Hello again , I hope you've got over the New Year revels and that you are now looking forward at least with hope to what this new year will bring for us all. There are so many concerns across the world, aren't there, from the cost of living, to amoral politicians, natural disasters to climate change and more, that it can be easy to retreat into our own little bubble
and try to forget it all.
Certainly there are times when we do - and - should give in and take some time out to relax and recuperate. I've heard this described as Hippo Time; we all like a good wallow in the mud now and then, but after a bit we get out and get on.
And one of the aims of my updates, and indeed all my work, is to find and share ways for us all to do just that, get up and get on. This year I'll be looking particularly at how Neuroscience can help us to do that, based on the latest
research about what really does work for us. So off we go!
Neuroscience (NS) is all about the human brain and nervous system and how this interacts with other aspects of our bodies and minds to produce our
experiences.
I'm not going to get started on the whole debate about Consciousness, at least not yet, but instead remind you about a really useful way of visualising all this with Dr Sarah McKay's model, Bottom Up, Top Down, Inside Out.
I hope you can see the image all right, especially if you are on your mobile. It gives you an idea of the things that NS can cover, and that I'll be going into in more detail about over the year.
So we have - Outside In -
which is probably where most of us start when we try to puzzle out our experiences. What is happening in the outside world that is affecting us? Are we lonely, isolated, struggling with loss, bereavement, finances, other people? Do we have access to nature and green spaces? What scary things are going on in the world? I'm sure you can think of more.
- Then
Bottom Up (sorry, that sounds vaguely rude!), which is basically about the effect of our physical body on our mind and brain. What's our genetic heritage, what were we born with, are we generally in good health, how's our immune system (did we have Covid??), do we exercise, and most importantly, do we get good sleep?
- Finally, Top Down, which is perhaps
what you thought of when I first said Neuroscience! This is about the way we think (it really makes a difference), how we recognise and manage our emotions and feelings, our basic beliefs and mindset. All of these are susceptible to change and it's a large part of what coaches do.
I hope that's whetted your appetite for more. Meanwhile I'll leave
you with a bit of a caveat from my earlier article in the Life Coach Directory about why we should Beware Neuromyths!
Is the weather getting you down?
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The long nights and short gloomy days that we get in winter in the Northern hemisphere can be quite challenging. Especially when friends from Australia and New Zealand tell you how wonderful their weather is! We often
hear about SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, but apparently there is a lot more that can be put down to changes in the season, some more obvious than others. The British Psychological Society is a mainstay of research reports, and this report talks about six or seven other ways the seasons can affect us, from colour preferences, violence to cognitive performance in general. How does the weather affect you, and were you surprised by anything in this
report?
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If the gloomy days and long nights of December are getting you down, you're not alone. Seasonal…
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What's going on at This Coaching Business
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- I'm available for new clients and my coaching packages are open again. See here for full details. Many combinations are possible, depending on what you need now. I usually work remotely these days, on Zoom or Google Meet, although if you are local it's often good to meet in person at least once. Please note I am in New
Zealand from January to April, and there is overlap in the early mornings and evening for the UK. My calendar will be up to date, I hope displaying in the correct time zone!
- Harrison Assessments
is a comprehensive system across the whole of the employment life cycle, which reveals 'deeply rooted insights that determine essential high performance traits and those that will accelerate or hinder performance related to specific positions. It reveals a person’s work preferences and behavioural competencies that pinpoint the developmental opportunities and career planning to achieve personal
satisfaction and measurable job performance'. I have recently been set up as a Professional Coach with HA and I'll concentrate on personal development and careers. I'll soon have a dedicated website which I will share when it's ready. We are nearly there!
- From time to time I write for a couple of websites, such as the Life Coach Directory. You can access all the back issues of my updates, with different themes over the last few years, on my website. There are two
archives; one up to May 2018 (don't sign up for this one as it is archived, just view it) and one since then - when the world changed with GDPR!
- You can access the rest of
my website here, with various free goodies, especially the Personal Life Analysis, which gets you started with the best places to make changes in your life. You can use it as often as you want, perhaps to track your
changes over time. I'm aware that there was an issue with the graphic displaying. This has now been fixed, so do have another go if this affected you.
I always do a free 15-30 minute intro online call to make sure coaching is right for you before starting work with you. You can check my availability on the button below. (If it isn't right for you I'll try to signpost you to something that is.) And if you can't see a suitable time, contact me anyway and I'll
find one for you. Important - please don't phone me on your ordinary mobile line between now and April while I am in NZ as it will probably cost you a fortune!! Email or What's App instead! I won't have voicemail on, for the same reason.
That's it for now, - have a great weekend. I'll be in touch again soon, All best wishes, Barbara
P.S. if you like this update and you got it elsewhere, you can get your
own personal regular copy by subscribing safely here. Please feel free to share it with anyone you think may like it; just keep the attribution to me. You also get a free email course on sign up that will help you increase your well being, effectiveness and resilience.
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