Throughout twenty plus years of working, I’ve been building a vast set of techniques, resources and strategies that help support wellbeing. Recently I decided to pull them all together and create a six-stage coaching and wellbeing framework, THE ULTIMATE SELF-CARE TOOL KIT. Not only do these tools underpin the coaching and wellbeing journey I support my clients on, they are my personal go-to resources that have enabled me to boost my own health, happiness and wellbeing over the years. Whilst I gained a huge amount of theoretic knowledge in the classroom when I studied for my Diploma in Nutrition and Masters in Business Coaching (along with other coaching and NLP courses), which were truly amazing and life changing experiences, I have also been incredibly fortunate to learn equally as much outside the classroom through real-life challenges and situations, personally and professionally.
I was inspired to develop an easy to implement six-stage coaching methodology to proactively support health, happiness and wellbeing after a great many conversations with busy professionals (business leaders, sales experts, HR professionals, solicitors and barristers and consulting partners to name a few), who were all feeling an immense and relentless pressure to keep many plates spinning inside and outside of work, which was simply not sustainable without consequence. One client described it as feeling like they were stuck on upward climb on the tread mill with no off switch in reach. The reality of it is that so many people are experiencing stress, overwhelm and exhaustion, leading to burnout and other serious health conditions.
As a wellbeing coach, career mum and someone who often feels anxious or stressed about something, I’m by no means immune from the challenges of a busy life. The key difference between me now and me earlier in my career is that I feel equipped to cope. I passionately believe that everyone should have access to their very own personalised tool kit too. A tool kit that proactively cultivates wellbeing on all levels, addressing all components of physical, mental and social wellbeing. That way we can confidently take on new challenges and navigate the ups and downs that life throws at us. When we set our own course and feel equipped to achieve our goals we start to achieve optimum health, happiness and wellbeing.
Over the years it’s the biggest of challenges that have taught me the most, influenced the studies and career choices I have made and ultimately shaped the tools, techniques and strategies that I have built. These experiences include:
Starting out as a recruitment consultant working in a fast-paced and targeted environment whilst balancing work with studies and life when I did my diploma in Nutrition whilst continuing to work full time.
Moving to Australia, becoming a young leader in a new start up, and finding out I had type two diabetes at the age of 27 years.
Embarking on a career change, studying for a masters on the weekends and my first attempt of setting up my own business as a coach.
Returning to the UK after eight wonderful years in Sydney, working as a Learning and Development specialist, supporting and equipping hundreds of employees and new leaders to be at their best personally and professionally.
Becoming a mum, setting up my coaching and wellbeing practice and sticking with it the second time round (almost five years in now, and there’s no looking back!).
I’ll be sharing more about each of these experiences in a series of blogs over the coming months as I deep dive into the six components of THE ULTIMATE SELF-CARE TOOL KIT. Many of you will have already attended my workshops and coaching programs and started to delve into three of the six stages:
REST – to unwind and relax at regular points throughout the day and week to ensure stress levels don’t spiral out of control, and to have sufficient quality and quantity of sleep every night to feel refreshed every morning and focused throughout the day.
RECHARGE – to have ample time for recreational activities, providing a sense of balance and topping up the batteries. When we invest time and energy into hobbies, interests and holidays we often return to work with new ideas and perspectives and the ability to focus and take on new challenges.
REPLENISH – to nourish our minds and bodies with all the nutrients that are required to function at our best; this is as much about what foods and drinks we need to reduce or take out of our daily consumption as it is about what we increase and add in.
The latest additions to my framework are:
RELATIONSHIPS – recognising and nurturing the relationships that are most meaningful to us, including the ultimate relationship – the one we have with ourselves! Understanding that putting ourselves first is essential when it comes to building a self-care tool kit.
RESILIENCE – uncovering the Power of Positive Psychology to become our most resilient self. Passion and purpose to boost our health, happiness and wellbeing.
RENOVATE – establishing which area of our lives need an upgrade and giving ourselves permission to build our personal version of what a first-class life looks like in every way possible.
The Ultimate Self-Care Tool Kit features in all my Mum programmes and can also be run as a series of workshops for your business - in fact there are thousands of employees and leaders who have already participated in these workshops all across the globe.
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