Mindfulness is one of the most popular wellness trends right now. It's not just a passing fad, either — this mind/body practice has been around for thousands of years and is still growing in popularity as more people learn about its benefits. Here's my guide to everything you need to know about mindfulness and the many ways it can help improve your life.

Mindfulness apps.

If you're looking for a way to learn more about mindfulness, but can't find the time to practice it in your daily life, apps are a great option. They allow you to learn about mindfulness practices without having to set aside an hour or more each day. Some of my favorites include the Chopra app (for meditations by my fav teacher, Deepak Chopra), Headspace and Calm (for a variety of simple meditations); Insight Timer (for guided meditations, affirmations and frequency music); and 10% Happier (for news about the latest research).

Music and mindfulness.

Music has been used in mindfulness practices for...

Think about the BEST leader you'e ever had. Now, think about the WORST leader you've ever had? Which one do you feel was more mindful of their thoughts, managed their stress better, and was more optimistic? Yeap, probably the best leader, right? 

Mindfulness helps leaders be more present.

The ability to be present in the moment is one of the most important qualities a leader can have. It allows you to focus on what's happening right now, rather than thinking about something else or worrying about the future. Mindfulness helps you keep your attention focused on what's going on in front of you--whether it's a meeting with your team or a conversation with an employee who needs help resolving an issue.

Mindfulness also helps leaders multitask more effectively by helping them stay focused even when they're working on several tasks at once. This can be especially helpful when leading teams that are spread out across different locations: instead of feeling overwhelmed by trying...

My first meditation was in a yoga class. My mind was all over the place. I remember how uncomfortable I was sitting in an upright position. I honestly thought I did it wrong. After my first meditation, I didn't practice again for a long time. Now, I'm convinced that everyone should meditate—everyday!

Meditation is not just for yogis.

Meditation has long been associated with the yogis of the world, but it's actually something that can be done by anyone. I'm grateful that yoga brought me to meditation, but now I see them as two completely separate things!

Meditation is not a religion, but rather a practice that helps you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions. It doesn't require any special tools or clothing--just the desire to learn how to meditate in order to reap its benefits (which include stress reduction). The good news is that there are many types of meditation available for beginners who want to give it a try without feeling like they're committing...

Meditation. Visualization. Gratitude. I truly believe that the better I am, the better I can be for others

It was so fun attending the #FBRSummit22 in Nashville! Thank you to Katrina Mitchell Franchise Speakers and Michelle Monroe Rowan, CFE for being amazing humans and allowing me to share mindfulness tips to the dedicated team that serve franchise partners.

Here's a quick peak:

Focused on franchisee support: Top franchise leaders gathered in Nashville at #FBRSummit22 to discuss how to best support #franchise owners from a place of focus, inspiration, and abundance.

Certified mindfulness teacher and franchising leader, Carisa Findley, shared insights on how to support franchise partners with a mindful approach. #franchising #inspiration #franchiseopportunities #mindfulleadership

Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years. It can help you relieve stress, improve your mental performance, and even lead a happier life. While there are many different types of meditation out there, one thing they all have in common is that they involve a state of mental silence.

Let's take an in-depth look at some of the key benefits that meditation has on your brain and body. You'll learn how it can help you achieve better concentration levels, manage anxiety more effectively, improve memory recall abilities and more!

1. Meditation improves focus

Meditation can improve your focus.

This is because meditation helps you focus on the present moment, which is something that most of us struggle with. When we're distracted by thoughts and feelings from the past or future, it's hard to be productive and high performing in any task. By honing in on what's happening right now--the sights, sounds and sensations around you--you're training yourself to focus more...

Throughout my career, I've held several roles that required me to be the first point of contact when franchisees need support. And guess what? They need a lot of it! Sometimes during traditional business hours and sometimes on Sunday evenings.

It is a demanding job and requires you to be at your very best. If you support franchise partners in roles like, field support, ops coach, or new openings, I have 1 tip to share to help you manage the energy you bring to franchisees! Check it out ‍

CLICK HERE for a quick tip to better support franchise partners. 

I recently had the pleasure of working with the franchise partners as Class 101 to share mindfulness strategies to help them achieve balance in their life. 

The leadership team has such a heart for their franchise partners and wanted to help them live fuller, more balanced lives. They understand the daily demands on entrepreneurs and knew that the stronger they were as a person, the stronger they would be as business owners. 

We talked about three habits preventing you from achieving balance and how to use #mindfulness to help break bad habits and live a healthier, more present and joyful life! 

Here is what Tom Pain, Founder and CEO, had to say about our hour-long, interactive webinar: 

"I was looking for the tools and resources for our company to live out a successful business lifestyle with abundance, humility, peace, and service. We received that and even more with Carisa's energy, grace, and resources. What Carisa gave our company will...

Ok, wow! Thank you Global Franchise for honoring me as one of the 50 Era-Defining Women to Watch in 2023 I am honored to be listed among some incredible #womeninfranchising!

I am just one member of some of the best teams in franchising. Shoutout to all the teams who have supported me and helped me grow in an industry I love!

“Carisa is a true superstar within the franchising industry and beyond! Not only is she passionate about helping small business owners build the businesses of their dreams, she also deeply cares about them and her team" said Jody Ryan, sr director communications and PR at WellBiz Brands.

#thankyou #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #femaleleaders #womeninbusiness #businesswomanmagazine #joblove

If you have a group of leaders, professionals or franchise owners that need a RADICAL RESET reach out at [email protected]

I was honored to join the Women at Rustoleum community to share some mindfulness tips to help them build their extraordinary life‍

Over 170 women showed up and the energy was so supportive and positive Thank you Ashley O'Donnell for the invite and for building such a cool place for women to connect!

I am so grateful that I get to share all the things that I’ve learned with other amazing people. Here's what Ashley had to say about the event:

"Carisa Findley's 'Best Life Formula' was the absolute perfect virtual event for my company's women's group, Women@Rust-Oleum. Centered on mindfulness, Carisa presented practical, yet powerful, tools to help us live our best lives. The combination of  mindset, exercise, and meditation practices really hit home with participants. She showed us that simple, purposeful steps can take...

I'm a podcast super nerd, so when I get invited to speak on one it's the highlight of my week! I chatted with Rob Howgate from Virti about how create training that helps support franchisees that are dealing with burnout! We talk a lot about my mom's (Cassie Findley) profound impact on my development, mindfulness and creating learning that is engaging and goes way beyond strategy.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH