Ideas and Avoid Burnout”. The Aware Mind Podcast found on any podcast app.


Learn more about using mindset and mindfulness to execute ideas (whether you are a business leader, stay-at-home parent, solo entrepreneur or an employee) during our most recent podcast episode “Mindfulness Vs Mindset: What We Need to Know About Both to Execute Ideas and Avoid Burnout”. The Aware Mind Podcast found on any podcast app.

14/11/2022

Mindful leadership experts say the key to successful leadership is having a combination of right mindset and mindfulness.

What do I bring to a situation that arises? “If I am patient, it will turn out better,” or sometimes I bring, “I'm not good enough.” Or I bring “If I get out of my head, I will feel better.” Another belief that I bring to a lot of situations is “Where there is a will, there's a way.” I'm very determined person but I also have this mindset that I'm learning to be better at, which is “Surrender is sometimes the only way.”

What mindfulness do I bring to a situation? Well, one thing that I do a lot is I catch myself putting myself down in my head. I do have these beliefs that come through that “I'm not good enough.” But then I will use my mindfulness to catch that and hopefully follow it up with some self-compassion. And I might say, “I'm hearing this, I'm listening to this. But that doesn't mean I need to believe it.” It just can be a phenomenon that's just in my head right now.

Another piece of mindfulness I bring to a situation is I pay attention to my physical sensations, especially if I'm feeling a difficult emotion. And another thing I do is I notice if I need validation, I notice do I need to say to myself, “This is difficult. It's okay to view this as difficult.” This gives me a little slack and a break.

Learn more about using mindset and mindfulness to execute ideas (whether you are a business leader, stay-at-home parent, solo entrepreneur or an employee) during our most recent podcast episode “Mindfulness Vs Mindset: What We Need to Know About Both to Execute Ideas and Avoid Burnout”. The Aware Mind Podcast found on any podcast app.

11/11/2022

My daughter has an amazing original clothing line made from recycled clothes. It is ‘drip for the apocalypse’. Follow her at to see her pieces.

10/11/2022

A friend of mine is offering a really cool free online workshop. Check out her Instagram bio for more information and to register. .throat.chakra.queen

10/11/2022

I have created a tool you can use a few times a year to check in with yourself to see how your worthiness is growing stronger and where you can use more self-compassion and self-vulnerability to strengthen your sense of worthiness. Here are a few sample check-ins. Consider if you intellectually agree with the concept and separately consider if you know it to be true on a deep level.

I speak up for myself even when it is uncomfortable for others.
It is okay to feel helpless and it shows I desire to be helpful.
I can experience joy even after I have lost someone.
I do not need to be above average.
I take time to sit and accomplish nothing.

If you would like a live link to the complete tool, please DM me.

09/11/2022

I have a list of fifteen thought-provoking questions that open up yourself to yourself and support you to accept who you are in this moment, just the way you are. You are enough.

Here are the first five prompts and my personal reflections.

What if I listen to my negative thought and not believe it? Wow, that might change a lot. I might not spiral into feelings of failure or judge myself for making a mistake. S**t, I might for a moment think I am good enough, whole enough, and worthy of great love.

What if I accept the difficulty of my situation without trying to solve it? This is my lifesaver! Sometimes I sit with the difficulty that I am going to be late for an appointment, that my kids struggle, or that I am not living the life I dreamed for myself years ago. And the emotions fill me, wash me and the next hour or day I feel refreshed.

What if I did not resist the sadness in my heart? It would feel pain but I would be OK. I might cry but I would be ok and I might remember that I am one of billions of human beings who have felt this same sadness.

What if I took a pause and noticed what I was feeling in my body?
It might seem like I would get a little less work done but in the end my work might be even better. I owe it to myself to give my mind and body a rest to sit and feel, even if it is just to feel the air touching my face or my sock snuggling my ankles.

What if I used my curiosity to name the emotion I am feeling? I might not get so wrapped up in thought and instead focus on my heart, my inner child, my authentic self. I might feel more empowered to know my emotions and know my experience. I might for a moment feel like I knew WTF was happening inside my being.

If you would like a live link to the complete list of journal prompts, please DM me.

08/11/2022

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and TSD Mindfulness Coaching are all ways to address anxiety, depression and trauma. And they all have structured sessions, using tools with clients to guide them to open up their awareness to their thinking and emotions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that emotions and behaviors are a result of thinking. Problem-solving and redirecting attention is key.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), from what I have understand is CBT therapy with some added mindfulness (MBSR). This approach does not seem to be completely integrated CBT and mindfulness, since mindfulness was more of an addon. And the notion that emotions are a result of thinking is not a mindfulness concept. But mindfulness of thinking is key to CBT. If you are n MBCT therapist, please share your perspective. I am not and would love to hear your thoughts.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) from what I understand, had mindfulness in mind from its beginnings, so mindfulness is integrated well. There is much focus on acceptance which is key to a mindfulness practice and mindset. Dialectical refers to two opposing forces and DBT supports us to accept the two opposing forces instead of be in conflict with them. This is very much in alignment with mindfulness.

TSD Mindfulness Coaching is what I do. I am not a licensed counselor, I am a coach with 20 years of experience teaching meditation and mindfulness. However, some of the people who go through my TSD training are licensed therapists. TSD approach shows that superficial emotions are a result of thinking, however, unlike cognitive therapy, deeper vulnerable emotions and anxiety emotions are not a result of thinking. TSD is based on the idea that anxiety emotions are a result of nervous system activation and difficult vulnerable emotions are a result of retriggered past trauma.

07/11/2022

There have been many versions of this “feelings wheel” that have been created over the years. I created a four-page emotions matrix based on these wheels and based on TSD Mindfulness. The emotions in my matrix are separated into three major categories: mental, gut and heart emotions. The purpose of the matrix is two-fold. One is, it helps my clients identify what they are feeling and second it helps them determine what the best course of action is to take to move through the emotions (if it is difficult). If it is a mental emotion, traditional mindfulness is often helpful—simply taking a pause to notice your breath or the sounds around you. If it is a gut emotion (fight or flight response), reflecting on something that brings you stability or stating an affirmation about safety is helpful. If it is a heart emotion and it is unpleasant, validation and self-compassion are key.

Here are the categories explained: (1) Mental Emotions, are emotions that have logic weaved into their existence, such as blame and happiness. These emotions involved some level of conditional thinking (if this, then that). We might blame someone because we believe in a certain situation a person should do a certain thing. We are happy because certain happenings occurred. These emotions are based on conditions. (2) Gut Emotions, are emotions that are tied to fight or flight responses, such as hesitation or distress. (3) Heart emotions, are emotions that are at the core of our vulnerability, such as joy or rejection. Difficult vulnerable emotions are tied to past trauma.

DM me if you would like a live link to this four-page matrix of emotions. The title is “Emotional Clusters”.

03/11/2022

Having a self-compassion practice does not mean you can't be angry.
Self-compassion takes us out of rumination. When we're angry, and allows us to be more effective when we are angry. For example, you're upset with your partner because you don't feel heard and you're feeling dismissed and misunderstood. And so you give yourself compassion, “This is a difficult situation. It's understandable I'm upset. Even though I feel dismissed, I'm loved and I'm worthy of love.” And then we move out of rumination, because that's what self-compassion does, it quiets rumination. And then because we're not ruminating, we're more powerful and authentic in our anger. Then we take action to advocate for ourselves, to take action. To speak up--whatever it is that maybe we need to speak up about.

Learn more during our current episode, “Kristin Neff on Regular Old Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion”. The Aware Mind, found on any podcast app.