You might hear someone say “Hmmm” when they are trying to remember something or trying to make a decision. They might use it to show skepticism or wonder, inspiration or frustration. It might be low and long, or high and short. It could be very soft or quite loud. Is it ascending or descending? Is it aspirated? Is it musical?

Using “Hmmm” as a mindfulness cue allows you to: 1) Notice a selected trigger 2) Take a moment to note intention, emotion, and sound quality of that particular “Hmmm” 3) Notice that you noticed

You are catching yourself in act of being mindful while you are right smack in middle of Real World. This is essence of playing with mindfulness!

By paying attention to this soft exclamation, you can heighten your awareness of sound while also picking up on subtleties of emotion and expression. It’s a great way to use your ears to learn more about interpersonal communication. You will be amazed at what you can learn about others—and their state of mind—by becoming more aware of way they use this sound.

Start noticing “Hmmm” in conversations around you as well as your own. Then, branch out and notice “Hmmm” in movies, television shows, or theater presentations.

Finally, tap into your musical intelligence even further by recognizing sounds that resemble “Hmmm” in machinery or nature. Does copier sound like “Hmmm”? Does your printer make that sound? How about your dog when you scratch its ears, or your partner sleeping beside you?

Start hearing “Hmmm” all around you. It’s a fun way to create a few “Hmmm” moments of your own!

One of reasons why this technique works is because instead of gathering your team and accusing them of poor performance, thus setting scene for blame or denial, you are in fact asking questions that give people opportunity to examine their performance without feeling threatened or singled out. By asking questions you might find that “poor performance” is caused by fact that people feel obliged to work late each night and are exhausted. This problem is comparatively easy to solve because, unlike “general poor performance” it is clearly definable.

It’s important to carry out this exercise with all people involved. It’s also important to make it a safe and open forum so that people feel free to contribute without thinking that one wrong answer with generate a P45.

Active Daydreaming. One main difference between way Einstein thought and way most other people think is that his method was more disciplined. Take a moment to consider what you think about in a typical day. What are chances of you generating your theory of relativity based on what presently occupies your mind? Give yourself a mark from 1 to 10 (1 being – no chance: 10 being – I would have but Einstein just happened to get there first!)

Using your imagination and thinking processes constructively while you solve problems gives your mind “stuff” it needs to be productive (create new ideas) as distinct from re-productive (create more of old).

Using Active Daydreaming. Do this exercise with a colleague or use a tape recorder.

·First, write down in a single sentence problem you are working on. ·Set a timer for as much time as you can afford ·Sit back, close your eyes, breathe deeply and relax. ·State your problem and desired outcome out loud, and then describe all images and thoughts that come into your head. Just start to talk. It doesn’t matter what images or thoughts are; don’t disregard anything. It is important to speak out loud for two reasons, one, you wont miss anything, two, you are more likely to stay awake and focused! ·Carry on at least until clock goes off or when you have come across an answer or idea that you sense might warrant further investigation. ·Take a short break then listen to tape or study notes your colleague made. ·Then, organise your thoughts. ·If you worked with a colleague swap over. Once you have both carried out exercise, compare notes.

Have fun with your brain :-)