The Question I Use at the Start of Every Coaching Session.....
"How would you like to use the time we have today?"
3 Coaching Insights to Turn Your Life in a More Positive Direction
Many people come to coaching hoping to find more motivation, more confidence, or a better way to stay positive. What they often discover is something much simpler.
Learning to Pass Professional Exams
This is part 3 in a series on Exam Preparation - have a look at Your Passport to a Pass: What If Passing Was Simpler Than You Think? and Who's in Your Corner? Why Passing Is a Team Sport
The Acorn's Dilemma: Why Growth Often Looks Like Loss
Last weekend I used my trauma-informed approach to help support people at a Suicide Grief Retreat in a beautiful part of Herefordshire. As I did when I provided support at the retreat in April earlier this year, I referred to my acorn / oak tree analogy - a comparison that I find particularly comforting when I feel that my life is absolutely falling apart. And today the acorn picture came up as a memory on my Facebook feed - I couldn't help but think to share the idea as a blog.
Who's in Your Corner? Why Passing Is a Team Sport
What if one of the smartest revision strategies wasn't studying harder, but asking for help?
Small Movement, Big Ripples
We assume the brain is a command centre, calmly analysing information and issuing instructions.
Your Passport to a Pass: What If Passing Was Simpler Than You Think?
Professional exams have a funny way of making us believe we need to do more.
Support at Work: Small Changes That Make a Big Difference
Work can be challenging for all of us from time to time. Some days it's hard to focus, communicate clearly, or manage a busy workload.
Self-Compassion Isn't a Luxury. It's a Biological Need.
"I’ll stop when it’s finished."
What If You Overthought the Good Stuff?
When I’m coaching, I often hear the term “overthinking” – it’s as though it can only mean one thing: replaying the mistake, revisiting the awkward moment and imagining everything that could go wrong. But what if we deliberately turned that same mental energy towards the good stuff? What if we lingered over what went well, what we learned, how we coped and the moments when we were more capable than we had expected?
11 Simple Mindset Shifts to Calm an Overwhelmed Mind | Being Well Matters
There are times when life feels as though everything is happening at once. The to-do list grows longer, your mind won't switch off, and even simple decisions can suddenly feel exhausting.
Stop Treating Everything Like an Emergency
One of the most common patterns I see in people experiencing stress, overwhelm, and burnout is living in a constant state of urgency - just like a chicken.
Embracing February: A Time for Self-Care and Reflection
February is a funny month. We've got January out of the way, it's lighter for longer, and we're starting to see some signs of spring. Yet, there's still that urge to hibernate. Yesterday, it felt like I had no choice - I spent the whole day in a windowless room. I was delivering training at a specialist critical care centre, a large hospital, conducting workshops for Consultants. We frequently spoke of wellbeing, self-care, and looking after ourselves and our colleagues when the working environment is harsh and the demands of the job are huge.
In our jobs, we are constantly looking for risks, the things that might go wrong. We write and review risk assessments, doing what we can to prevent mishaps. In life in general, looking for the bad stuff keeps us from harm – we look out for the shady character to give them a wide berth, we notice the danger of walking too close to the edge of the pavement. It’s natural. The brain filters out the stuff that we don’t need to worry about – the noise of the robin and the blackbird, the snowdrops poking through. It’s very easy not to notice that good stuff, beautiful stuff is happening all around us.
The good news is the neuroplasticity of the brain – we can train the brain to notice the positives too. Look for the good, note it down and reflect on it. I suggested to the Consultants yesterday that they use some time on their way home thinking about three good things that have happened during their shift. And then, rather than walking in through the door, complaining about the working environment to their significant other, they can enthuse about their wonderful day at work.
Dr. Alan Watkins (Complete Coherence) talks about boosting our deposits, our energy levels by doing more of the activities that we love and doing less of the activities that deplete us. Who says that we have to iron for example? Imagine how much of the world’s energy could be saved if we all stopped ironing? If you like ironing, find it therapeutic, carry on. But I’d rather use the time to be out walking, or reading a book. What activities do you do, perhaps out of habit, or a sense of duty, that you don’t want or need to do really? What will you use that time for instead?
February, the days are getting longer, there are shoots on the trees and bushes, signs of spring. But the weather continues to be grey, murky, and damp. Now is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of self-care.
I hope you find this helpful! If you want more information about wellbeing workshops or about 1:1 wellbeing coaching, feel free to get in touch.