There’s that word again.
“It just feels so overwhelming.”
My client is struggling with the emotion bubbling up within her, the tears so long held back, now snaking down her cheeks. Part of her is relieved to be in such a safe space and finally be able to express her worries, her sadness, her fears…and yet also…other parts of her are ashamed she can’t cope with this and hasn’t been able to ‘push on through’.
There are many people in worse situations than her, she says.
I listen deeply to her, validating her words and emotions. There’s nothing wrong. No panic. Nothing to see here. Just a human being having emotions and expressing them in a compassionately held space.
We start with the feelings
In a coaching session emotions are often the place to start from. A nugget of truth to dissect and from which to build back up and plan a way forward.
2020 has been quite a year. The extra responsibilities on our shoulders as women, mothers, daughters, sisters, carers, managers and leaders have been heavy. Sometimes we take it in our stride, our energy, hope and faith in ourselves and the future pulling us forward. Other times we buckle under the stress and demands from around us – and from within – and wonder how we are going to get through.
Life really does feel overwhelming at times, knocking the energy, confidence and determination out of us.
And that’s OK.
Resilience isn’t about never ‘failing’ or never losing hope, or never falling down. It’s about navigating those normal human experiences with curiosity and compassion and rising stronger and wiser.
This is my job. To hold a space for women to be open and honest with themselves – to bring their biggest challenges to me and help work through them. I’m a mirror reflecting back their individual beauty and strengths as well as our common humanity and struggle.
My coaching journey
Having qualified as a life coach in 2006 I chose to become a One of many Certified Coach in 2017 for the simple reason that their philosophy, tools and concepts resonated so deeply with me and had made a big difference in my own life. I wanted to share these tools with my own clients, because I knew just how powerfully they would help them.
As an Certified Women’s Coach I have access to a massive collection of tools and practices that I can use with my clients. These provide a clear way out of the physical and emotional overwhelm that many of us find ourselves in these days. They are simple and practical – empowering us to take the next step forward again and again.
What I love about the tools and concepts is that they provide us with a common language around the complex and important concepts that enable us to grow – topics like inner wisdom, managing our energy, the mind-body connection, beliefs and spirituality. When most of our friends and family don’t follow the self-development path, it’s so powerful to feel part of a community that understands us and can talk about the things that we believe in, struggle with, and aspire to, in a way others cannot.
As an One of many in-house coach I talk a lot about energy. Yes, managing time is important – and there are many tools that help me and my clients to be organised, structured and efficient. But managing our energy is where so much of the transformations and progress is made, and this is where One of many is streets ahead of other coaching and personal development organisations.
The tools and concepts work because they are based on how women work – they just get to the essence of what makes us tick – our emotions, hormones, cultural conditioning, values, dreams – and that means they support us so much better than more generic coaching tools.
Learning as I teach
As the Roman philosopher Seneca said: ‘While we teach, we learn.’ Using and teaching the tools and concepts of One of many has – I’m certain of it – kept me learning and growing myself.
Each time I teach a tool, discuss a concept with a client or weave another client experience into the body of knowledge and experience within me, I gain deeper insight, seeing more distinctions that in turn I bring back to my clients. It’s a wonderful circular learning process.
My clients teach and support me and my wellbeing just as much as I help them.
It’s a privilege to work with such amazing women every day and I am constantly being reminded and prompted to raise my game personally and professionally. One of the great side effects of being a coach is that it keeps you accountable to your growth and wellbeing.
I know that every single one of my clients has helped me in their own unique way to navigate the craziness and overwhelm of this unusual year. It’s been an honour. Thank you.
Curious about coaching?
If you’d like to find out more about the One of many coaching tools, you can watch our free training “The Secret To Coaching Women” here.
Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.
We believe real leadership is less about skill, and more about having a well of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual strength to draw on. Every week we support thousands of grassroots leaders globally with our free articles, videos and online trainings with powerful tools and methodologies created BY women FOR women.
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- Guest post: The truth about being a coach in 2020 - November 19, 2020
- Guest blog: Perfectionist or bitch? - October 15, 2020
- Guest post: 7 daily strategies to reduce overwhelm - August 13, 2019
