30 seconds to mindfulness | Phil Boissiere | TEDxNaperville

Can you go from feeling stressed to calm in under 30 seconds? Phil Boissiere shares his simple technique to bring mindfulness into your busy life, any time, anywhere.

Phil Boissiere is an adult ADHD and couples counseling specialist based in the San Francisco Bay area. His goal-focused approach and use of evidence-based practices, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and skills training, form an empowering therapeutic process. Phil has pursued expertise in brain science, advanced training in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), and adult ADHD specific training at the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy.

In 2014 Phil founded Beyond Focused, a web-based video learning series for adults with ADHD and others who are looking to achieve optimal cognitive, occupational, and personal success. The Beyond Focused for Adult ADHD video series has gained considerable popularity outside of the United States, where resources for adults with ADHD are scarce.

In 2015, Phil co-founded the Elite Focus Clinic in the Silicon Valley with two Stanford-trained psychiatrists. Elite Focus Clinic specializes in the treatment of adult ADHD, especially among entrepreneurs, business professionals, and attorneys connected to the tech world.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Mindfulness.

It's really become
quite the buzzword in recent times

even though mindfulness practices
have been used for millennia.

Most of us agree

that mindfulness practices
are a positive thing

and would benefit our life.

There's abundant research

illustrating the positive effect
that mindfulness practices have

on quality of life, improved focus,
and decreased stress.

From Fortune 500 companies
to elementary schools,

mindfulness practices
are being used every day

in practical application
and controlled studies

with wonderful outcomes.

Unfortunately,

most of us tend to pump the brakes

when we think about sequestering
even a small amount of time

or a quiet space

to practice mindfulness.

You might think to yourself,

"A quiet space?

Ten minutes?

What?

Forget it.

I don't have time."

Out of survival in the moment,

we allow screaming children,

occupational pressures,

general life stress,

and technological distractions

to consume our precious minutes.

The result of brushing
mindfulness practices aside

is more stress

and a decreased quality of life.

What if I told you
that the benefits of mindfulness

could be obtained
in as little as 30 seconds

in almost any setting?

You might think
that I'm selling snake oil

or, at a minimum,
it's too good to be true.

The reality is

it is true

and is being done regularly

by people that I've trained in the method
that I'm about to share with you,

ranging from elite athletes
to doctors to parents.

I first developed the technique
I call "the 3x3 Method"

when my daughter was about one year old.

For those of you with children,
you know that parenting brings great joy

but also an incredible amount of stress.

I found myself experiencing
increased muscle tension,

headaches, and anxiety

as I rushed from home to work
to home to the playground,

to home to bed to work
to home to the playground,

and on and on the carousel went.

I became extremely uncomfortable,

and so I set out to do something about it.

Now, as a psychotherapist

working in the high-pressured
environment of the Silicon Valley,

I am inherently passionate
about mindfulness techniques.

Thought I had it in the bag.

I set out to give it a try.

Unfortunately,

I fell right into the "hurry, hurry,
hurry, I don't have time" trap.

What'd that get me?

More stress, more headaches,
more anxiety - the whole thing.

I kept plugging along
and still had very little positive result.

So I thought, well, maybe I'll try
and get some feedback.

I wore a heart rate monitor

to gauge my physical response
to different techniques that I was trying.

Kept plugging along

and still was not having
the type of result that I had hoped for

until I paired one of the most basic
breathing techniques

alongside one of the most basic
mindfulness techniques.

That's when it clicked.

(Finger snap)

That was the game changer.

My heart rate began to drop consistently.

My psychological responses
to stressors in the environment

were significantly altered.

Thus, "The 3x3 Method" was born.

The 3x3 Method is extremely simple.

All you're going to do

is identify one physical object
in the environment,

name it,

and take one deep breath,

and repeat it three times.

Now, keep in mind, most everyone
that I've trained in this model

looked at me like I was spouting nonsense

until they tried it.

So you're not alone
if you feel the same way,

and don't worry, we're going to do it
together in just a minute, okay?

Want to do it together?

Audience: Yeah.

All right.

So I want you to find -

think of and find three physical objects
in your environment.

It can be anything:

it can be your desk,
someone sitting next to you,

your computer screen, a lamp.

Literally anything.

It's important not to fall
into a particular trap

that I've seen many people fall in,

and that is to add
subjective descriptors to the object,

like that's my favorite stool

or I really like Johnny.

When we add these subjective
descriptors, adjectives, etcetera,

it brings about subtle emotional reactions
that muddle the process.

So you're simply going to say,

"That's a stool."

Nothing else.

When you name the object,
you're going to do so in your mind,

not out loud.

If you do this at work
or on the bus or train,

people might start to think, you know,

you're having a little trouble that day.

Okay?

And when you take your breath,

you're going to do so
through your nose or mouth,

whatever is comfortable for you.

Ultimately, it is best
if you choose the objects yourself,

but for the sake of this talk
and for us to do it together

and things to be expeditious,

I've picked out three objects for us:

this pointer, that stool, and this screen.

Ready to give it a try together?

All right, here we go.

That's a pointer.

Take a deep breath.

(Inhales)

(Exhales)

That's a stool.

Deep breath.

(Inhales)

(Exhales)

That's a screen.

Another deep breath.

(Inhales)

(Exhales)

So, how do you feel?

A little less stressed?

A little more relaxed?

It's good, right?

And it's insanely simple.

I even use it at night if I wake up,

worried about the children
or work or whatever,

and I can't get back to sleep.

And you'd better believe

that I was using it behind that curtain
before coming out here today.

Okay?

Backstage, I even did what I call a "9x9,"

which is doing the process
three times in a row,

and you can do that too
if you're ever in a tight spot

or coming out to give a TEDx Talk.

(Laughter)

So when are you going to use
the 3x3 Method in your life?

We all experience repeated stressors
in our daily lives

that tax our ability
to stay present in the current moment,

focus, and manage our stress.

I want you to take a moment

to think about one of these
repeated stressors that you experience.

It shouldn't be too hard.

Everyone have something?

Okay.

So let's make a promise to each other:

the next time that we experience
one of these stressors,

we'll use the 3x3 Method
to try and manage it.

Deal?

Audience: Yeah.

Great.

So, what is the future of the 3x3 Method?

The people who are using the 3x3 Method
continue to inspire me

in the myriad of situations
and occupations and life settings

in which they're using it.

I have an elite runner using it
during long races to keep stamina;

a spine surgeon using it
during complex procedures to stay calm;

even a CEO using it
right before making big decisions.

Really, anyone can use it
in almost any setting -

from parents to business people
to doctors to athletes.

It doesn't matter.

Finally,

the 3x3 Method can be used

to help us avoid

the ever-growing, addictive nature

of the impulse
to check our digital devices.

(Laughter)

The next time that you're in line

at the store

and you have that urge
to take your phone out

and check social media,
send a text, read an email -

don't.

Use the 3x3 Method instead

to bring yourself
back to the current moment.

Every moment has meaning.

Time is precious.

Don't miss out.

Thank you for sharing this moment with me.

(Applause)