Running a business is demanding.
You’ve got big decisions to make, deadlines to hit, and a team that looks to you for clarity. The problem? Most business owners are working from a state of constant overload—chasing tasks instead of driving strategy.
Here’s the truth: Focus isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a profit tool.
Mindfulness isn’t about incense and silence—it’s about staying calm under pressure, cutting through noise, and making sharper, faster decisions that drive business forward.
Why Mindfulness Matters for High-Performance Business Owners
When you build in space to think clearly, your ability to lead goes through the roof. You stop reacting, start planning, and make smarter choices that save money, time, and energy.
Mindfulness isn’t a break from work—it’s the way you do the work that matters.
As Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella) – scaled her brand, she leaned on mindfulness and meditation to stay clear-headed, grounded, and present during rapid growth and high-pressure pivots. That mental clarity helped her expand into new verticals and retail partnerships with confidence.
Let’s focus on a few effective and simple strategies to help you become more productive while practising mindfulness.
Key Principle #1. Create Mental Space for Decision-Making
Your best thinking doesn’t happen in chaos. Set aside time daily or weekly to step back and focus on big-picture decisions without distraction.
Just 10–15 minutes of clear headspace can prevent costly missteps. It’s not about having more time—it’s about having more clarity in the time you already have. When your brain isn’t bogged down by noise, it can spot opportunities others miss.
Key Principle #1 Case Study: Will Butler-Adams (Brompton Bicycles)
Known for taking early morning thinking walks, Will credits his clarity of thought to time away from screens and noise. This practice helped Brompton innovate during supply chain challenges.
While the industry panicked, Will used quiet thinking time to calmly rework logistics and pivot faster. His ability to create mental space became a strategic advantage.
Key Principle #2. Implement “Deep Work” Hours
Multitasking kills productivity. Block out time to do focused, high-value work without interruptions—no meetings, no notifications, no distractions.
Protect your brainpower for tasks that actually move the business forward. Deep work is like compound interest for your output—the more consistently you invest, the bigger the return.
Leaders who commit to it get ahead not just faster, but smarter.
Key Principle #2 Case Study: Lucy Cohen (Mazuma)
Lucy built deep work into her calendar when growing her accountancy firm, allowing her to develop new service models while maintaining team performance and client delivery.
Those quiet, focused hours gave her space to innovate while competitors were stuck firefighting. It wasn’t hustle—it was intention that helped her scale sustainably.
Key Principle #3. Use Breathing to Reset in the Moment
Stress clouds judgment. Simple breathing resets—even 30 seconds—can regulate your nervous system and help you respond rather than react. In high-stakes moments, calm leaders make better decisions—and keep morale steady.
You don’t need a yoga mat or a retreat—just a moment to breathe and take control back from chaos.
Key Principle #3 Case Study: Angus Thirlwell (Hotel Chocolat)
Known for using short breathwork techniques before major board meetings and launches, Angus credits these habits with keeping composure under pressure, especially during the company’s IPO phase.
That pause between pressure and response helped him lead with clarity when others froze. It became his superpower in the boardroom.
Key Principle #4. Build Mindful Transitions Into Your Day
Jumping from meeting to meeting drains your focus. Take a few minutes to pause, process, and reset between tasks.
It improves your presence, reduces burnout, and sharpens your delivery in key moments. Even a two-minute pause can reboot your mental energy and keep you from dragging chaos into the next room.
Key Principle #4 Case Study: Sahar Hashemi (Coffee Republic)
Sahar adopted a routine of five-minute journal breaks between key meetings, which she credits with improving her clarity and keeping meetings outcome-focused rather than emotionally reactive.
These micro-moments of stillness helped her lead more strategically, especially during intense growth periods. She wasn’t running on adrenaline—she was running on intention.
Key Principle #5. Train Your Team to Think Clearly Too
Mindfulness isn’t just for you. When your team builds better focus and resilience, performance goes up across the board.
Introduce simple daily practices like intention-setting or screen-free time blocks for the team. You’ll build a culture where clear thinking and calm execution become the norm—not the exception.
Key Principle #5 Case Study: Sarah Wood (Unruly Media)
Sarah championed mindfulness sessions and reflective practices for her leadership team. The result? A stronger culture, quicker conflict resolution, and better strategic execution across departments.
Her team didn’t just work harder—they worked smarter and more collaboratively. Focus became a team habit, not a solo sport.
5 Ways to Apply This in Business
- Make space daily for clear, focused thinking—especially before big decisions.
- Protect deep work hours for strategic tasks that drive revenue.
- Use short breathing resets to calm stress and respond with clarity.
- Create mindful gaps between meetings to stay fresh and effective.
- Share simple tools with your team to boost collective focus and output.
Ready to Build a Business That Runs on Focus, Not Friction?
Distractions cost time. Stress costs energy. Poor focus costs money.
Take Action
If you want to upgrade your productivity and decision-making—without adding more to your plate—I’ll help you put simple, powerful systems in place that let you do your best work.
Book your FREE Business Discovery Call today and let’s build a business that works with your brain, not against it. Clearer thinking, better decisions, higher profits.
Our Events
We hold monthly events as part of our Entrepreneurship Academy and 1-2-1 Business Coaching programmes—designed to help ambitious business owners like you learn, connect, and grow.
Want to see what it’s all about? Come along to one of our events for FREE and experience the power of proven ActionCOACH strategies in action. From our high-impact half-day Business Growth Masterclasses to our deeper-dive 90-Day Planning Days, there’s something to help every business owner get clear, focused, and fired up for growth.
Grab your spot here and join us at an upcoming event!
