What does a coach do to keep happy?

What does a coach do to keep happy?

I’m surrounded by anxious people every single day, Monday to Friday. 

They are often in floods of tears, desperate, feeling stuck, overthinking, unhappy, and feeling overwhelmed by the stresses of modern life. It could easily bring me down too if I didn’t have strategies in place to stay resilient.

It's been the busiest start to the year in a long time as the effects of lockdown are becoming more apparent as people try to get back to normality.

I'm working with a much wider variety of people from actors, film directors, comedians (yes, comics are unhappy too), young people, menopausal women, and businesspeople from all levels. Even CEOs have imposter syndrome and turn up in tears sometimes.

The issues are equally wide-ranging - bad habits that have developed into obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, food disorders, relationship problems, phobias, career churn and deep anxiety.

So, how do I stay positive being faced with all this stress and anxiety? And a curious question for you to ponder…

How does Fairy Liquid beat anxiety? 

1. I start every day by looking at nature – at my garden and surrounding trees and reading a motivational quote about how to be happy.

2. I have my breakfast in bed – why not treat yourself every day?

3. I stay connected with positive people who lift me and inspire me.

4. I eat healthy food that makes me feel good – the brain in my stomach – the biome - feels much better when I ‘eat the rainbow’ with Mediterranean-style foods and it affects my mood positively.

5. I make Mondays as easy as possible, so I can ease into the week, doing things I enjoy – like writing rather than doing the accounts.

6. I focus on the successes – the clients who are at the end of their journey rather than the start.

7. I have a good routine and good sleep hygiene – I go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time.

8. I enjoy little rewards – a coffee break, some dark chocolate after lunch (dark chocolate boosts serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical).

9. I use scent to lift myself - a gorgeous, scented candle or shower gel, and spray perfume each day – not just as a luxury. 

10. I make sure I have plenty of pleasant things to enjoy – booking a regular massage, a facial, a walk by the river or in the ancient woods where the trees emit mood-lifting chemicals.

11. I visit the gym twice a week with a regular group of gym buddies for those endorphins that only come with exercise.

12. Novelty is good for the brain so I try new things when I can– like a sound bath or Yoga Nidra to relax.

13. I get a dopamine hit when I solve a puzzle like Wordle. Even when just throwing rubbish successfully into a wastepaper basket, creates a small buzz of dopamine. The opposite when I miss!

14. I continually think of the solutions and the positives about situations. Plus I  shift my brain from any negative thoughts, emotions and behaviours as part of the cognitive behavioural therapy I teach my clients.  

15. I keep the weekend free. I rarely work at the weekend and make sure I play and party as hard as I work, and I take time to rest up too.

16. I take a power nap. It makes you more productive. So, when I have time I take a nap after lunch or if I’m on a long journey in the car I stop off and nap. 

17. I do things for others. You can’t help someone else without helping yourself as well.

18. I’m very grateful for what I have. 

19. I communicate a lot with my partner, friends and family and stay in touch with people over time. I have a lot of loyal, long-standing friends and colleagues. 

20. And finally, why the Fairy Liquid? Sometimes I discover little things that remind me of fun times from childhood. When I picked up a Fairy Liquid squeezy bottle the bubbles emerging from it reminded me of blowing bubbles as a child. This was something I noticed in lockdown that really lifted my mood and amused me when washing up felt like a real chore. 

Why not try it? 

I started helping people with anxiety and depression after first qualifying as a counsellor and hypnotherapist back in 1998, training with Paul McKenna in NLP, and even appearing on stage with Derren Brown when he asked me to hypnotise the audience as he disappeared backstage!

I use a mix of therapies that help people logically challenge their thinking which has become inflexible or irrational. I combine this with hypnotherapy to unlock the hidden power of the subconscious mind where our long-term memories, imagination, creativity, and habits are stored.

For more tips and to find out more about how to manage your mental health you can buy my online book Thinking Like Magic published by Bookboon.

You can also access my free hypnotherapy sessions to help relax and think more positively. And to book some sessions just message me - I'll be happy to help!