Covid and Coaching

Like most of us, if anyone had told me that the last year would bring such a massive change to all our lives, I would have been highly sceptical but here we are in uncertain and unprecedented times. None of us can be sure of the next direction our lives will take and even what activities will be safe to undertake.

Lockdown has bought a mixture of highs and lows. Many of us have welcomed the opportunity to embrace a time which has left space for reflection but not being able to visit our close friends and family has bought much sadness. The positive impact on our environment of less polution as we are forced to spend less time travelling and commuting, has helped us to realise that each of us can do our bit to save the planet, whilst the high death toll and negative impact on our economy have created a huge uncertainty about what the future holds for us, our families, our country and indeed our world.

Now we need to ask ourselves, how can we take control of our futures? Obviously many factors cannot be directly influenced by the decisions we make however now is the time to consider what changes from the last 7 months you want to mantain and also what you want to change about your life.

Why choose coaching now?

Covid has led to a rapid change in working practices for many of us. Many people are now working from home rather than a dedicated workplace. Whilst there are benefits to working from home such as less travelling time and more opportunities to spend time with family there are also some disadvantages; Social isolation is common. Research prooves that in a physical together situation we usually think better and therefore our brain processes use less energy. In addition talking to colleagues via Zoom or similar platforms does not provide a true social connection and this leads to our work being more exhausting.

Finding a dedicated working place in a busy household can also provide a challenge. Attending to what is being said during an important Zoom call is not easy when your adorable 2 year old is having a fully blown temper tantrum on the other side of the door or focusing on a budget sheet whilst your 8 year old yells goal loudly from the garden is not an ideal working environment.

Fears about the economy, during these unprecedented times. are leading to higher levels of stress. With the current economic upheval comes uncertainty and anxiety about our jobs. As companies are forced to streamline and cut costs this anxiety increases. In order to protect ourselves we work harder and harder to proove that we are indispensible. As a result we begin to run on adrenalin, digging into our reserves and not giving ourselves the time to replenish our stores. Stress levels build higher and higher resulting in physical symptoms such as headaches and insomnia as well as a loss of tolerance and patience.

Coaching supports you to identify what you want to change and to create a series of steps to support you with the process. Coaching essentially supports you to find the answers from within by asking the right questions to help you discover the right solutions for you.

How can we look to the future when the future is so uncertain?

Now is not the right time to make important decisions. Slow down and ask yourself- Am I making the right decision at this point in my life or am I making a knee jerk response to the current situation?

Coaching supports you to stay grounded. Setting short term goals allows you to consider what you want from life, break it down into small pieces and this allows you to manage what you want to achieve whilst continuing to keep what's important to you at the fore front of your mind and therefore an intrinsic part of your decision making process.

Additionally Coaching reduces stress. It does this by helping you to process what's happening. make sense of it and then think about the future and what's most important to you. In a nutshell coaching supports you to 'see the wood for the trees'.

Once a sense of prospective has been achieved, coaching supports resilience and enables you to find the capacity to focus on the factors which you have control over.

Essentially What do you want from life? What do you want to change?

Coaching supports you to navigate change and move on from a fixed mindeset to consider the best way forward for you.