Mental wellbeing. It’s important to all of us.
In today’s world, we face many things that can induce anxiety, stress and sometimes drag us down. What strategies do you rely on to build your own resilience?
One approach that I know helps a lot of people keep an even keel is… coaching.
People like to connect with someone who takes the time to get to know them, meets regularly with them, and is there exclusively for them.
They appreciate someone that is independent, who helps them work through their challenges without inserting advice or opinions. No judgement. No agenda. A ‘sounding board’ that comes back with great thought-provoking questions. Someone that can challenge their thinking, particularly when they are in a vortex of spinning.
I often say to individuals that are considering coaching and are experiencing difficult choices:
“Why wouldn’t you get a coach? What a fantastic opportunity this is to indulge in deep reflection and problem solving with someone that is there just for you.”
I admit, I love to coach so I am biased. 🙂
I get deep satisfaction from helping people get ‘unstuck’ and reflect on situations differently than they have already. I am sure most good coaches feel the same way.
Through effective coaching, people can regain control of their situations, which makes them feel less ‘the victim’, less stuck and less stressed. It helps individuals improve their resilience – bounce back and act with intention.
In my coaching I have a few things I like to explore (with my coachee’s permission) when people are feeling stressed and/or stuck. I try to get them to rise up above the problems they face for a while and think about how to build their capacity to deal with challenges.
For example, I might ask questions that relate to:
- Sleep – how is it? What can you do to build more?
- Exercise – what do you do now and what impact is that having?
- Relaxation – what distractions do you get pleasure from that distract you from other pressures?
- Breaks, holidays – How do you plan for regular breaks and holidays to look after yourself?
- Diet & drinking – How might your diet affect your energy, sleep, focus? What could help?
- Relationships – What relationships do you have that help you replenish your energy? Which are doing the opposite and how do you manage that?
Coaching is about reflecting and problem solving. It is about considering all of your options and developing a plan and then acting.
Usually, if coaching is working for you, it should be helping you deal with a range of issues that could be causing you stress. And for that reason, coaching could be a powerful strategy you employ for your own wellbeing.