When I tell people that I am a Life and Wellbeing Coach, they usually say, ‘that’s about setting goal’s, right?’ My reaction then is, ‘you are right, that’s a part of it, yes, but there’s more.’
Life and Wellbeing Coaching is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle.
We often imagine the life we want for ourselves, like the appealing glossy picture on a puzzle box lid. However, when we look inside, we see hundreds of pieces that are all part of the picture but mixed up.
We could say that life is the box filled with our physical, emotional, social and spiritual worlds. They are all part of who we are, and understanding how they affect our daily living is crucial to our wellbeing.
Should we experience difficulties in any one of these areas, chances are it will impact the others. For instance: If we become unwell physically, this may affect our emotional health, causing us to feel low, frustrated and anxious. Our relationships with family, friends and work colleagues may suffer due to the physical constraints of the illness and the effect of depression, frustration and anxiety. Therefore our social health is impacted.
When we experience turmoil physically, emotionally and socially, this can influence how we are spiritually. We can feel disconnected from the source of inspiration and motivation where we usually draw our strength. Without this power, how we feel emotionally/mentally suffers, which can, in turn, leave us with physical symptoms, such as fatigue and feeling unwell.
So the cycle continues, each element affecting the other and life feeling like a hamster wheel that we can’t stop.
As a young adult, I was diagnosed with duodenal ulcers. Physically I was in pain, felt weak, had a minimal appetite and was underweight. Emotionally, my mood was low from feeling ill, and I felt panicked and fragile due to fear of my future. I was unable to work for some weeks. My social circle shrank dramatically, and I felt isolated. Coming from a practising Christian family, I questioned my faith, beliefs and teachings.
Something needed to happen to break this desperate cycle. On reflection, I changed my lifestyle and thinking.
Physically:
- I take prescribed medication.
- I changed my diet and frequency of eating
- I choose exercises that I enjoy
- I listen to my body and rest when needed
Emotionally:
- I use Mindfulness to enjoy the present
- I recognise the triggers to feeling low and imagine them as waves that flow then recede
- I accept that some things I cannot change
- I am grateful for the positive people and situations in my life
Socially:
- I invest in quality relationships over quantity
- I have genuine friends, not superficial acquaintances
- I respect the give and take in partnerships
- I endeavour to repair fractured relationships but accept I can only do so much.
- I regularly expand my circle of knowledge and learning.
Spiritually:
- I searched and found my interpretation of faith rather than accepting others beliefs
- I pray and meditate
- I find the peace amongst turmoil when it arises
- I feel that I am enough
- I am the person I was intended to be
None of the above happened overnight, and some are still a work in progress. However, the critical word in the lists above is I.
I was the only one who could take responsibility and make the changes that I needed for a greater sense of wellbeing in all areas of my life.
Life and Wellbeing Coaching puts us at the centre to define who we are in a world where what we do takes priority. It looks deeply at our values and how they impact our thinking and decisions. By determining what is important to us and what has been holding us back, we can begin to put the pieces of our lives together and see life with a new perspective and clarity. With this, we can focus on the future that we want for ourselves. Using this as inspiration, we can make an action plan and set realistic goals with purpose and motivation to see them through.
In the busyness of life, it isn’t easy to put ourselves at the centre of us. However, when we find satisfaction in our physical, emotional, social and spiritual worlds, we benefit from a greater sense of wellbeing and contentment.
Wellbeing Coaching opens our eyes to see life from different views and perspectives. It helps us understand who we are, our attitudes and the reasons for the ways we act and react.
Life and Wellbeing Coaching helps us to look deeper and see how the past has shaped our present. Using questioning and drawing on techniques such as Mindfulness, Guided Imagery and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), our focus will shift to what motivates and inspires us, bringing who we are to the surface. It is a rare opportunity to consider and plan what we want to achieve in life that will give us satisfaction and fulfilment.
Personal wellbeing is subjective and unique to each person. There lies the beauty of wellbeing coaching; everyone and their stories are respected, and each journey is a life-changing and liberating experience.
Putting the pieces of our lives together creates an exclusive story. It makes sense of the past, informs the present and directs the future.
To be alive is life; wellbeing is determined by how we choose to grasp, experience and live it.
What could you do today to achieve a greater sense of wellbeing?
Main photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
