Introducing Mindful March

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By Kiran Deol, Business Development Coordinator

As we round out one full year of the pandemic, you may be feeling restless and feeling like you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. You are not alone! We are all feeling this way. Here at Reportex we are lucky to have such a great team to support us in anything we need, even if it is as simple as a little chat. In support of our team we have been focusing on wellness initiatives each month — February was all about Walking for Wellness, and as we move into a new month, we are introducing Mindful March. The goal for this initiative is to focus on shifting your headspace to where you want it to be, with the support to help you achieve your mindful goals along the way!

A whole year ago, at the beginning of this pandemic, I decided to organize my life. I still had boxes in the storage room from moving, I was newly-ish married and I had just gotten back from my brother’s wedding in Cancun. I spent some time reorganizing my house — and may I just say that it was spotless! Next I wanted to organize my headspace. I was all over the place with what I wanted but was ready to start a new challenge. Part of this challenge was to be a happier person. 


With this in mind I started a new job at Reportex at the strangest time possible (but I must say that starting a new job during this time had a lot to do with my mental well-being and became such a blessing). I vowed I would find the person I once was and would prioritize the people and things I love in a new way. The hardest part of doing this was being able to divert my mind from the things I did not want to have power over me. As months went on, the struggle was to not give in to the negativity of the pandemic. That is when I decided it was time to get back into meditation! I had included meditation in my routine in the past but hadn’t practised in over three years, and I remembered how much it had helped with my positive headspace, my work life and my personal life. 

I feel that when many people think of meditation, they picture a monk sitting in silence for hours at a time with chants or mantras being repeated. Yes, this is meditation; however, it can also be much, much simpler. For example, whenever you feel overwhelmed and decide to take a minute to close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths — well, that is a form of meditation! You are focusing on your breath to get yourself back on track and calm yourself down.

The biggest obstacle most people have with meditation is being able to shut off their minds for even one minute, so here are some tips to help you achieve a still mind in your meditation journey:

  1. Be consistent! I find that being consistent is key with practices like meditation. It takes the human brain 21 consecutive days to get into a routine, so if you can successfully meditate (for even a minute) for 21 days, you are on the right track! Be consistent in your timing — set aside time in either the morning or evening. Morning meditation has the best benefits for me, but if you prefer the evening, just make sure it is the same time every day.
  2. Find a space. Set up an area in your home that is comfortable and quiet. Your setup does not have to be complicated. Personally, I have a comfy cushion on the floor, and I sit in front of the fireplace in my living room. Ideally you want to be in a space where you know you will not be bothered. 
  3. Focus on a sound. Once you are nice and comfy and sitting in a comfortable position, find a sound that soothes you. I use sound because it helps me concentrate on the present as opposed to having all different thoughts going through my head, like what I will make for breakfast! The type of sound is a personal preference. There are many options for meditation sounds that you can play on YouTube: a running river, ocean sounds, birds chirping or acoustic music. There are also guided meditations. I would suggest trying a couple of different things to see what works for you. (I play a mantra my grandmother used to play, which I always found relaxing.) 
  4. Set a timer. To begin, start a timer on your phone and start with as little as one minute. Shutting your mind off for one minute is harder than you think, but if you are successful in shutting your mind off for one whole minute, increase the time each day until you have a time that you are comfortable with and that you see yourself sticking to. Do not sit down and expect to turn off your mind for an hour at a time! At the beginning of my meditation journey I started off with one minute and worked my way up, and I can now successfully turn off my mind and be still in meditation for 20 minutes, which does wonders for me.
  5. Be patient. Do not be hard on yourself. If your mind starts to wander off, you may be tempted to give up. Sitting still is not an easy thing to do. We are not necessarily used to setting aside time for ourselves, and just like a muscle, the mind needs to be exercised. If you begin to feel your mind wander off to something else, simply acknowledge it and bring yourself back.
  6. Focus on your breath. This is the most important part of meditation because your breath is ultimately how you control your body. There are several different breathing techniques to use. I use the 4-7-8 method: breathe in through your nose for four seconds; hold the breath for seven seconds; exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. I repeat this five times and then relax my breathing for the rest of my meditation. This technique of breathing decreases fatigue, anxiety and symptoms of asthma, works to manage stress and improves migraine symptoms. Lastly, I find that this type of breathing wakes up my whole body! I have not had a cup of coffee since August, and although I do miss the nudge, this breathing exercise really helps to get my blood flowing and wake me up.
  7. End with intention. After my timed meditation I simply think of three things I am most grateful for and say them out loud. This is a great way to conclude your meditation and take the time to focus on gratitude. I am forever grateful for having 20 minutes of meditation each day to rest my mind and recharge.

Meditation has become a daily routine for me, and I cannot stress enough how beneficial it has been for me over the last little while, especially while coping with pregnancy and this ongoing pandemic. It helps me stay positive and productive and keeps my energy levels high. Meditation is a very personal practice, so finding what is comfortable for yourself is key. If you can shut off your mind, you’ll be successful! I wish you all the luck in your Mindful March journey.

The divine soul within me bows to the divine soul within you, as in namaste.

Mindset Series Week 4: Name Your Optimal Response #WellnessWednesday

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“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” — Pablo Picasso

Intro:
Today is our final post in our series about navigating change. So far we have covered naming your challenge, naming your feeling, naming your self-care language and finally today we discuss naming your optimal response.

Step 4: Ask yourself/decide what an optimal response for you could be

You can choose what perspective you have about this change/problem/hard thing. After you have recognized what you have been going through, allowed yourself to feel all the feels about it and comforted yourself with some good self-care, you will now have the mental space to figure out the optimal way for you to orient yourself and respond to this change.

For example:
This reorganization is hard for me, and I want to have an easier time with it. I can’t change it, so I want to figure out how to accept it, feel more confident with it and take action in figuring out my new role.

Ask yourself:

  • If this isn’t going away, what can I do?
  • If this isn’t going away, what is a more productive perspective for me to have?

Pro tip:
Make time to do the mental fitness that will help you get through the inevitable ups and downs with less stress and more ease, confidence and sureness. One fun way to do so is by working on a colouring page with a message that resonates with you. Not only will you have fun colouring, but you will also have a beautiful reminder to hang up in your home or office. Examples of some free colouring pages can be found here.

Final words:
We cannot change our perspective or our orientation to hard things/change/problems unless we acknowledge what they currently are. A growth mindset will help us navigate any challenge with tenacity, resilience, innovation, curiosity, empathy, creativity and discernment. A fixed mindset will keep us resistant to change, have us give up and make us feel threatened, righteous in our perspective, closed and shut down.

“Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer.” — Percy Cerutty

Mindset Series Week 3: Name Your Self-Care Language #WellnessWednesday

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“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott

Intro:
So far on the blog over the past few weeks we have discussed the importance of naming the circumstance and naming how you think and feel about the circumstance. Today we will be discussing the importance of naming your self-care language. Feeling squeamish already? Stick with me here.

Step 3: Give yourself a break/have compassion for yourself — be empathic

You must have compassion and empathy for yourself. Allow yourself to feel and think whatever is true for you. This is how you would respond to a friend going through a change or hard thing. You are entitled to feel what you do.

For example:

Of course I am stressed and worried about this reorganization. There is so much uncertainty, and I have to do everything differently.

Ask yourself:

  • What would I say to someone else going through this?
  • What do I need to take care of myself through this?

Pro tip:

Learning what we need to feel better helps us communicate more effectively with ourselves and others. Curious about your self-care language? You can learn more here.

Mindset Series Week 2: Name Your Feeling #WellnessWednesday

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“We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It’s a good one!” – Anger, Inside Out

Intro:
Last week on the blog we discussed the importance of acknowledging/naming the circumstance (perceived problem/change). This week we will discuss the importance of acknowledging/naming how we think and feel about the circumstance (perceived problem/change).

Step 2: Feeling – Acknowledge/name how you think and feel about the circumstance (perceived problem/change)
You may not be able to change the thing that is stressing you, in which case your only option is to change your perspective if you want less stress. First, however, you will need to know what your current perspective/feeling is on the issue.

For example:
You can’t change that there is a reorganization happening, but you can change your perspective.

Ask yourself:

  • What is my perspective on this thing?
  • What do I think and feel about it?
  • How is it showing up in my life?
  • How am I talking about it with others?
  • What is my attitude about it?

Pro tip:
Sometimes it is hard to know exactly how we feel. This movie from 2015 does a great job at showcasing all the emotions that live in all of us to varying degrees. It does so in a fun and approachable manner. See the trailer for Inside Out here.

Mindset Series Week 1: Name Your Challenge #WellnessWednesday

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By Mary Crayston

“Change can be tough, but I’ve never heard anybody say it wasn’t worth it.” – Carol Dweck

Intro:
Change can feel hard. It can be a problem for some of us. Sure, some people thrive and get energized. For many of us it can be worrisome and tiring. We can get overwhelmed and destabilized. Our work is not to try and make those feelings go away. We have to acknowledge and understand what we are going through and how we are currently reacting to it. From there we can figure out how to optimally orient ourselves to the problem. This approach is a growth mindset approach.

Starting today (and for the next three weeks), I will be covering the four steps on how to navigate change with a growth mindset.

Step 1: Naming – Acknowledge/name the circumstance (perceived problem/change)
You literally can’t take action on an issue/problematic circumstance if you don’t recognize you are in one. Too often we don’t take a beat to realize where our stressful feelings are coming from.

Once you recognize you are in one, however, you can then decide what to do about it.

For example:
Let’s say your company is going through a reorganization and you’re stressed. If you don’t recognize that going through a reorganization is stressing you, you’ll stay stressed.

Ask yourself:

  • What is happening (circumstance)?
  • What is the thing that is causing my stress/anxiety/worry?

Sometimes acknowledging an issue is enough to put an action plan in place, or at the very least it can allow us to be more mindful about our associated thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Pro tip:
Wondering what exactly a growth mindset is? Here are a few resources:

Wellness Wednesday: Finding Your Sweet Spot – Leadership, Growth and Development

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By Megan Ejack, Director of Marketing & Communications

It’s no secret that this year has been a time of great perspective and growth. There have been many challenges to face, both personally and professionally, for all of us.

Even before the pandemic hit, our team was entrenched in a massive phase of growth and development. We had just begun to make advancements in our leading-edge legal tech services with the introduction of our e-trials, e-arbitrations and other virtual service platforms, followed by the exciting launches of All-Star by Reportex and now Island by Reportex. In integrating these new partnerships and services our team has nearly tripled in just over a year. It’s been a little wild. There have been hurdles, no doubt (not the least of which has been COVID-19), but as we navigate all the twists and turns of this journey, there is one integral piece of the puzzle: mindset. 

Mindset is everything. It helps hold our focus on days that may feel out of control, and it helps us to try and stick to the big picture of what we are hoping to achieve, even in the face of overwhelm. Learning to cultivate a growth mindset is what has been helping us stay true to the developing Reportex vision.

But with a growth mindset comes accountability. Accountability to our team to provide the structures and support to sustain that growth; a responsibility to our clients to continue to produce a high standard of work and strive for both excellence and accessibility; and a commitment to our industry to continue to work together, create sustainable work and seek out and recruit talented professionals in all sectors of our business. No easy feat.

As we work together to evolve, it is critical to continue to build our team infrastructure to keep up with the day-to-day challenges, and as the pandemic progresses, the necessity of balancing the emotional impact becomes a major priority. Leadership teams all over the world are navigating new waters in engagement, empathy and understanding. We are all responding to these circumstances in a myriad of ways, and ensuring there is a very personal, human element combined with the professional focus of our business has proven to be crucial. We all need support in different ways. For us, part of this vital support system comes in the form of a powerful, dynamic, magical human — our leadership coach, Mary Crayston

Mary is an executive well-being coach and mindset expert who has been working with our leadership team to develop and implement a big-picture strategy. Through Mary’s guidance we’re committed to this long-term vision through finding balance, setting goals, encouraging accountability and creating team values.

Growth is not an overnight endeavour — I assure you we’re striving to earn our leadership every day — but we’re getting there! Our team is becoming strong and focused, and we’ve invited Mary to partner with us to provide support and continue to foster a culture of development.

Over the next little while Mary will be sharing some of her insight and coaching hacks for Wellness Wednesdays. We hope that her tips and tricks will also help you and your teams to cultivate a growth mindset and that these gems of expertise will contribute to a stronger, healthier industry.

Wellness Wednesday: My First-Ever TLABC Women Lawyers Retreat

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Intro by Megan Ejack

When we think of bringing more wellness and balance into our lives, it’s common to head straight for the green juice and yoga schedule and call it a day. The effort to cultivate wellness can feel daunting. We’re inundated with options, and no matter where you land on the scale (so to speak), the basic physical aspects of wellness are obvious: eat well; drink all the water; move your body. But wait! There’s more. Don’t forget to also manage your stress, get enough sleep, keep your brain active, build in more rest, meditate, take your vitamins, just breathe, walk to work — why did you eat that?! The search for balance can feel exhausting and sometimes, well, pretty unbalanced.

In our do-it-all, everyday hustle mentality there is another element that can help bring it all together: connection.

Finding connection can be the saving grace in this hectic existence whether it’s with your friends and family, your colleagues or your community. Connection can ease the pressure of overwhelm and provide much-needed perspective and support as we navigate the hills and valleys of our lives. As we have seen especially during the course of this pandemic, connection is a crucial element to our mental, emotional and even physical health.

Recently our business development coordinator, Kiran Deol, had the opportunity to attend the TLABC’s 15th annual women lawyers retreat (WLR) on behalf of Reportex as a gold sponsor. The WLR is the premier women’s event for the BC legal community, and Reportex has been a proud and committed supporter since its inception. This event brings together every one of our core values: mentorship, industry, community, equality and team, and in each of these values there is an element of connection that strengthens the whole.

Here’s what Kiran had to say about her first WLR experience:

I had the honour of attending my first-ever Trial Lawyers Association of BC (TLABC) annual women lawyers mini retreat. This retreat would usually be held at a spa and/or out of town; however, the lovely ladies at TLABC put together a virtual mini retreat.

First, I was surprised with a treasure box filled with goodies. I mean, who doesn’t love mail! The box was filled with everything from a pen, to smores, to a boozy shrub treat. It is fair to say I knew I was in for an interesting weekend. The impatient person that I am opened everything quickly with excitement only to then read the card instructing me to keep the items wrapped until the retreat — oops! I’m sure I was not the only one who peeked! This event was a virtual two-day retreat filled with amazing talks, women and inspiration. With this being my first experience at this retreat I am super excited to share it with you.

On the Friday evening we had a chance to listen to Madame Justice Wendy A. Baker on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of COVID Advocacy,” and, to say the least, to get a judge’s perspective on how things have been moving along was extremely helpful and interesting to listen to. It was also interesting to find out that places like Nelson held a trial in their local movie theatre in order to follow social distancing regulations. The talk was followed by an hour of networking, allowing me to talk to lawyers outside of their Zoom EFD and mediations in a relaxed environment. To end the night we left off with making a special beverage together (mine was virgin of course!), making smores (using a barbeque lighter and fondue fork), sharing well wishes and saying goodnight.

The second day started at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and although I was super excited to see what these ladies had in store, I was not expecting the day I had. I listened, I laughed and I cried! The lovely Vandana Sood from Rise Women’s Legal Centre introduced herself and the amazing foundation that she works for. That was followed by a strength in adversity presentation and workshop by Rose Keith, Kerri Priddle and Ashley Syer, which was the highlight of my day. They talked about being a woman in a world mainly dominated by men as well as challenges they have faced juggling home life and work life, which we can all relate to on some level. I listened to what they have gone through and are going through in their careers, the lowest points in their lives and how they never let those moments define them as women, as lawyers or as people. They are now thriving in their field and overcame their challenges, loss and doubt.  I can only speak for myself when I say that as a woman I can be way too hard on myself when I am not thriving in all avenues in life, but listening to these women gave me a lot of perspective. These ladies really did make lemonade out of their lemons! This was followed by us breaking into small groups and sharing a challenge in our own lives in a safe space, which, to say the least, was very empowering.

Our weekend appropriately ended with a talk about resiliency by Alyson Jones. She spoke about gratitude and the ability to bounce back from downfalls. What I took most from this talk is that we can continue to develop resiliency throughout our lives, no matter how young or old. This is a skill built over time and can only make you better as life goes on. If you don’t fall, you don’t have a chance to get back up and brush yourself off. In the words of the great Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I was truly honoured to be able to attend (even virtually) this amazing event led by a group of amazing women. I learned a lot from this mini retreat but also felt that Reportex does exhibit all the values these ladies are pushing in the work world: community, industry, equality, team and mentorship.

I would like to end by expressing my gratitude not only for working with an amazing team but for having the honour of attending this event. Thank you!


Wellness Wednesday: Welcome Back, Chef Nye! Bonus: Breakfast Chia Chug Recipe

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With our offices open again, we are excited to welcome Chef Nye back to work.

As part of our ‘Wellness Wednesday’ series Chef Nye has graciously shared with us his recipe for a delicious an nutritious Breakfast Chia Chug. This recipe can be blended into a smoothie or packed in a mason jar to enjoy.

We hope you give this recipe a try and share your results with us.

Breakfast Chia Chug

Yield:
5 cups of base pudding

Chia Base Pudding Recipe           

  • 1 cup black chia seeds
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar (optional)

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large container and whisk until mixed.
  2. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight. 
    Use base pudding to make Breakfast Chia Chug (see below).
  3. This base also goes great with fresh or dried fruit, granola, nuts, yogurt or a little honey.

Chia Chug Shaker Recipe

  • 1/2 cup chia base pudding
  • 1/2 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 1/2 cup cereal granola
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Fresh mint to taste!

Method:

  1. Layer all ingredients in a mason jar.
  2. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.
  3. When ready to eat, stir and enjoy!

Wellness Wednesday

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By Christy Pratt

Wellness Wednesday with Christy Pratt
Reportex President, Owner and Realtime Reporter Christy Pratt talks about leadership, self-reflection and ‘the new normal‘.

Three months ago when Reportex closed its offices and moved all but one of our team members offsite, we had no idea how long any of this would last or what the world would look like when we came out the other side. This pandemic has tested my leadership chops like no other event.  With over 90 staff and contractors relying on me to get it right, I didn’t have the luxury of losing my footing or wallowing in self-doubt.  I spent the entirety of March 20/21/22 having private Zoom meetings with each of my staff and reporters (roughly 50 people), putting a game plan in place so we could weather this storm of unknown duration together, as a team, while ensuring that everyone’s needs would be met.  It was a scary, uncertain time for everyone, and the courage, understanding, flexibility and resiliency of my team buoyed me in profound ways. 

Despite the many challenges brought about by COVID-19, this has been a time of tremendous reflection and growth for many of us. We all find ourselves re-entering a world that isn’t quite as we remember it.  In speaking with our team members across Reportex, All-Star by Reportex and Island Reporters, I have learned that the idea of a return to “normal” is different for everyone. While many feel ready to leave the confines of home, others are feeling trepidatious. My team’s safety and wellbeing was front of mind for me when we entered this pandemic, as it will continue to be over the coming months.

When we first started isolating at home back in March, I like everyone found myself adapting to a somewhat new way of working. As a court reporter I’m very used to working on transcripts from anywhere in the world, but as a business owner I was very accustomed to conducting meetings in person. Technology is an incredible gift, and I rely heavily on it in both my personal and professional life, but it didn’t take me long to realize that ‘Zoom fatigue’ is real. I’ve never stared at my own image as much as I have these past few months, and a couple weeks ago I clocked 20 hours on Zoom in two days.  At the end of that week I was out of words, and for those of you who know me, that is a very rare phenomenon.

On days when I wasn’t Zooming for days, I took some time to really examine the pace I’ve been maintaining these past few years. I’d been doing back-to-back realtime trials of huge complexity for the better part of ten years straight, and when I wasn’t in court, I was doing my other day job of running Reportex, including overseeing three expansions, hiring 20 new team members and acquiring two other reporting firms, all in the past 18 months.

The forced slow-down afforded to me by the pandemic gave me the space I needed to breathe and reflect, and it didn’t take me long to realize that what I thought was a healthy norm for me pre-COVID was, in many ways, anything but.  I’ve always been extremely driven and my mind has always moved at Mach 8, but these past few months have allowed me to realize that if I dial back my enthusiasm to, say, Mach 6, I’m even more effective and productive than I was before. 

Once this realization smacked me in the face, I decided to set some intentions for myself in an effort to create a new normal that wasn’t so exhausting and that allowed me space in my day to breathe, observe and be present.  Now more than ever I want to achieve that illusive concept of “balance” I’ve been hearing so much about all these years.  I still want – need, really – the thrill of the rush, but I also need the symmetry.  And most of all I want to master the art of self-care, which is what will ultimately create the space I need to blend harmony with hustle.   

My intentions are by no means novel (I’m sure they appear in some form or other in the memoires of highly effective humans that I’ve been meaning to read), but I designed them in a way that I knew would resonate with me.  At 46, it’s unlikely I’m going to completely overhaul my life, so I needed to be crafty.  Here are a few of my favs: 

  • Mindful Mornings.  No more hitting the ground running the second I wake up.  I’m slowing things down, meditating, enjoying my coffee and preparing for my day. The emails and messages can wait.
  • Soulful Nights. No more crashing into bed after working 14-hour days week after week.  I could easily work till midnight every night if I wanted to (and I did for years), but I no longer want to. Instead I’m wrapping up work by 7:00 and I’m spending my evenings cooking, reading and reflecting on my day with gratitude (and a slightly smoky single malt). 
  • Stop, breathe, trust.  This is easily the most rewarding shift I’ve made as a leader, and it’s definitely been the most difficult to execute. Stopping myself from diving right in, taking a beat to take a breath and trusting that I’ve been clear in my instructions and expectations, eliminating the need for repetition and reminders. This is where the real magic happens in creating calm days and where I’ve really been able to carve out space for myself. 

I’m delighted that we are introducing ‘Wellness Wednesday’ into our weekly blog content, as I think this topic is extremely important. I know I’m not alone in this period of self-reflection, and as we move forward it is my hope that we will all continue the healthy habits we’ve created for ourselves during this strange time. We went into this crisis together, and we will come through it together, hopefully a bit happier and lot more harmonious.