Personal Development by Walking

If you like to get the best results you can and stay safe then this post is for you.

Here at West of England Coaching & Counselling we are blessed with stunning outdoor grounds.

Stanford University studies found that 100% of those who walked outdoors were more creative than those sitting indoors.

Dr John Ratey, of Harvard Medical School explains "Exercise is a prime mover of the brain helping it to deal with emotional ups and downs as well as anxiety, tension, stress and help the brain function better. The more we exercise the better our brain gets, the more focused we can be and the smarter we are."

Added Value Benefits to you are

•  You can have silent thinking reflecting solutions finding time as walking slows your pace
•  Without the social pressure of eye contact your thinking can flow uninterrupted and you can gain extra insights
•  The informality of walking is relaxing. Calm, your brain is free to do its best thinking
•  The side by side approach allows you to fall in sync and develop a supported partnership connection with your guide.

Our offices provide the requisite 2m/6ft space between coach and client if you prefer to work indoors or if it is raining hard! We also provide virtual coaching and mentoring and counselling.

To book your initial consultation please get in touch:

enquiries@westofenglandcoachingandcounselling/call Pam on 07712 716602

Self-improvement through lockdown and challenges ahead

This blog is for you if you want to cope better through current and future challenges.

I have pulled together my 5 top tips that will help you to ride the ups and downs in your world.

1. The starting point is to improve your serenity, your calmness. Focus on changing the things that you can and letting go of or accepting the things that you cannot. For example, what personal changes can you achieve, baby steps, this week? One of my clients is spending some of the time she used to spend on social media, on moving! She chooses what this is, dependent on her mood. I like it. Sitting for long periods of time is not good for our health and wellbeing.

2. To help you to cope better what resources can you draw on? Start by identifying people you know who listen well, make you feel good about yourself, help you to organise things and solve problems. Connecting with positive can do people is good for your health and wellbeing.

3. A well-known tool for helping you to be calmer is to put a boundary around worry time. For example, you allocate yourself twenty minutes each day at a set time to worry, say 6-6.20pm. If you find yourself worrying outside of this time you put it to one side in your mind or note it down so that you remember it during the boundary period at the end of which you stop.

4. Giving to others is another good practice feel good/wellbeing practice that self-esteemed individuals use. Giving the gift of time I recommend. It costs nothing and is very rewarding.

5. Create a couple of calm practices in your day that you can do alone. One idea is starting the day with a positive affirmation that calms you, such as "today I will smile and be kind to myself and others". Another idea is to be mindful, just for the day, experiencing what you do through your senses rather than rushing through the day, slowing down.

West of England Coaching and Counselling provides coaching, counselling and mentoring for busy professionals who value the guidance and support of a trusted advisor. You can get in touch via our website www.westofenglandcoachingandcounselling, that gives e mail and telephone details.

Wellbeing, Being Positive ...

During these challenging times, we all need to dig deep. If you are struggling like a lot of people, please read on for some simple suggestions from me for staying sane when things feel out of control.

I like feeling in control as much as the next person. I do become anxious and a bit sad when control seems impossible. Here I share my own strategy which, I am pleased to say, worked well in week one of lockdown...

Firstly I would like to share/remind you of the Serenity Prayer from the wise Reinhold Niebuhr:
"...Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."

Secondly, the importance of creating your new routine. Routine is good, our brains like it because it involves making less decisions! And don't just take my word for it. Listening to Davina McCall talking about home schooling her three children, she made the point that big brother contestants best able to moderate their mood well into being in a confined space with others, were those with a routine.

We know from research that one of the most positive ways to address depression, anxiety and anger reactions to negative thinking, is exercise. Building some of this into your routine at home, is good for your mental and emotional as well as physical wellbeing. Experts in the field suggest that the best time to move is first thing as it sets you up positively for the day. Find exercises that you enjoy to help you to stay with this.

I have two more daily routine habits that I suggest you build into your day, one for the beginning of the day and one for towards the end.

Start your day with a gratitude list. Yes actually write down things that you are grateful for, ideally in a journal that you can refer back to say at a low ebb. They can be small things such as the sunshine or bigger things such as you being well enough to complete this exercise. Being grateful, like exercise, correlates highly with emotional and mental wellbeing.

Before your head hits the pillow tonight think of at least one thing that you feel positive about from the day such as helping someone that needs it and reflecting on what you enjoyed about it and learnt from it.

I wish you safety and wellness and a positive perspective during these challenging times.

If you would like help and support with your career or life challenges, please get in touch via pam@westofenglandcoachingandcounselling.co.uk, to book your Zoom or standard telephone call.

Stress Mangement Coaching

If your life is impacted by excessive stress, please read on.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, work related pressure, anxiety or depression accounts for over half of all working days lost to ill health in Britain. Most of this was attributed to workload.

I read somewhere recently that stress is unavoidable unless you live under a rock and avoid contact with other people!

Coping mechanisms often include excessive drinking and eating. These are passive activities that actually increase stress after a temporary and short release of dopamine, a pleasure chemical.

The best antidote to stress, the healthy way, is to take action. Your brain is probably exhausted so taking a holiday, even a staycation where you have a proper break from work technology including a mobile phone, is a good start.

Another good move is to get some support from a qualified professional.

Here at West of England Coaching and Counselling we use tools from psychology including solutions focused coaching and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to help you to manage your stress well. The process starts by asking you more meaningful questions about what you do want and progresses by enabling you to make choices and changes that you feel able to do in achievable baby steps.

A key part of the process is to equip you with tools to help you to achieve the state you want such as calm, very quickly, when you are feeling stressed.

In the meantime try this which works for one of my clients. Set your phone to play something amusing every hour to get up and stretch your legs. You can of course silence it when you are at a long meeting!

If you would like help with stress management please get in touch via enquiries@westofenglandcoachingandcounselling or by calling 01761 237400.