Is Mindfulness the Key to Startup Success?

Ever wondered how people who seem to have it all are handling it all? Do people like Oprah Winfrey, Tim Ferris and Arianna Huffington share a secret to their success? 

Amid a bottomless pit of emails, countless meetings, the demands of running a business and not to mention one's personal life, the challenges of keeping our head above water in the startup world are obvious. 

At One Roof we focus on the importance of mindfulness and taking time out for ourselves. We know that, as founders, if we aren't in a good headspace or operating at our best, then we are of no service to our business, our teams and of course ourselves. 

Being mindful doesn't have to be a difficult task. Here are a few simple ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your daily life:

1.  Get outside

The simple act of stepping away from your computer and getting into the fresh air can be a mindful act. Every Monday we encourage our members to do just that. We take them outside for COFFEE ON US. It's an opportunity for our members to take a breather and connect with one another (and we happen to buy everyone a coffee, tea or chair!)

2. Meditation practice

If you are new to meditation or it doesn't come naturally to you, try a guided session. There are numerous apps available for free or at a low cost (certainly worth the potential return on investment for your mind!) to help you get started. Try apps like Headspace and 1 Giant Mind. At One Roof we run a 20min guided meditation every Tuesday at 2pm. Our Meditation teacher is Susie Hopkins, Founder of Thrive Services for Wellbeing. 

3. Stop and Stretch 

Every half an hour or so we encourage you to stand up, walk around and stretch. At One Roof you can go one step further and attend a yoga class. Asana, the physical practice of yoga is a great way of getting your energy and blood flowing. Busting out a downward facing dog pose strengthens your core, arms and brings more blood flow to your brain. The initial purpose of yoga, according to the Indian Vedas, is to mobilise and strengthen our bodies so that we can sit still for longer periods of time - so you can get back to your desk feeling better than ever. One Roof offers yoga classes for our members on Thursdays from 12:30pm - 1:45pm. The classes are taught by Ilana Kosakiewicz Founder of Ilana K Kinesiology. 

4. Read a Book 

Reading is the perfect downtime activity. At One Roof we recently set up a communal library in the kitchen where members can exchange books and take some time out to read. If you are looking for recommendations we encourage you to read The Happiness Plan by Dr Elise Bailylew, meditation teacher and Founder of Mindful in May. We recently read Sarah Wilson's book on her journey through anxiety called First, We Make the Beast Beautiful. And finally, Arianna Huffington has written a great book on this topic called Thrive; the third metric to redefining success and creating a life of wellbeing, wisdom and wonder.  

5. Attend an event focused on Mindfulness

Sign up to our newsletter here to keep up to date with events that take place at One Roof. We regularly host events focused on mindfulness, meditation and living an optimal life. Our regular event hosts include Nourish Melbourne, She Creates Change and events hosted by positive psychologist Michelle Mcquaid. 

And in case you wondered, yes - Oprah Winfrey, Tim Ferris and Arianna Huffington all practice mindfulness. As Arianna so aptly says in her book "If you take care of your mind, you take care of the world" 

Blog post written by One Roof PR intern Johanna keskitalo