Michael O'Brien - Changing perspective to overcome challenges

Keywords

Resilience - Mindfulness - Breathing - Breath work - Wellbeing

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Michael O’Brien, a qualified meditation teacher, executive coach and endurance athlete, talks about how to stop a bad moment becoming a bad day and accomplishing hard things through mindfulness. Michael shares his career journey in healthcare pharmaceuticals and his personal experience with a near-death cycling accident.

Michael discusses how his perspective on life changed after the accident, which occurred when a driver crossed over into his lane, causing a head-on collision. He shares his bleak prognosis from doctors and how he struggled with anger and uncertainty about his future roles as a father, husband, and employee. He also highlights how a mentor helped him adopt a more positive perspective by emphasising the importance of self-labeling, practicing gratitude, and mindfulness. This shift in perspective helped him overcome his challenges and gradually move forward in his recovery journey, which included both progress and setbacks.

Main topics

• The concept of mindfulness and its benefits
• Using breath work to manage stress and improve focus and decision-making
• The importance of creating space between stimulus and response
• Cultivating a more thoughtful and neutral approach to decision-making
• The importance of connecting with one's breath for overall health and well-being
• Different patterns of breathing
• Using shorter mindfulness practices to promote mindful living and improving overall health and wellbeing

Action items

You can find out more about Michael at https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/pause-breathe-reflect/