During our initial coaching session, I learned even more about Heather — she’s highly proactive when it comes to her well-being. Heather engages in physical activities such as Qigong and Tai Chi to reduce and manage her stress. She also includes daily prayer, breathing exercises, consuming a balanced diet, and staying well hydrated as part of her stress management.
Sleep on the other hand, is an area for improvement. Heather noted inconsistent sleeping patterns are a major concern; waking in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep. Although she had seen a sleep specialist three years prior, she did not complete the recommended diagnostic test.
Our session also entailed unpacking the vision Heather has for herself, an individual who feels disenfranchised in areas of life where the least amount of friction is wanted.
That vision is to draw upon the consistency of our coaching sessions and her mental health therapy to care for herself in a way that manages to “weather the storms of life.” All in all, Heather’s main focus at this point is to reduce anxiety and stress.
Given what I learned about Heather and keeping her main focus in mind, at the closing of our session, I assigned a homework assignment designed to explore potential pathways between what she envisions for herself and the actions she wants to take:
Pathway 1
To develop a list of three to five possible responses to draw from when she finds herself in a stressful situation. For example, when a resident in her community thinks she’s housekeeping, how might she choose to respond? Or when she’s having a stressful situation with a colleague, what might be her supportive chosen response?
Pathway 2
Determine what she needs to feel to have a sense of belonging or peace. What does belonging look like, feel like to her?
We have just scratched the surface. This is a new page in both our books, as each individual I work with is unique, with a unique set of challenges and perspectives.
As Heather embarks on her coaching journey, there will be new revelations and “homework” exercises designed to help her discover insights to weather the storms while caring for herself, in any situation. And I’m looking forward to sharing it with you all.
Stay tuned.
At BETA Coaching & Consulting, we partner with clients to co–create ecosystems of well–being that help the individual’s and the organization’s purposes be in harmony with one another. We believe that well–being is not achieved alone; it is an interconnected societal web where we strive to thrive.
Ready to begin your well-being journey?
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise indicated, all the names in writing above are fictitious to protect the individuals’ privacy. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
