Hello , I hope you are coping all right with this arctic blast. If you haven't got to go out in it, maybe it has given you chance to stay in and keep warm and contemplate? If you have had to travel I wish you well - it has
not been fun, to say the least.
As for me, I caught up on my planning for this year, and so this month's topic is Resilience.
Can you learn to be resilient? |
It's easy to think that certain people are just good at coping with things and they don't get fazed, whilst other sensitive souls seem upset by the smallest setback. Well the good news is that, whilst we all have certain inborn predispositions that make this easier, or not, we can actually learn to be resilient. Before I go into all that, let's think what Resilience means. I love unpacking words from their origins, and I find this word means, to jump up again, to come back to where you were. There's a lovely word that summarises this - Bouncebackability! So it doesn't mean that you don't experience setbacks. We all do. It doesn't mean that you don't get upset and emotional when hard things happen. We all do, unless we are very disconnected emotionally.
What it does mean is that we find a way to go on within being diminished or defined by the setback for ever. We have learned from the setback and carried on, maybe in a different direction, but always with a sense of agency and choice.
So what can we do to increase our resilience? I could be here all day, but in a nutshell, we can choose to make changes to our thinking, behaviour and lifestyle.
Even small changes can have a big effect.
Here are some ways to improve your
resilience
- Look for positive interpretations in a situation
- Keep things in perspective - will it matter a year from now? Some things will but most
won't
- Accept help
- Control the things you can and don't stress about
what you can't
- Look after your physical health, especially your sleep ( see below!)
- Do something to help other people
You can read more from Michael Neenan, an expert in
this field, here.
What do you think will work for you?
Everything you ever wanted to know about sleep |
I've read an amazing book lately - 'Why We Sleep' by Matthew Walker. He's saying that there is an epidemic of insufficient sleep across the developed world, with drastic consequences to all aspects of life and society. For example, it's catastrophic, he tells us, to pull an all-nighter. It's not macho, or positive - it's quite literally a no-brainer. And teenagers really can't get up early without adverse consequences. Even the so-called diseases of ageing could
have a lot more to do with poor sleep than has been realised.
In short, the brain's need for sleep is non-negotiable.
I thought I had enough sleep, but since reading this I have made a deliberate effort to get 8 hours a night, and I can really feel the difference.
What do you think?
I've often said that a small change can have a really big result. Here's a tiny little word that can change everything.
BUT.
It has the effect of negating what comes before. So if you say, 'I really want to run my own business and work for myself BUT I don't know how to do it/I might go bust/ nobody will buy/it costs a lot
of money', and so forth then you are hampering yourself before you start.
Or, 'I know I should eat less/get fit/relax more BUT....' and then it doesn't happen.
So why not try a little experiment - whenever you nearly say BUT, say AND instead. See what a difference it makes.
Executives are people too! |
When I work with senior executives, there is a slightly different process from more personal and well-being coaching. However 'important' people are, though, they still have the same fundamental needs as anyone else. You can try the full
questionnaire that I use for free here - it's set out as an intake form but you can ignore any bits that aren't relevant. If your issues are around work you might like to try this exercise as well as the Personal Life
Analysis.
What's going on at This Coaching Business |
I've recently been accepted as a volunteer coach into the WLE
(Women Leading in Education) Network. Its purpose is 'to support individuals in their career development, explore different contexts for leadership roles in the future, develop further the professional learning opportunities for women looking to progress their career and provide the opportunity to
network and to harness the potential of female leaders of the future.
I'm really pleased about this, as I have coached several teachers along the
way. I will be giving up to three pro bono sessions, so if you know a teacher who could benefit, please put them in touch.
If you're wondering about what coaching involves and whether to undertake it yourself, you can book a short free no obligation call with me here at a mutually convenient time. Or read my article here.
Let me know if there is anything I can assist you with, and I'll be in touch again soon. P.S. if you like this update and you got it from someone else then you can get your own personal regular copy by signing up 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 download on sign up that will help you increase your well being, effectiveness and resilience. |
|
Follow:
|
| |
|
