Jodie Lowinger
Dr Jodie Lowinger is the CEO and Founder of the Sydney Anxiety Clinic. Jodie is a Clinical Psychologist and has worked in organizational, hospital and community settings for more than 20 years. She holds a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science (University of Sydney) and was awarded the University Medal for Psychology (UNSW). Alongside her work at the Sydney Anxiety Clinic, she is the CEO and Founder of Mind Strength Consulting where she coaches CEOs and Executives and speaks in organisations.Building Mind Strength
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Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about speaking in public, delivering a project, sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview. Dr Lowinger gives an interactive session on anxiety and how to overcome it, followed by a Q&A for your teams to ask anything they want to know about dealing with fear and uncertainty.
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During the expert session, Jodie engages the audience through methods like a Q&A session, live demonstrations of breathing exercises, and interactive exercises with the Mentimeter app to practice identifying stressors and building "circuit breakers" for reducing anxiety. These activities help participants understand the importance of mindfulness, self-care, and using various breathing techniques in managing emotions and thoughts for improved well-being. Additionally, Jodie emphasizes validating emotional experiences and facilitating collaboration through open-ended questions to create psychological safety within organizations, thus addressing anxiety in individuals and teams effectively.
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- Building Resilience Against Anxiety: Validating emotional experiences and asking open-ended questions are effective strategies for addressing anxiety in both individuals and organizations.
- Creating Psychological Safety: Recognizing anxiety as a human experience and building psychological safety in the workplace are essential components of supporting high performance and well-being.
- Mindfulness and Self-Care Practices: Incorporating breathing techniques, self-compassion, and mindfulness practices into daily routines can significantly improve stress management and overall well-being.
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In this expert session, Jodie Lowinger discusses the "Mind Strength Method" to build resilience, mental well-being, and high performance. Awareness is a crucial component in this method since individuals can only change what they are consciously aware of. One's reaction to perceived or real threats triggers the fight or flight response, which Jodie explains needs to be recognized and managed effectively.
To move out of the fight or flight state, having a clear sense of mission, purpose, strategic goals, and values is essential. These foundations provide a solid base for both individual and organizational growth. Furthermore, physical health plays a vital role in mental well-being. Practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, and connecting with others are recommended for sustainable high performance.
Deep breathing practices are particularly helpful; focusing on the out breath during these exercises is crucial to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress levels. Additionally, the speaker highlights various types of breathing techniques like deep, abdominal, and relaxation breathing, each with unique applications.
Building "circuit breakers" throughout the day can help counteract accumulated stress. Simple practices such as focusing on long slow out breaths or taking walking meetings are effective tools in managing stress and enhancing overall well-being. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of awareness, self-compassion, mindfulness, and emotional regulation to manage thoughts and feelings.
Jodie encourages recognizing worry as a mental process leading to more anxiety and suggests seeking help for dealing with past traumas that might hinder personal growth and performance. The session's content focuses on coaching and leadership strategies to address anxiety within individuals and organizations. Creating psychological safety in the workplace is essential, as anxiety should be viewed as a human experience rather than a sign of weakness.
The speaker also shares similar tools used for clinical anxiety treatment with high-performing individuals. Participants are encouraged to explore additional resources on their website for further information on these valuable strategies and practices.
