It’s the beginning of a new year but not the end of Covid and the layers of difficulty, uncertainty and anxiety it brings into our lives. But if it wasn’t Covid, there will always be something else that threatens our sense of safety. So is now the time for us to learn in earnest how to be with uncertainty and anxiety – both of which are an intrinsic part of life?
Read MoreQuestions engage and hook our curiosity. They can also be like a slap on the back, awakening us from our slumber and habitual ways of thinking and feeling. Discover the questions you can ask yourself each day to help ignite your imagination and creativity.
Read MoreWhat’s my purpose is an incredibly tough but fundamentally important question for each of us to reflect on. But it’s not so easy, why? I believe there are two reasons.
Read MoreRegrets are choices we made that hindered or harmed others or ourselves. The unlived life of abandoned dreams and lost friendships. Or the decision to withdraw our hearts from the world and neither receive nor offer love.
Read MoreThe quality of all of our relationships is directly linked to the relationship we have with ourselves. A strong but true statement. Shedding light on the quality of the relationship we have with ourselves bears a huge opportunity for personal growth and self-worth as well as an understanding of the difference we can make to others and to our contribution in the world.
Read MoreWe often think that being compassionate and kind is weak and self-indulgent, that being hard on oneself is the way to go, that being self-critical keeps us up to the mark, makes us respected and powerful, stops us from being lazy and selfish. Quite the opposite is true.
Read MoreWe each have the same amount of time per day: 24 hours. Time is the most democratic thing on earth. And yet, most of us - particularly in the western world - struggle with time on a daily basis. We feel that time is against us, that time is running out and we can’t do anything about it. Why is this?
Read MoreThe return to school after the summer holiday is never easy for students and teachers alike. But this year it’s even harder following another testing year of living with the uncertainty of Covid-19. Teachers and students have had to face up to a plethora of new challenges, from self-isolation and hybrid teaching and learning.
Read MoreI often use the analogy of learning how to ride a bicycle in my coaching work with clients. When clients start the coaching process there is much enthusiasm and motivation to make changes, then comes, what I call the ‘sticky stage’, where we are clear in our mind about what we want to change and why but our actions do not follow suit and we fall back into old habits, into what we know, our comfort zone. This is the point when we got back on our bikes, only to fall off again. Why is this?
Read MoreDo you have moments in your life when you really want to do something and at the same time you really don’t want to do it? I have. There can be a third possibility: moving beyond wanting and not wanting into a space where we no longer feel the need to solve this conundrum. There is nothing to solve here.
Read MoreIn times of crisis, stress and difficulty we can easily lose our sense of wellness and what brings us wellbeing. We feel disconnected from the things that are good for us, that give us energy, joy, safety, connection, health, meaning and purpose. What is it in our life that allows us to genuinely say: I’m well. What are some things we do or don’t that give us a sense of wellness?
Read MoreAn attitude of curiosity can help us see our loved ones, children, friends, colleagues freshly and in their entirety. Without the judging mind of ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘right’, ‘wrong’, ‘I like this about you’, ‘I don’t like that about you’... Vital ingredients for curiosity are patience, non-striving and kindness.
Read MoreIntuitively we have always known that nature is our place of origin. It is where we come from. Our connection with nature is hard-wired, and as such, spending time in nature can have a profoundly grounding effect, helping us to become more attuned to how we are feeling, calming the mind and reducing stress.
Read MoreThis programme differs to what one might call a traditional leadership programme in that it doesn’t teach leaders tools to better themselves. It invites leaders to bring all of themselves to the table, to explore their story as a leader - the path on which they started to where they are today and who they want to become.
Read MoreMental ill health costs UK employers between £35-42bn a year. Stress, anxiety and depression are the top reasons for absenteeism and people going off sick. It’s estimated that for every £1 spent on mental health, an employer gets £5 return. The benefits are huge. It’s a real investment in staff and as important as computer or diversity training.
Read MoreMindfulness teaches us that we can’t change the circumstances we are in but that we can have a powerful sense of initiative and agency over the choices we make; and that we can always choose the attitude we bring to a situation. Mindfulness increases self-awareness, reduces stress and anxiety and helps us to emotionally self-regulate.
Read MoreThe pandemic stands for so many things in life that I can’t control. Despite all its tragedy, deaths, hardship and limitations, the pandemic has taught and reminded me of so many important things. I guess it’s part of the human condition that we learn most in crisis.
Read MoreDo you know what resources you? A resource is a supply, a reserve, a means of support and being aware of the things that resource us has never been more important. Purposefully attending to something that brings balance and regulation – even the smallest thing, can ground us, bring comfort and a sense of ease.
Read MoreI’ve always preferred intentions over resolutions. A resolution often comes from the head, our analytical mind and as a result, resolutions can feel wilful, stale and forced; they can lack warmth, positive emotion and strength of heart. When intentions come from a positive mental state of self-belief – ‘Yes, I can do this’ - self-kindness, self-love, enthusiasm and encouragement almost always lead to positive action(s).
Read MoreDuring the pandemic 'switching off', stepping back from the intensity of non-stop ‘being on’ and being responsible for everything has become even harder. When we work non-stop and allow little time for recovery and restoration, ‘being on’ all the time becomes a habit.
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