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An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Recognize that you don’t have to know exactly where you are going and how you are going to get there to feel at peace. Try to get clarity on one goal you have, then construct one single step towards that goal. After that, things might start falling into place. Don’t let the enormity of the goal paralyze you. Breathe into what you can do in this very moment and let that be enough.

As a part of my series about “How To Develop Mindfulness And Serenity During Stressful Or Uncertain Times”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Peterson Macsalka.

Anna is a mom entrepreneur who wanted to help people lead healthier, more joyful lives through mindfulness and meditation. After suffering from severe anxiety as a child and finding solace in a mindfulness practice at an early age, Anna wanted to give this gift not only to her own children but to all beings everywhere in a way that doesn’t require a stress-inducing screen. Unable to find any tools that met this criteria, Anna created the Zenimal.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

When I was six years old, I started having night terrors. I would fall asleep but after about 20 minutes, I’d wake up in an inconsolable panic and cold sweat. My dad would sit in my room and talk to me until I finally fell back to sleep, which sometimes would take hours. This worked for a while, but as I got older, slumber parties and overnight field trips were impossible for me and resulted in me being made fun of by other kids. Eventually, it amplified into everyday anxiety as soon as the sun would set. This was the point that my parents turned to a pediatric psychologist for a solution. She taught me how to control my breath, relax my body, and visualize my happiest place whenever I felt uncomfortable. Meditation was still considered a bit “crunchy” back then, but that’s ultimately what she empowered me to do. I no longer needed my dad to get me through the night. Finally, I had the power and it changed my life forever. I eventually realized it was my calling to find a way to empower other children with this gift after I had my first kid. I thought there must be a way for a kid to press a single button for relief on something that doesn’t require a screen and that they can have in their control. Thus, Zenimal was born. I began recording meditations that I felt most kids could invest their time in and take them to their happy place. It brings me so much joy knowing that my job is to bring peace, ease, and happiness into people’s lives.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

In May of 2018, my perfectly healthy dad was unexpectedly hospitalized. I felt helpless watching him suffer. Here was my superhero that spent years and endless nights helping me in my worst of times and I couldn’t help him for a single moment. While sitting with him in the ICU, my stepmom mentioned that he really liked the meditations I had started recording for Zenimal, so she suggested I play them on my phone for him. I pressed play and immediately the energy in the room seemed to soften and his breathing seemed to ease. It was so simple, yet so moving. It was at that moment that I realized that Zenimal is not just for kids, but for everyone. My dad passed away the next day. He was a beautiful human that helped hundreds of people in his lifetime. It’s now my mission to use this company to multiply his hundreds of people into millions.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

The means of work culture has drastically changed and continues to change with remote work becoming so common. My advice for other leaders would be to support and promote your employees as they are key to your success. Encourage them to take time off to allow a mental break and reset. This time off is ultimately beneficial to the company’s performance and success. Another tip I would give is to be flexible and understanding, when things may not fall into place as expected you need to make adjustments and pivot with the tide.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I have two favorite books that have had a significant impact on me. The first book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I read this book every year because it reminds me of my ability to fulfill my life’s purpose and that challenges that arise are simply hurdles, not barriers. The second book is The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy. This book is a beautiful reminder of the power of friendship and loving who you are at your core because you are always enough just as you are.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. From your experience or research, how would you define and describe the state of being mindful?

The state of being mindful derives from being present in the moment and being aware of your body, surroundings, thoughts, and emotions. Find a quiet area, close your eyes, and bring your attention to controlling your breath. By focusing on your breathing, and nothing else, your attention will drift away and then back again without prejudice, providing your body and mind with the reset it needs. This mindful and meditative practice is able to promote a state of calm and it’s something that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or experience.

This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to spell this out. Can you share with our readers a few of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of becoming mindful?

Beyond finding a sense of calm in everyday life, being mindful has several other tangible benefits including physical, emotional, and social improvements in our lives. One benefit of being mindful is improvement in sleep. Sleep is vitally important for the body and mind, and yet so many people struggle with it. According to a study done in 2015, participants put in a mindfulness program had significant improvements in sleep quality with a secondary outcome that showed decreases in “sleep-related daytime impairment” such as “depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue”. Another benefit of being mindful is increased attention span. Today we are more stimulated than ever, and this has ultimately led to difficulties with focus. Mindfulness acts like a windshield wiper to provide a clearer view on life. It allows people to feel grounded and able to process the overwhelming world around them. It ultimately allows for brief but effective resets to improve focus and decrease mental frustration. Practicing mindfulness has also been linked to building a greater capacity for kindness as it builds self-appreciation and develops a healthy relationship with one’s own emotions. With this comes the ability to emphasize on a deeper level and to help others cope with suffering or pain. One last benefit of mindfulness is an improved sense of well-being and satisfaction with life. A study in the Netherlands by Esther I. de Bruin showed that children and adolescents who underwent a mindfulness program showed improvements in “happiness, self-regulation, and quality of life.” It’s the ability to change the brain’s neural pathways in a direction that enriches the human experience. All in all, there have been countless amounts of studies conducted to prove the benefits of mindfulness and its effects on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to develop mindfulness during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.

  1. Make it a daily priority. For me, this means getting up 30 minutes earlier than I normally would.
  2. Minimize expectations. Some days you’ll feel great about your mindfulness practice and other days will feel like a flop. The important thing is to just be aware of it and continue to make it a habit.
  3. Realize that everyone else is also walking around with an entire universe living in them. Sometimes we feel like the only ones struggling or feeling out of sorts. Know that when you graze past someone while grabbing something off the shelf at the grocery store that they, too, have some level of trauma, anxieties, or sense of unworthiness. This can increase your compassion which can ease the feeling of being alone in the world and give you a feeling of purpose and understanding.
  4. Recognize that you don’t have to know exactly where you are going and how you are going to get there to feel at peace. Try to get clarity on one goal you have, then construct one single step towards that goal. After that, things might start falling into place. Don’t let the enormity of the goal paralyze you. Breathe into what you can do in this very moment and let that be enough.
  5. Pat yourself on the back when you recognize when you aren’t grounded in the present moment. Yay! You’re building your awareness which is a key foundation to becoming a more mindful person.

From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

  1. Never force a conversation, but rather offer this person your support. Reassure them you are open and willing to talk whenever they are ready. If they don’t feel comfortable being vulnerable with you, offer them help to find someone they are willing to talk to that will help them.
  2. Provide validation by reassuring the person that it is ok to be feeling anxious and you are there for them. When and if they are ready to talk, ask them how you can provide support during these challenging moments.
  3. Actively listen. Sometimes all someone needs is someone else who is willing to just listen to them talk or express what is causing them to be anxious.
  4. Express concern once you start noticing a difference in behavior or actions in those around you. You can express concern by approaching the person in a positive and uplifting way by asking them to share with you why something may have changed. Reassure them you are just checking in with them and that you are there for them if they ever need help.
  5. Encourage them to change their perspective by asking them these three questions: what is the worst that could happen?, what is the best that could happen?, and what is the most realistic thing to happen?. By asking these questions, you can reassure the person that the worst possible outcome they may be worried about will most likely not occur. Rather, have them focus on a positive or more realistic outcome.

What are the best resources you would suggest for someone to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life?

A few resources for people to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life are the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, Eckhart Tolle, and Mindful.org. Also, I encourage you to start by first limiting expectations on what is required to be a “mindful” person. A mindfulness practice can look different for everyone. Some people will have a formal daily two-hour meditation ritual and others will simply be fully present while washing the dishes or brushing their teeth. Find what works for you and stick to it for two to three weeks. See if you can notice any changes in your experience as a human. Is your ability to focus better? Are you more empathetic? Do you feel more at peace? At that point, you can evaluate if it’s making a difference or if you need to make adjustments.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

My favorite “Life Lesson Quote” was told to me by my dad. It is, “Surround yourself with people who you want good things for and who want good things for you.” Living by this has never once failed me. It allows you to build this beautiful cocoon around you so you can grow into your most fulfilling self.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

If I could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, it would be to have a Zenimal in every school, hospital, and in the hands of those who are struggling. Whether it be a child who is struggling with big emotions in the classroom, a patient who is about to undergo an invasive procedure, or an individual who is struggling with sleep, anxiety, or just finding a sense of calm, being able to have a Zenimal to ease any of these tensions would make this world a better place. It is my mission to give the gift of mindfulness to every child and adult in need.

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

We can be found on IG/Facebook/Twitter/TikTok/Pinterest/LinkedIn @thezenimal.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!


Anna Peterson Macsalka of Zenimal On How To Develop Mindfulness During Stressful Or Uncertain Times was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.