Make no mistake this is a time when your leadership skills will be put to the test. This is a critical time to be the calm for your people, the steady voice amid the chaos, be alert, not alarmed, take a long term strategic viewpoint and make decisions that put people before profit.

I believe what the west is facing is not a healthcare problem but a selfcare problem. We are taking care of business, mortgages, rent, paying bills and keeping up appearances at the cost of keeping up our wellbeing.

If you really want to reduce friction and increase flow, reduce overwhelm and increase joy, do less and achieve more all you need to do is turn inward and make some small, consistent 10° shifts and change really can become permanent.

Middle managers are the messengers of the wider company strategy, the contextualizer for each employee in their team, the motivator and the culture carrier. Their role more than ever has become the critical linchpin to ensuring ongoing success. They are becoming squeezed more than ever.

Show me a business with trained, respected and supported middle managers and I will show you a business that works smart, has effective, vibrant teams with employees who are passionate about their work and clients and customers who come back for more.

Research by a leading Australian work safety organisation has revealed that depression costs Australian employers a whopping $8 billion a year through sick leave and presenteeism – some $693 million of that is due to stress and bullying.

Honouring our planet is not only good for nature, it’s reciprocal. When we love and cherish the natural world it opens supports and stimulates our own creativity, physical healing, mental stillness and even spiritual expansion. Just think of the last holiday you had somewhere lush and vibrant, did you find yourself slowing down, drinking in your surrounds and relaxing at a visceral level? Did it feel like a recalibration of your being?

I've decided to embark on an adventure. Indeed it's a sacred quest. A quest to find and walk the middle path. A path of alignment and flow. A path of possibility. A path of less doing, more being.

Some people find that empathy comes naturally to them. They have no trouble seeing things from the perspective of a colleague, client or stakeholder. Others can find it hard to step into the shoes of other people. The ability to show empathy helps you to connect with others. Instead of judging or labelling, you work hard to see things through their eyes which leads to deeper, more connected relationships.

Do you want to improve your flow and sense of ease? Of course! Don't we all? But how can you actually do it when we're surrounded by noise, distractions and click bait? Yep it's difficult, but not impossible.