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The Society of �Women Engineers

Women in Government

Affinity Group

Practicing Mindfulness - A Way to Cope with Stress and Reduce Bias

9/17/2023

5:00 PM EDT

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Meeting Login�tps://tel.meet/dag-bthb-zvk?pin=18335930312

SWE Women in Government AG Monthly Meeting

Sunday, September 17 · 4:00 – 5:00pm

Time zone: America/Chicago

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/tpd-nahv-yqi

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 478-239-2124‬ PIN: ‪127 927 844‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/tpd-nahv-yqi?pin=6008143642623�

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Host Introductions

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Agenda

DEIA & B Moment
Practicing Mindfulness - A Way to Cope with Stress and Reduce Bias with Guest Speaker Lynn Koerbel, MPH
Open Discussion

August 17, 2023

4

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DEIA & B Moment

“All That We Share”

Danish video from YouTube

What is your reaction after we watch the video?

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DEIA & B Moment

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Guest Speaker

Lynn Koerbel, MPH

of Brown University

Practicing Mindfulness - A Way to Cope with

Stress and Reduce Bias

Jenna: "We are thrilled to have a very special guest with us from Brown University, Lynn Koerbel.

Lynn's presence is particularly exciting because she can shed light on coping with adverse situations, whether they occur in our professional or personal lives.

As we take on more responsibility, how we face challenges becomes increasingly important, and our connections with others also play a significant role.

Remember our discussion last month about six crucial moments for career success?

Well, one of those moments was dealing with conflict. So, even if you haven't encountered such a situation yet, today, we hope to offer you key leadership training before having a leadership role, and in general, offer a way to improve your relatedness with others and yourself.

Jenna, addressing Lynn: "But enough about me! We're eager to hear your journey. Could you share some background and how you embarked on this path?"

Lynn: "Thank you, Jenna, for the warm introduction. I'm delighted to be here and share my story with all of you. (Lynn tells personal story)

Keena, back to Lynn: "Thank you for sharing your story, Lynn. We're excited to hear what you've prepared for us today."

(Note: Keena, feel free to add in a speaking role if you would like)

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Mindfulness arises…

Paying attention…

On purpose…

In the present moment…

Non-judgmentally…

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…

”...in the service of wisdom, self-understanding, and recognizing our intrinsic interconnectedness with others and with the world, and thus, also in the service of kindness and compassion.”

~Jon Kabat-Zinn, Meditation is Not What You Think

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Intention

Attitude

Attention

Model of Mindfulness

Shauna Shapiro, PhD

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Body Sensations

Thoughts

Emotions

Domains we can attend to…

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Mindfulness has the potential to interrupt habitual, automatic reactivity by:
strengthening our capacity to pause in the midst of challenge, to know our own stress reactions, and to learn to down-regulate our nervous system to respond with more clarity and wisdom

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STOP Practice:

S - Stop. Pause in your movements. Stop doing (if at all

\ possible).

T - Take a moment, take a breath. What senses are most vivid? Feel your feet on the floor, the entirety of your body. What is present: sight, hearing, touch, etc. Drop in to what is right here now.

O - Observe and open with interest…Bring some curiosity to what’s present. If there’s resistance–honor that and explore it! If possible, take a few minutes—but it doesn’t have to be a major production.

P - Proceed. Move into the next moments with awareness of what’s here… maybe there is a new choice to be made, a new direction to

go in—or not. It’s a new moment. It may not be perfect or what

you want–but you have the possibility of some new choice or

at least knowing more what’s here.

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As soon as you intentionally bring awareness to what is going on in a stressful situation, you have already changed the situation dramatically and opened up the field of potentially adaptive and creative possibilities just by virtue of not being unconscious and on automatic pilot anymore… and since you are an integral part of the whole situation, simply by holding whatever is happening in awareness, you are actually changing the matrix of the entire situation even before you do anything overt, such as taking action, or evening opening your mouth to speak.

~Kabat-Zinn, Full Castrophe Living

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Open Discussion

Lynn, can you think of a couple questions we might be able to ask you here? Do you like any of the following questions?

Jenna to Lynn: “For those of us who struggle with anxiety and reactivity in the workplace, what specific mindfulness techniques do you recommend to help manage these challenges effectively?”

Jenna to Lynn: “How can leaders promote a mindful culture within their teams or organizations?”

Keena or Jenna to Lynn: “How can we integrate mindfulness practices into our busy work schedules and maintain consistency in our practice?”

Keena or Jenna to Lynn: “You mentioned that mindfulness can reduce bias and support more open behavior. Could you provide some examples or case studies that illustrate these effects?”

Keena or Jenna to Lynn: “In your experience, have you seen mindfulness practices positively impact workplace relationships and communication? Could you share some anecdotes or real-life instances?”

Questions to the group: Has anyone ever encountered adverse situations at work where they felt like they needed a “way to cope?”

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THANK YOU

Keena to the Group: “As we conclude today's session, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lynn Koerbel for sharing her valuable insights on mindfulness and its profound impact in the workplace. Lynn's presentation has undoubtedly left us with a deeper understanding of how mindfulness can help us navigate challenges, reduce bias, foster openness, and enhance overall well-being.”

Jenna: “We encourage each of you to take the lessons and practices shared by Lynn to heart and integrate them into your daily lives. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that can bring positive changes both personally and professionally. Before we close today, we would also like to express our appreciation to all of the SWE members who joined us today. Your active participation and engagement have made this experience even more enriching. Thank you, and have a mindful and fulfilling week!”