Jann’s Jottings - March 2026
“The most practical pages for perusal on the web”
Jotting (defn): short details of significant events, behaviours and conversations about wellbeing, growth and education/career.
Wellbeing Jot: Hum for Health
Mindfulness is defined as ‘awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally (Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn).
I’ve been thinking of the space of awareness between something happening (stimulus) and our response. It is in this space that we can choose to respond rather than react. We are familiar with breathing techniques to help us be mindful, but have you tried humming?
Turns out humming is a powerful performance enhancer that brings calm, oxygen and playfulness – the three ingredients which take us out of fight/flight/freeze. Instead humming enables an awareness state that results in better responses, overrides negative self-talk and overthinking.
Next time you are faced with a difficult or emotionally charged situation, hum your favourite tune to take the temperature down and provide a wiser response.
Finding it hard to find the space between?
Coaching can help with that.
Growth Jot: Uncertainty and Curiosity
Ever noticed the more our confidence is reduced, complexity rises and uncertainty reigns, the harder it is to be curious, open and emotionally agile?
Certainty is the enemy of curiosity because when we are certain we are in black/white thinking, closed to other possibilities and stuck in limiting beliefs either about ourselves or others.
If we can instead embrace the adventure and possibilities uncertainty presents, we can lean into curiosity, wonder, connection and opportunity. A much more life-giving, growth filled way to be true to ourselves as we hold complexity, ambiguity and change with a curious perspective. Curiosity turns adversity into opportunity.
Career Jot: Influencing Change
Change is inevitable, gritty and often resisted. I attended a worthwhile conference last week and heard Steve Martin -not the actor, the behavioural scientist - talking about influence. He suggested a simple formula to drive change based on the power of threes. When suggesting and implementing change, try this:
Present:
3 x pieces of data
3 x relevant examples
3 x uses to enhance practice or how it will make the receiver’s life easier.
Anything more than this leaves us sceptical.
Small frequent incentives, explanations and changes are more effective than sweeping change. What change does your context or system need?
Coaching can help with that.
“You are loved, valued and worthy. Keep up the great work!”
— Jann Carroll
