Never-ending to-do lists. Hectic travel schedules. The overwhelming feeling that you must be available 24/7—it's no wonder why marketers, particularly those involved in trade shows and events, constantly feel frantic and frazzled.

The team here at 3D Exhibits has an ongoing quest to learn more about how to thrive despite today's dizzying pace of work and change. So naturally, we were intrigued by Lisa Nirell's book "The Mindful Marketer."

Nirell wrote the book as a coaching guide to help CMOs and senior executives stay focused in a world full of data and noise. But the book still delivers lots of relevant advice for other marketers.

Here are our top four takeaways:

1. Designate digital downtime
When a notification on your phone pings or buzzes, does your heart skip a beat if you don't immediately sneak a peek? No judgment — we're guilty as charged too.

Nirell bluntly calls this Digital Intrusion Movement (DIM). She says, "Our device isn't a child, a pet, or a sick friend, yet it earns a place by our bed stand…and sometimes we even give it a seat at the dinner table."

According to Nirell, this phenomenon of being always-on has far-reaching implications. It erodes marketers' personal effectiveness and customers get the short end of the stick. She stresses that we have to find digital downtime to "restore the harmony in our digital lives and our humanity.

2. Find your "Inner Marketing Guru"
The much-talked-about decreasing CMO tenure is a prime illustration of what Nirell calls the "impermanence of the marketing profession." When marketers are concerned about maintaining job security, they often try to do more. Long-term, doing more ends up accelerating career burnout.

Lisa suggests marketers to find a guide, an inner marketing guru (IMG) within ourself to bring more balance, presence, and mindfulness into our daily habits. She states, "Our IMG empowers us to change how we respond to monumental marketing shifts."

3. Embrace mindfulness
One way to reclaim balance is to practice mindfulness. Of course, the idea of living in the moment without distraction is a more widely discussed and accepted topic now, as compared to when Nirell's book was written a few years ago.

Nirell's point, though, is that what matters is that we embrace mindfulness—not how we embrace it. Some may choose to practice silent meditation, while others use yoga or focused breathing.

A mindful marketer has a continual, committed pursuit of mindfulness. When anxiety is high and chaos is swirling, having a mindfulness practice helps you to reduces stress, foster clear thinking, and improve the quality of your work.

4. Set intentions
Nirell says that as agents of innovation and being a mindful marketing leader means setting intentions for our programs that go beyond our company's success. Being a mindful marketer will improve our customers' lives and society as a whole. Nirell describes mindful marketers as, "Someone who influences the hearts and minds of others in an honest way."

It's easy to feel overwhelmed or distracted, but by becoming a more mindful marketer and by taking a little digital downtime, you'll become more effective at getting back on track.

What helps you to achieve mindfulness?