may choose how much work he wants to do on this
aspect of his personality.
The decision of whether to strive for greater
mindfulness can be framed by a discussion of trait and
state behaviors. Trait behaviors are those fundamental
attributes that came into the world with us. For
example, by nature your client might be a happy,
positive person who’s always looking for the next
opportunity. State behaviors are those learned as an
adaptation to significant life events. If your client works
to become more mindful but continues without much
progress, it is likely his low level of mindfulness is a
trait. In other words, he simply may not be wired toward
mindfulness. In these cases, the focus of the coaching
engagement might shift toward helping him find
strategies to adapt to the trait.
Utilizing the concept of mindfulness can pay significant
dividends for both you and your client. Lahnna Catalino
and Barbara Fredrickson’s research (available to the
public in manuscript form via the National Center for
Biotechnology Information) has shown that individuals
higher in mindfulness are more likely to flourish and
lead happier lives. While not a sure thing, cultivating
this idea of mindfulness may help to move the
consciousness of our time in a positive direction.
Recommended Reading
“The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and its
Role in Psychological Well-being,” by Kirk Warren Brown
and Richard M. Ryan (in Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, April 2003, Vol. 84, No. 4, pages 822 – 848)
“Emotional Intelligence Mediates the Relationship
Between Mindfulness and Subjective Well-being,” by
Nicola S. Schutte and John M. Malouff (in Personality and
Individual Differences, May 2011, Vol. 50, No. 7, pages
1116 – 1119)
“Mindfulness in Coaching: Philosophy, Psychology
or Just a Useful Skill?,” by Michael J. Cavanagh and
Gordon B. Spence (in The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of
the Psychology of Coaching and Mentoring, edited by
Jonathan Passmore, David Peterson and Teresa Freire
[Wiley-Blackwell, 2012])
“A Tuesday in the Life of a Flourisher: The Role of
Positive Emotional Reactivity in Optimal Mental Health,”
by Lahnna Catalino and Barbara Frederickson (in
Emotion, August 2011, Vol. 11, NO. 4, pages 938 – 950)
“Using Self-report Assessment Methods to Explore
Facets of Mindfulness,” by Ruth Baer, Gregory Smith,
Jamie Lynn Hopkins, Jennifer Krietemeyer and LeslieAnn Toney (in Assessment, March 2006, Vol. 13, No. 1,
pages 27 – 45)
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