The leaders I teach and coach are diverse in many ways, but they all share a common challenge: pressure. They are grappling with unprecedented economic, technological, political, and organizational changes, struggling to keep themselves, their teams, and their organizations energized and focused. Many feel on the verge of being overwhelmed or exhausted.

Mindfulness practices offer potent antidotes to such pressures. Research has shown that regular meditation can enhance the quality of decision-making, increase perceptions of your presence, heighten emotional intelligence, and improve your ability to handle stress. These benefits contribute significantly to becoming a better leader.

However, many executives say they don’t have the time to do it. Some don’t even try. Others start but stop when work gets busy and deadlines loom. When schedules are crowded and unpredictable, carving out dedicated meditation time every day can seem unrealistic.

That’s why I’ve started advising some overcommitted leaders to turn to micro-presence: weaving moments of mindfulness into the fabric of the workday to heighten self-awareness, recalibrate, and reset.

Micro-Mindfulness Practices

Here are some simple yet effective micro-mindfulness techniques that can seamlessly integrate into your busy routine when you’re feeling stressed or simply have a few moments between calls or meetings:

• Three deep breaths: When feeling stressed, stop and take three slow, conscious breaths. Inhale deeply, feeling your stomach expand, hold for a brief moment, then exhale slowly and completely. If you can, repeat this pattern a few times.
• Sensory check-in: Take a 30-second break to ground yourself in the present moment. Focus your attention on what you can perceive through your five senses. Notice what you see around you, the feel of your chair or desk, and the sounds you hear.
• Body scan: Do a rapid top-to-bottom scan of your body to identify areas of tension. Observe whether you feel tightness in your shoulders, jaw, or other areas, and then consciously try to relax them.
• The mindful minute: Pause whatever you’re doing, close your eyes if possible, and turn your attention to your breath. Notice the natural rise and fall of your chest and the sensation of air flowing through your nostrils. If your mind gets carried away by thoughts, gently guide it back to the breath.
• Walking meditation: When moving from one location to another, instead of scrolling through your phone or mentally rehearsing what you’ll say in your next meeting, focus on the sensations of your body in motion. Observe the feeling of your feet on the ground, the movement of your legs and arms, and the feeling of the air on your skin.
• Gratitude pause: Take 30 seconds and focus on something you’re grateful for. This could be a meaningful aspect of your work, a supportive colleague, a positive experience, or a simple comfort like the warmth of your coffee.
• Mindful eating: Resist the urge to multitask during meals. Even if you can spare only a few minutes for lunch, step away from your desk. Dedicate this time to truly experiencing your food. Notice the textures, smells, and tastes.

Micro-Presence Triggers

To integrate micro-presence into your schedule, you must be intentional and create new habits. Three types of triggers can serve as reminders to pause:

• Time: On your phone or calendar, set up notifications to go off at specific times, like the top of every other hour, the beginning and end of your workday, or five minutes before meetings.
• Transitions: Our workdays are filled with natural transitions where we shift gears from one task to another, and these are golden opportunities for micro-practices. When you get a coffee, take a bio break, walk to a meeting, close your laptop, switch between applications, or hit the “send” button on an email, take a moment for a mindful body scan, a few deep breaths, or a gratitude pause.
• Technology: There are many mindfulness apps, such as Calm and Insight Timer, and browser extensions that offer short, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and gentle reminders to practice. The most effective triggers seamlessly integrate into your existing workflow and take your personal preferences into consideration. Experiment with different types and find the ones that work for you.

A final piece of advice: start small and pace yourself. Pick one trigger and at most a few of the practices and work on making them habitual. If you try to do too much, you risk falling into the “I’m too busy” trap. And remember: If you do miss a trigger, it’s not a big deal, so don’t beat yourself up. Do your best to get back in the flow.

Article by: Michael D. Watkins at hbr.org