A very big transition for you and me: Retirement!

Are you retiring soon? I am semi-retiring at the end of this academic year; that means I will not be working for a university anymore, but will still be a coach, supervisor, trainer and consultant. It means I can order my life in a way I find more amenable to my needs and wants.

Retirement marks a significant life transition for you and for me—one that’s often met with both excitement and apprehension.

For decades, you may have structured your life around work, routines, and other responsibilities.

Perspective in stress and negative emotions - the key to SUCCESS!

Changing your perspective on stress and negative emotions will help you be healthier. How you SEE things is really a game changer. How you see your situation and your stress can be the path to ill health OR a path towards resilience and SUCCESS!

I have a few clients with long term stress.

It happens to all of us, and for some it is a “given”.

There IS good stress!

Are you stressed? It is normal and CAN be a good thing!

Stress is a normal part of life and without it you really would not get anything done.

Those deadlines (unless there are too many all at once) are actually helpful.

Even having a visitor over can stress you enough to finally pick up and clean a bit.

Stress can also tell you what is important in your life.

What you value can stress you out – this is important to know!

I have a friend who often says, “I don’t care anymore.” But of course, she does.

The stress you have can point to what you care about (often what you care about most). This a good place to start (and end): reflection! What do you value?

Change takes your whole brain

Recently I watched a TEDx talk by Esther van Fenema on limiting our freedom for health and happiness. How do we limit these bad choices we consistently make so we CAN be happier and healthier?

Ms. van Fenema said that four out of 10 cancers are cause by an unhealthy lifestyle (why do we still soke?) and she said that 45% of cardiovascular disease is caused by an unhealthy (sedentary and eating the wrong food) lifestyle.

But how do we change? Is it MIND over matter – yes, AND there is more. I have been reading a few books and neuroscience says that we also must engage our HARE brain for change. That is the fast part that we cannot just think our way into.

Business Coaching, Change, Coaching, Growth, Positive Attitude, Reflection, Success, SupervisionPatricia JehleFebruary 5, 2024Jehle Coachingchange, PPFs, brain, coachingComment

Reflect on your habits and thoughts for happiness and well-being

Besides taking care of your body, there are three (plus one) other things we can learn to do more: be grateful, savor the present moment (and be mindful), and have a positive hope for the future. (Those PPFs, again!)

The “plus one” is having a few close relationships.

Ethical guidelines in coaching - what are my no-go's

I recently read The Ethical Coaches’ Handbook and it has given me some thoughts and some activities to do, such as organizing a “will” for my practice. It is full of ideas and helpful hints for me as a coach and supervisor.

I highly recommend this book for coaches and supervisors - as not only something to borrow and read quickly, but to have on one’s office bookshelf, not to gather dust, but to use and return to and to help us “helpers” ponder what is ethical, what is in the gray zone, and what is a no-go for coaches.

This makes me think about some of my own no-go’s as a certified coach and supervisor.

One big one is “taking advantage” of a client. This has a few aspects to it.

What do I do, actually?

As some of you know, I blog BUT actually, I am a lecturer and trainer, a business coach, supervisor and a spiritual director. The next two blogs will be about supervision vs. coaching, starting with supervision.

What is Supervision, after all?

Supervision is a relational process of personal development where the client(s)become aware of and reflect on and then develop their personal resources for positive change both regarding themselves and their work environment.

What do you do when everything is urgent?

I don’t know if you are having the same issue, but…

Suddenly, my next two weeks are really full!

How did that happen? I thought I was “off” for the month! I only begin correcting exams at the end of the month. But I have a guest teaching “week” this week with a focus on leadership and team development, plus an important funeral of a good friend, so now this week is much fuller than expected. Next week looks about the same because of birthdays and such.

And that makes me mostly happy. I get to teach something I love; I will certainly not be bored  - and the funeral will bring closure for many of us who loved Helen.

The How of productivity without overwhelm:

How do I keep from feeling overwhelmed, even if the activities are (mostly) great?

I use a couple of coaching tools on myself.

One is the Eisenhower Matrix (some call it the 4 Ds of time management; you can look up both)

Another is writing everything down- on the family calendar, on my electronic calendar, writing it in my to-do journal…

These two activities help me to separate the important from the urgent, and to keep everything “together” so it gets done in as calm a manner as possible.