What kind of pace are you running at throughout your day? As a change professional and wellness coach I experience and observe many different styles of pace. Essentially there are two distinct styles that I have come to know.

A pace that works from the head and a pace that works from the body.

Working from the head

The more common pace within the workplace is the one that works from the head. The rhythm of this pace is often driven, can be forceful, out of sync, reactive and for the most part is not in true timing. It is literally a-head of itself! This creates complexity, excessive motion, discordance and disharmony that can be seen in relationships, teams, departments and whole of organisations.

This pace is definitely not sustainable and can show itself as someone who is scattered, in overwhelm, reactionary, has lack of focus and presence etc. If left unattended it moves into anxiety, stress, exhaustion, insomnia, hormonal and physical issues, illness and the list goes on. Until ironically, it is the body that pulls us up and humbles us to our knees to stop the pace at which we are running!

Working from the body

The other pace is a little more rare to find these days, which is quite ironic given it is innate and this works from the rhythm of the body. A pace that works from the body moves in a way that is connected, aware, responsive and attuned to the sensitivities of the breath, body, being and outer surroundings. This pace offers a steady consistency, simplicity, focus and presence that provides a counter to the otherwise outer complexity, noise, drive or motion that can often be the ‘norm’ around us.

From personal experience I have found when I am working with an awareness of my body and quality of being, I am not so easily caught up or at the mercy of what surrounds me. This allows me to hold steady from a centered presence to observe and not absorb. From this place of observation, I can read between the lines of the subtleties and nuances from people and situations with more depth and understanding, and to hold steady amongst change, challenges and ambiguity.

I have learnt that holding this pace is key to delivering change and transformation at a far greater depth and level of alchemy than change frameworks and methodologies!

At the end of the day, I have come to know that there is nothing outside of me that is worth diminishing my quality of presence, care of my body and being. This is my ultimate job, beyond my ‘job role’, and this is what defines true success – where my health becomes true wealth, based on the quality of connection with myself and others.

Living Medicine offers workplace health initiatives and redesign for organisations and staff to remain responsive to change and the inner and outer transformation of our current times. Further information can be sourced from here.