Wellness Coaching

Value in Focus: Wellbeing

After a week off and a gorgeous spa weekend away, this week’s value in focus has to be Wellbeing.

Definition of Wellbeing:
‘It is understood as a state of health, happiness and/or prosperity,
with which one is satisfied.’

I have seen an increase in this value’s popularity in the top 10 core values held by my clients. This is unsurprising, in view of the growth in the Wellbeing Industry in recent years. People are attracted to the word that describes what is important to them, however interestingly it means very different things to different people.

For some, it is about feeling a sense of balance between work and home life, for some it is more about how they feel about themselves or how good they feel on the inside, a sense of inner peace perhaps. For others, it is more about whether they are eating well, getting enough exercise and maintaining their ideal weight and body shape. It can also be linked to levels of energy and vitality. These things, of course, are all inter-connected.

This value is more in our control than some others. In my last blog post, I focused on Love. For that value to be truly honoured, it involves others loving us, as well as us loving others and ourselves. Whereas, Wellbeing is more about how we feel about ourselves and in ourselves, which is much more within our own control and much less about our interaction with others.

Our circumstances may affect our Wellbeing but ultimately, it is the choices we make that can really enhance or detract from honouring this value in our lives.

The word ‘satisfied’ in the definition is key here too. Everything is relative and it depends on our expectations. What would give satisfaction to one person may not to the next. So this is a very personal and individual value.

The sun has just come out and Spring is on the way, that alone enhances my own sense of Wellbeing. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, think about what Wellbeing means to you and reflect on choices within your control to enhance that value in your life.

For more information on Values, please visit my website, you will find a free values identification exercise to help you discover what is important to you.

www.careercoachlondon.com/values.html

Wishing you well.

Lindsay

Wellness Coaching – ‘You get what you focus on’

‘You get what you focus on’ is a saying that for me
is a very useful reminder to make sure we focus on the right things.

If we focus on how stressed we are, we just end up feeling more stressed. If we focus on how tired we are, we start to feel even more tired. If we focus on losing weight by eating less, what usually happens is that all we can think about is food and eating it!

So, from a wellness coaching perspective, it is so much more effective to focus on what you want (rather than what you don’t want) to enhance your state of wellness or sense of wellbeing.

If we are focusing on what we want to stop doing e.g. smoking, what we want to lose e.g. weight, or what we don’t want to feel e.g. stressed, then we are focusing too much on the problem and often the problem actually gets worse, e.g. we smoke more, we put on weight, we feel more stressed.

If, however, we focus on the desired outcome, the thing we want and state it in the positive, then we are much more likely to achieve that goal. For example, if we focus on increasing our relaxation time, taking more holidays, doing more exercise or making healthier eating choices then with these things in our mind, we are much more likely to change our behaviour and take action to make them happen.

When choosing your wellness goals and activities, state them in the positive, ensure they are things you do want to do and take care to choose things that make you feel healthier and happier.

For more information on Wellness Coaching, please visit my website
www.careercoachlondon.com/wellness-coaching.html

Enjoy!

Lindsay

Happiness Health Personal Development Stress Uncategorized Wellness Wellness Coaching | LWDadmin | March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment | achieve goals change behaviour focus happiness health positivity stress management take action tiredness weightloss wellness coaching

GROW Your Business – Goal Setting for Success

It is fear of failure that stops us setting a goal, fear of success that stops us achieving it and fear of change that keeps us stuck in the present situation.

If it is fear holding you back, then face that fear, trust your gut instinct and intuition and take small steps of courage towards your goal. This helps you to regain control and respond well to opportunities to grow your business into the one you’ve always dreamed of having.

If you are frustrated that your business is not developing as quickly as you would like, then try this goal setting framework to help you set a business goal, look at all the options then choose the best way forward to achieve it, thus growing your business to greater success.

Goal
Ask yourself: ’If I knew I was going to be successful, what would I be doing with my business?’
Set a goal to grow your business, make it SMART (specific, measurable, appealing, realistic and timed i.e. by when do you want to achieve it).
State it in the positive i.e. what you want to happen.
Choose values you hold, to draw on for motivation e.g. challenge, achievement, security, freedom.

Reality
What is the reality right now, in respect of this goal? Be honest with yourself.
What needs to change?

Options
What are your options for achieving this goal? Keep asking: ‘What else, what else?’
(Be as creative as possible, do not discount anything, look at every possible option)

Way Forward
Review all your options and decide the best way forward. Follow me if you are looking for great career advice.
Decide what actions are needed for the chosen option, to achieve the goal.
Add a timeline, deadline or milestones so you can monitor your progress, put these in your diary.
Think of someone who can hold you accountable, who you can share progress with and then celebrate success with when you achieve your goal.

Remember: ‘You get what you focus on’. Focus on the problem and you get a bigger problem, focus on the goal, solution or outcome and that is what you will achieve.

If you would like one to one support in setting goals and growing your business, then go to www.careercoachlondon.com and contact me for a free consultation.

I look forward to helping you grow your business to success.

Lindsay

Books Executive Coaching Personal Development Stress Wellness Coaching | LWDadmin | January 31, 2012 | Leave a comment | business growth and development career coaching goal setting overcoming fears success values for motivation

Wellbeing Tip: Pockets of Rest

With the stressed lives we lead, it is so important to take rest when and where we can.

My yoga teacher talks about taking ‘pockets of rest’ in certain yoga postures, during our intense 90 min class and it took me a while to really understand and value what she was talking about. Now I find myself applying this concept to every day life.

It is possible to manage the fast-paced living, the multi-tasking, the multi-media world we live in, if we just look for and make the most of those ‘pockets of rest’. Even if you can’t get away from it all on holiday or take a real break, you can regularly take a few moments to centre yourself, breathe deeply, take time to think and just be.

‘When am I going to find time to do that…?’ I hear you cry, well, next time you’re standing in a queue, waiting for a late train, stuck in a traffic jam, sitting waiting for an appointment with someone running late; rather than stressing yourself, getting angry at the waste of time or worrying about the rush you’re in, reframe the situation and view it as an opportunity for a pocket of rest, when you can just breathe and be, for a few moments or a few minutes.

Put the world on hold, step off that ‘hamster wheel’ and find a comfortable, cosy place in your mind and take time to think and recharge yourself a little, you will feel so much better for it.

You’ll soon find yourself joining the longest queue, so you can take a moment for yourself!

Enjoy…

Lindsay

Happiness Health Stress Wellness Wellness Coaching | LWDadmin | August 2, 2011 | 2 Comments | feel good improve wellness pockets of rest recharge reduce stress reframe relaxation wellbeing tip

Coping with Change

They say ‘there is one thing in life that is constant and that is change’ which can make it feel daunting, however if we view change as just the transition from one set of circumstances to another, it makes it more manageable.

This week I shall be talking about coping with change at the Wellbeing Group I run in Winchmore Hill, for details go to www.careercoachlondon.com/wellbeing-group.html
Here are a few tips that we will be covering, which I hope you will find helpful.

Recognise the impact of the change: it can affect people in different ways, for some its negative thoughts, worries and concerns; others feel it emotionally in negative feelings, anxiety and panic or with tears. In more severe cases the impact can take its toll physically, for example affecting our weight or giving us skin, breathing or digestives conditions.

Grounding techniques help to regain a sense of stability, such as thinking of all the good things in your life and in the world that are not affected by this change; or thinking of other times when you have coped well with a change and remember how you did it to give you confidence to do it again; or think ‘happy thoughts’ and remember good times that comfort you.

Face the fear by working out what it is you are afraid of and breaking the change down into small steps, plan forward but focus one day at a time to make it more manageable and give you a sense of control; reframe the change into something more positive by taking a different perspective; know and reassure yourself that the transition period of change will end and a new ‘normality’ will settle you again.

Emotional support is essential; talk to supportive friends and family who will encourage you through the change; a hug, a smile and a cup of tea can go a long way to improving how you feel. Understanding which of your values are affected negatively by the change is also extremely helpful and drawing on other values will help to motivate you to take action to improve things. For more information on values and to learn more about your own, see the free values exercise on my website www.careercoachlondon.com/values.html

Relax and energise yourself by using breathing exercises, meditation or yoga; get active in whatever way you enjoy, e.g. go for a walk, a run, a swim, to the gym, dance, sing. Even cleaning the house or washing the car can be good exercise and give you a sense of normality. Keeping yourself relaxed and energised will help to ensure the stress of the change does not affect your health and will keep you strong to handle the challenge.

I hope this is helpful and I look forward to hearing your views.

Lindsay

Happiness Health Life Coaching Stress Wellness Wellness Coaching | LWDadmin | June 13, 2011 | 1 Comment | coping with change emotional support facing fears grounding techniques impact on health life coaching NLP overwhelming feelings relaxation stress levels Wellbeing Group

Waste Bin or Waistline?

At The Wellbeing Group I run in Winchmore Hill this week, Bridgette Mansfield Hypnotherapist was speaking about weight loss and to all us overeaters, she said that food is better ‘in the waste bin than on the waistline’.

This advice really struck a chord with me, as I was brought up always to finish everything on my plate and I absolutely hate waste of any sort. Whilst I eat really healthy food, I do often find myself eating more than I need to, just because I don’t want to throw it away.

So I challenged myself to find better ways to avoid the waste than just eating it all up…
– Buying smaller plates was suggested to me, this certainly helps to serve a smaller portion in the first place.
– Serving up food (particularly things like pasta and chilli) onto plates and the rest onto a spare plate for tomorrow’s lunch or freezing it, to avoid having seconds works well for me.
– Drinking a glass of water before a meal, so I feel fuller quicker and am therefore happier to stop eating earlier is ok but not my preferred option.
– If I really can’t make good use of leftovers, I have changed my belief that all waste is bad, to a new more helpful belief that when it comes to food, it is indeed better in the waste bin than on my waistline.

If you have any more suggestions, I would love to hear from you.

For more information on The Wellbeing Group go to www.careercoachlondon.com/wellbeing-group.html