Dan Harris, ABC broadcaster and author of 10% Happier, said meditation trains your brain to stay on task in a distracting world. It also boosts your mindfulness, or the ability to see the emotions in your brain without being carried away by them. It teaches you to respond wisely instead of reacting blindly. Harris predicts meditation will be the next public health revolution.

Dan Harris provided simple instructions to meditate at any time in your day, saying even a minute a day can yield benefits:

a) Sit comfortably with your back upright;
b) Focus your full attention on the feeling of your breath coming in and going out;
c) Bring your attention back to your breath. Getting distracted and coming back is the whole idea – kind of like a bicep curl for your brain.

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Dr. Eva Selhub, author of the Stress Management Handbook, said it’s hard to eat healthy all of the time. She recommended eating ‘nutrient rich’ food 80% of the time, and whatever you want (within reason) the other 20%. Dr. Selhub said food is fuel for your brain and we should use that mindset when making dietary choices, to reduce inflammation and stress, and boost performance.

Charismatic executives have far more influence and trust, said Professor John Antonakis of University of Lausanne in Switzerland. You can boost your charisma by including stories, metaphors and lists in your speech, asking rhetorical questions and using confident body language (eye contact and gestures). Above all, have moral conviction – you need to believe in the vision first.

Some leaders are people-focused, and some aren’t. Some rely on data to make decisions and others go on gut instinct. The workplace has all types of styles. You can thrive by being aware of your own style, and tailoring your conversations to suit the style of the person you’re addressing, said Eric Beaudan and Dana Janzen from at Odgers Berndtson, as they led a workshop on leadership.

Bad habits are those that detract from the quality of your life, said Dr. Bill Howatt, an addictions and habits expert with the Conference Board of Canada. Good habits can be formed by managing your stress and chalking up wins from small decisions in your day, such as water versus Coke. Habits don’t just relate to diet and exercise – they impact how organized you are, how you interact with people, how civil you are to loved ones, and more. Look at the big picture and apply habits holistically.

Jennifer Sygo, registered dietitian and sports nutritionist with Cleveland Clinic Canada said clients often come to her to get whipped into shape. They’re looking for strict diets and regimes. But this approach often takes a lot of the fun and spontaneity out of life, she said. A balanced approach is better. If it took 20 years to gain the weight, it won’t be lost overnight.

Dr. Sina Yeganeh, a chiropractor with Phases Executive Fitness said as children, we often learn to beat ourselves up mentally. That inner voice can sabotage our wellness. Acknowledge the self-talk and keep in mind it’s OK to regress in our wellness and fitness goals. If you mess up, don’t feel guilty. Look at the end goal and stay focused. Small wins, such as working out one time, can really boost your willpower.

Bruce Bowser, President of AMJ Campbell – a company with more than 2,500 employees – knows all too well the stress of information overload and ‘always on’ emails. At his company, phones are turned off in meetings, and an auto-alert advises emailers sending messages after hours that the company has a work-life balance philosophy, so messages will be answered during work hours.

Dr. Greg Wells, health and performance physiologist and elite athlete, said your body can send blood only to certain parts of the brain at a time. Stay focused on a single task at a time. You’ll be more effective and won’t come home at the end of the day ‘fried’. He also urged people to move. Your brain wakes up when you go for a walk or climb the stairs. Steve Jobs invented Apple’s best technology when walking around the corporate campus, Dr. Wells said.