Maria Gonzalez Blog
Mindful Leadership

Mindful Leadership in Action – Tip of the Week – Be Aware of ”Feel” Sensations in Your Body When Making Decisions

As I mentioned earlier this week, improved decision making is one of the many benefits experienced when you practice Mindfulness. One of the ways to improve your ability to make sound decisions is to become aware of what you are experiencing as you make a decision.

Next time you are faced with making a decision notice if you are experiencing any emotion. The decision could be about what content to include in a presentation, what car to buy or whether to have a brownie when you know you’re not really hungry.  As you make the decision notice what is going on in the “feeling body”.  Sensations in the body associated with emotion (or “feel” in the body) will ALWAYS drive behaviour if it goes unchecked. What we don’t realize is that many decisions we have made in our lives are the result of “feel” that has gone unnoticed.  Unlike popular belief, “feel” in the body has the potential to drive us more than our thoughts do!

Here are some examples:

• You know you should really share certain information in your presentation, but you know your audience will be upset.  You don’t want anyone to be upset so you soften the message or leave out the information.  Chances are you were experiencing some sensation in the body that signaled discomfort for you.
• You go to buy a car and you choose one that reflects affluence.  It may not be the one you can comfortably afford.  But, as you sit in the car and test drive it you have the sensation of expansion in the body.  You feel successful and believe that’s how you will be perceived. So this drives your decision.
• Finally, you just finished eating and you are comfortably full.  But the brownies are just sitting there.  Suddenly you start to salivate (that is a “feel” sensation in the body) and before you know it you have had two.

All you need to do is notice, if emotion is present when you are making a decision there is a strong possibility that you may not make the wisest choice.  So be present with what is arising within you and you may see it completely transform causing you to be in control rather than being controlled.