The Self Esteem Series #2: Building self esteem with how you talk to yourself

Mind Your Language!  Building self esteem with how you talk to yourself... One of the most common themes from my coaching space is self-compassion (or at least the lack of it). Many of my clients are high achievers who have been using punishment, stress and self-annihilation to motivate themselves (but uh-oh, it’s not working anymore).They have a cruel inner critical, always telling themselves they’re useless, lazy, stupid, less than, not good enough…(the list goes on…).  And they sprinkle their words often [...]

2024-09-17T10:13:27+00:0016 September 2024|Categories: Confidence, Self confidence, Self esteem, Stress, Stress and Anxiety|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on The Self Esteem Series #2: Building self esteem with how you talk to yourself

The Self Esteem Series #1: Using affirmations to build self esteem

I know they can be a little cringey but affirmations can be powerful tools to help build self esteem.  Done well, they can shift negative self talk, enhance motivation and encourage positive behaviour (and thought pattern) changes.  They can help to shift subconscious patterns replace them with a kinder, more flexible approach which boosts self identity and self esteem. So what’s an affirmation? An affirmation is a positive statement, aimed at changing the way we think and [...]

2024-09-17T09:57:21+00:0030 August 2024|Categories: Stress, Stress and Anxiety|Tags: , , , |Comments Off on The Self Esteem Series #1: Using affirmations to build self esteem

Holiday Guilt & Stress: take a break; ditch the guilt

I'm not the only who's got holiday plans at the moment - it's a regular conversation with my clients.  But what is interesting is how often there's holiday guilt when it comes to taking a break.  And how frequently I see this pattern: trying to put taking a break off as long as poss getting exhausted and approaching burnout collapsing into the hol and either getting ill or feeling so wired it takes days to wind down packing the [...]

2024-08-29T15:16:29+00:0011 July 2024|Categories: Stress, Stress and Anxiety|Tags: , , , |Comments Off on Holiday Guilt & Stress: take a break; ditch the guilt

5 Key Benefits of Journalling: Write it out to work it out

This week, I've been reminding a few people about the benefits of journalling.  I'm a huge fan of journalling and recommend it to all my clients. It's a fabulous support tool for our work together. In fact, I'd say it can help anyone out there - so read on... (p.s. if you want to give journalling a go but don't know where to start, I've got a great guide - just email me and I'll send you a copy) [...]

Learning how to say no (and hold healthy boundaries)

Are there times when you say yes, when you really want to say no?  That's been a common theme in my coaching this week.  Many of my clients have people-pleasing traits and that means it can be difficult not to automatically take things on when asked, fearful of not being liked, of causing disappointment or - a biggie - of encountering conflict.  And the impact of this can be: feeling tired, stressed, and resentful when you're juggling too many balls getting [...]

Saying yes (or turning a no into a maybe)

I'm writing this a little dozy after a late night at the Bruce Springsteen concert at Stadium of Light, Sunderland.  I'll be honest - I'm no Bruce fan, I'm not one for gigs in huge stadiums, and the weather forecast was horrendous.  The tickets were a gift to Mr B who's a fan and I got dragged along. Long story short: I didn't want to go; I moaned about it a lot; I had an amazing time and absolutely loved [...]

Setting daily goals (and remembering the wins)

Daily goal setting is something many do, but often use it as a weapon rather than a tool of support.  Let me explain... This is one for those who struggle with procrastination and self punishment.  I would say these are such common battles for the people I work with - high achievers who are very hard on themselves, motivating themselves through stress, harshness and last minute deadlines. They're usually noticing that these tactics are working less effectively and the [...]

Having a “flare plan” – how to deal with stressful, busy times

Whilst helping people with stressful, busy times, I've started sharing the idea of a flare plan.  I highly recommend them so here's more... This is a concept I came across recently in the chronic health space and I'm a big fan (and bear with me here because I think it's really relevant for everyone, not just us chronic health-ers).  With MCAS, I can have flare ups where my health issues become more acute.  Rather than an instant deterioration, they [...]

2024-05-10T09:42:07+00:0010 May 2024|Categories: Stress, Stress and Anxiety|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Having a “flare plan” – how to deal with stressful, busy times

Be More Batman – challenging limiting beliefs to take your place

I'm aware that I often talk here about a softly, softly approach when it comes to overcoming procrastination and stretching our comfort zone.  I'm very much of the Start-Small-and-Build Brigade when it comes to working with "my people", most of whom are sensitive souls (like me!).  And I do this because it works! But that doesn't mean we think small. My work is all about helping professionals and entrepreneurs ditch the imposter syndrome to take their place and embrace their big ambitions. [...]

2024-04-22T13:22:43+00:0022 April 2024|Categories: Procrastination, Stress, Stress and Anxiety|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Be More Batman – challenging limiting beliefs to take your place

Nourish or Numb?

When you're stressed, do you nourish or numb?  We often unconsciously use activities which soothe the autonomic nervous system (ANS).  This is the non-conscious part of our brain and body that is responsible for our survival (on a basic level, it's the flight or fight response). These activities help us to come back towards regulation - a calmer, more conscious Ventral state where we can choose how we act rather than react.  (BTW, I'm using the language of Polyvagal Theory [...]