Episode 44

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Published on:

12th Sep 2024

Centered in the Storm

Practical Skills to Avoid Burnout & Improve Presence During Challenging Times

In a world that with unlimited suffering and also unlimited beauty & goodness, who do you choose to be?

These days, an endless torrent of disturbing news bombards our senses. Climate change, violence, politics—the rate of change is so rapid. In this storm of news and rapid change, how can we maintain our balance and make clear decisions? How can we avoid burnout and disconnection without being in denial about important events?

This episode of The Mindful Coach podcast explores practical tools for centering ourselves amidst life's storms and rapidly changing current events.

Join me as I sit down with Dr. Sonja Olson, a veteran emergency veterinarian turned wellness educator. Together, we unpack the vital importance of developing resilience and mindfulness skills in today's challenging landscape.

Key Insights:

  • Discover why mindful individuals tend to cause less harm and make better decisions
  • Learn about the power of the polyvagal nervous system and how to harness it
  • Explore the concept of radical acceptance and its role in managing stress

Practical Techniques for Everyday Challenges:

• Centering Breath: A simple yet powerful tool for regaining focus in overwhelming situations

• Smile and Hum: How these simple actions can positively influence your nervous system

• Mindful Triage: Developing "touchstones" to quickly bring yourself back to center

Dr. Olson and I also discuss our upcoming workshop, "Centered in the Storm," designed to equip participants with repeatable, on-demand skills for maintaining presence in high-stress scenarios.

Whether you're a coach, therapist, or anyone seeking to navigate life's challenges with greater ease, this episode offers valuable insights and practical techniques to enhance your resilience and effectiveness.

Join Us:

Interested in experiencing these techniques firsthand? Learn more about our upcoming in-person workshop in Portland, Oregon, on October 5th.

Click here for workshop details

Remember, in a world of unlimited difficulty and unlimited beauty, who do you choose to be? This episode will help you make that choice with greater awareness and intention.

You can find out more about Sonja and here work here: https://sonjaolsondvm.com/

And if you're interested in working with me in 1:1 or group work, check out my website at https://themindfulcoach.com

If you're a coach or other helping professional and would like to connect with me, Sonja, and hundreds of others who are committed to helping others while bringing mindfulness into our life and work, you are welcome to join The Mindful Coach Association where you can list your services and meet your colleagues. You can list your services for completely free of charge.



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About the Podcast

The Mindful Coach Podcast
Turning ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences
Imagine you could uplevel every conversation you will ever have for the rest of your life. What would be the impact—professionally and personally?

How we show up in conversations—our presence, communication, and awareness—is the fastest way to improve the quality of our personal and professional lives. Yet, few people are ever taught how to cultivate this presence intentionally.

That’s what The Mindful Coach Podcast is all about.

In each episode, we explore the power of mindful communication—how awareness, somatic intelligence, and deep listening can turn ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences. Through real conversations with coaches, leaders, and professionals, we uncover practical ways to build resilience, reduce reactivity, and create deeper connections with those we serve.

This podcast is also a gateway to a supportive professional community—the Mindful Coach Association (https://mindfulcoachassociation.com)—where mindful professionals gather to learn, connect, and grow in a space dedicated to authentic connection and skillful presence.

If you're ready to take this work further, check out my flagship program:
Mindfulness Communication and Presence for Professionals—an immersive training designed to help you cultivate presence, master communication, and transform your interactions in work and life.

If you're a coach, leader, or professional who values mindful communication and presence, visit The Mindful Coach (https://themindfulcoach.com) to learn more.

Join us as we explore what it truly means to show up—for ourselves, our clients, and the world.

Together, we are a mighty force.
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About your host

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Brett Hill

I'm a mindful somatic coach and coach trainer. I'm on a mission to help coaches be the best they can be, and the best way I know to do that, is to promote and encourage coach mindfulness. I created the Mindful Coach Method to help coaches learn the many great techniques and practices I've had the good fortune to learn and employ over the years.

But my interests go beyond training coaches and private practice.

I founded the Mindful Coach Association so coaches and other helping professionals who value mindfulness in their work can connect and collaborate. To help members be successful and tell their stories to the world. I launched the Mindful Coach Podcast.

Strangely enough, my interests in mindful communication align with my passion for technology.

After graduating with a degree in interpersonal communication, I became a technology expert and enjoyed a distinguished technical career. I frequently presented at technical conferences worldwide for companies like Microsoft, authored books, and was awarded Microsoft’s distinguished “Most Valuable Professional” award for nine years.

All my life I've been fascinated with how things actually work. That means looking deeply and seriously inside as well as at the world. How do our minds work? What are the limits of the human capacity to learn and understand? What creates unhappiness or joy?

I studied many inner practices, from common forms to very esoteric. I taught mindfulness and meditation in many forms. One of my most immersive studies was in Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic psychology, with founder Ron Kurtz. Also group dynamics under the guidance of Amina Knowlan, creator of Matrix Leadership. In addition, I taught beginning and advanced meditation for several years at the Lotus Center in Okla. City and established the Quest Institute meditation center in Dallas.

After obtaining several coach certifications, I created and teache The Mindful Coach Method to help “bridge the gap” so coaches can experience and use coaching presence, coach-centered mindfulness, and the somatic techniques he has found so essential in his work, yet are often missing in coach training.

I'm on a mission in my work as a coach, teacher, speaker, and author to help people be more present and connected to their authentic voice, and the world itself. I specialize in mindful communications and coach training so we can connect authentically, speak truly, and listen deeply. What does the world need more than this?

Certifications include International Coaching Federation, Somatic-Wellness & Mindfulness Coach, and Mindful Facilitator by the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness. He’s also an alumnus of the Inner MBA by Sounds True, and has hundreds of hours of training in Hakomi, Matrix Group Leadership, Martial Art, Contact Improvisation, and others.