by Robin on April 24, 2009
The term balance is getting a lot of play these days. Attaining the perfect balance has practically become an Olympic event and about as attainable too. I remember a time when you could admit you were stressed and people would be sympathetic, now I find that there is a subtle or not too subtle lecture that emerges, “you’re doing too much” or “you need to find better balance”. So what’s the deal?
It is April and at the University and to put it mildly it’s a big month, it is not the time of the year when I recommend “striking a healthy balance” to my clients. They are job seeking, saying goodbye to friends, dealing with family pressures, completing huge projects and trying to prepare for exams. My motto for April is “Eat, Sleep, Breath” (Thank you to Brenda M for this life line).
Balance is a relationship between our lives and our health, in order for the relationship to be healthy and fulfilling, it needs attention and respect but can not require constant nurturing. Hey, if you can do that, excellent, but for most of us it just isn’t practical to tell a child that this is not her week to get sick. So how can we attract a better balance? Here are a few ideas.
1. Do your best. What absolutely needs to be attended to today, this week, this month? Prioritize one personal goal, make it small and manageable. (10 minute walk 3 times this week, buy a bag of apples and eat one every day on the way to work, say no to one thing that you don’t want to do, read one chapter of a book you have been eager to read). [click to continue...]
by Robin on April 24, 2009
Since 1999 I have been working with University students, helping them deal with various issues including; school/life balance, 1/4 life crisis, managing stress and anxiety, dealing with body and mood related issues and helping them find their first jobs.
The amount of stress faced by a college/university student these days is unbelievable. This stress compared to the cultural idea that being a student is a breeze means that students often feel like their problems are not taken very seriously which can lead to further feelings of isolation and despair.
While my clients at the University are all different, there are themes that come up again and again, and I thought I would try to create a resource of articles and strategies in a section of this blog for students who are feeling like something needs to change. If there is something you would like me to post about please send an email with your question to robin@lifeinspired.ca and I’ll do my best to either write about it myself or refer you to a good resource.
Wishing you much joy and a fulfilling life beyond school.
by Robin on September 5, 2008
If you have any interest in the field of coaching you will have come across sites that offer ”am I ready for coaching” tests. Being a person who loves inventories and tests I wanted to have one too. But then I realized that people who call me have already self selected as being ready for coaching, at least in my mind. When you are paying out of pocket and taking time from a very busy schedule to work on personal or career goals you are probably ready for coaching. From time to time I have clients who do not have goals that they can articulate, but that is part of my job, to help them identify what would make their lives more meaningful. There are however a few things that you can do to make coaching more effective.
Many people I work with have never had coaching or counselling over the phone and prior to starting my coaching practice I had only done face to face work. I thought it would be a huge adjustment, but I realized that it wasn’t, probably because I didn’t change anything. I still use my office, I dress for work (no bunny slippers), I don’t roll my eyes or make faces at myself in the mirror while I’m on a call, I don’t finish my lunch, in fact I don’t do anything while I’m working on a call that I wouldn’t do during a face to face session.
So that’s me, but here are a few ideas to help you get the most out of your session.
1. Can you hear me now? Find a quiet place where you can speak freely, turn off music or other background noise and mute any other phones, email notices etc. If you can manage to use a land line you may have a clearer call as I often use a headset so that I can take detailed notes for you.
2. Are you talking to me? Minimize or prevent interuptions. It is much harder to focus if you are also trying to keep the dog and the cat from killing each other, helping with homework or unloading the dishwasher. This is your time, honour it in the same way you would if you had an appointment in your coach’s office.
3. Take note! A coaching journal is really helpful, either a notepad or on your computer. Have it handy for sessions. There may be things that come up for you that you want to jot down or even keep just to yourself. Of course you are welcome to share your thoughts with me, but for some clients it is nice to have the option to record private thoughts and feelings, while we are still getting to know one another.
It may be over used, but the adage, “you will get as much out as you put in” is very true in this case. If you just want to chat while caring for your kids at home, or you want to learn something cool, call a friend or listen to podcasts on your favorite subjects. Hey, it’s free and no one is going to make you do a test to see if you are ready!
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself”.
Andy Warhol
The term balance is getting a lot of play these days. Attaining the perfect balance has practically become an Olympic event and about as attainable too. I remember a time when you could admit you were stressed and people would be sympathetic, now I find that there is a subtle or not too subtle lecture that emerges, “you’re doing too much” or “you need to find better balance”. So what’s the deal?