Step Ahead Life Coaching™

Tag: chaos

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Chaos / Upheaval Fresh Start Mindset/Strenghts

What Can We Learn From Chaos and Crisis?

woman wearing black and white shirt looking above

I still marvel at the incredible opportunities that are hiding inside chaos and crisis, although I was unable to see that at the incredibly emotionally painful time of my separation and divorce.

The most positive things I learned was to view a crisis as an opportunity, where lessons can be learned. It is an opening for change and improvement, and to view a situation through different eyes. 

As I began to pick up the pieces of my life and place them one by one into a new normal,  I increasingly sensed a strong desire to use the lessons I had learned to try and help others experiencing challenges and heartache. 
This led me down a completely new career path, from teaching – to gaining qualifications as a coach and counsellor. I will never forget one of my counselling clients – a special young woman I will call Amanda for privacy reasons. 

Amanda taught me about resilience, pain and purpose. Let me tell you about the incredible struggles she overcame…

Amanda was referred to me by her doctor as she was struggling with depression, bulimia, suicidal thoughts and addiction. We would meet each week, and for the first couple of months, Amanda would sit cross legged on the floor in my office, cuddling one of my teddy bears, sobbing her heart out as she talked about her life. 

close-up photography of brown teddy bear

My heart ached for her – her life had not been easy, she saw no reason to go on and her lifestyle was threatening her mental and physical health. 

But….. Amanda still had the tiniest flicker of fight left in her, so we developed strategies together to fuel the tiny flame inside of her. Each week I would be overjoyed to see the triumphant small positive changes Amanda was making.

After one year, Amanda had reinvented herself! After three years, she contacted me to invite me to her graduation…. and to meet the handsome man beside her who was now her fiance. 

This courageous young woman taught me about courage, and that there is always an opportunity in adversity, there is always a way through the storms in life and that we are stronger than we think. Sometimes we just need the support of others to get us through the storms. 

That is why my passion is walking alongside you to empower you on your journey and find the calm in the storms of life. 

What is a “storm” in life that you have overcome? What did it teach you about yourself?   I’d love to hear from you- please share below. 

I would love to help you if you are experiencing a ” storm in your life” or if you have weathered the storm but now needing some help to find the “real you” who may have got lost in the storm. I would love to chat, why not book a free clarity call with me now:)
 

Categories
Mindset/Strenghts Resilience

7 Things You Can Do To Create Happiness During The Toughest of Times

Upheaval drags everyone down. A crisis wears on a person, eroding mood and destroying optimism. As you go into survival mode, it becomes harder and harder to hold onto any kind of joy at all. Instead, your days are taken up with emotions such as worry, anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, and fear. 

It seems like a pretty tough time to find happiness, doesn’t it?

Yet, more than ever, this is precisely when you need happiness most. It’s a positive outlook and a great deal of optimism, which is going to get you through these tough times, which means it’s up to you to create this happiness as soon as possible. Why not try these tips?

# Take a Walk

Physical exercise promotes mood in tremendous ways. Seize the chance to take a break for a few minutes when you can and step outside. Walk at an even pace, fast enough to raise your heart rate a little for the best results.

 

# Find a Distraction

You can’t focus on the crisis every minute of the day without driving yourself crazy. Occasionally you need to give your brain a break. Try reading a book, watching a show on TV, doing a puzzle, or engaging in a hobby for a little bit. 

 

# Eat Something Good

It’s so easy to forget regular meals when you’re in the midst of a crisis. But low blood sugar affects mood in negative ways. Also, if you’re just grabbing snacks, junk food can make you lethargic and inhibit your ability to think clearly. As much as possible, try to maintain a regular schedule for meals. And eat healthily!

# Fix Something

Your world is out of control and can’t be fixed easily. Help your mood by finding something you can correct and exert control over this situation. Why not do the mending you’ve set aside? Or do one of those little home repair jobs you’ve meant to tackle. 

 

# Sleep

Lack of rest does affect mood negatively. Even in a crisis, you need to sleep. Stay on your sleep schedule as much as possible.

 

# Hang Out with Friends

It’s not mentally healthy to isolate. Make time for friends, even if for only a short phone call. Touching base with people who love and support you will do wonders for your mood.

# Do Something

Act. Nothing makes you feel more helpless than inactivity. It might be you’re not able to do what you normally would during this upheaval. Instead, find the next best thing you can do and focus on that for five minutes at a time until it’s done.

Remember, happiness can’t be forced. Some days you’re just going to feel what you’re going to feel. But by paying attention to your mood and working to improve it, you set yourself up for the greatest success. 

Looking for a coach to help you with creating more happiness in your life? I can help! Check out my affordable coaching packages to help get you out of your moment of chaos and onto a clear path to getting things back on track to normal. Contact me today

Categories
Chaos / Upheaval Personal Growth

5 Ways to Experience Personal Growth Even in an Upheaval

When you’re in upheaval, you tend to hit survival mode pretty quickly. Your life becomes focused on just getting through the day. Beyond that? You don’t have the energy or the time to care.

Now more than ever, you need to take advantage of what time you have for personal growth. When we are challenged is where we rise to the occasion the best. During upheaval, our minds become busy, and we start thinking more. It’s a great time to take advantage of a mind made flexible by circumstances and learn something new.

In short, this is an excellent time for personal growth.

Furthermore, the act of bettering yourself gives you a focus, something you can control right now, at this moment, helping your mental state. It’s all about attitude and the idea you can keep growing, even now. How?

 

# You Learn to Embrace Adversity

There’s no doubt upheaval can make a mess of your life. But as you dig in and start looking for solutions, you’re going to discover something about yourself. Adversity brings out your best, forcing you out from complacency to find new solutions. With an open-minded attitude, you can even come to embrace adversity.

 

# You Become More Adept at Challenges

A crisis demands creative solutions. After all, if the status quo had been working, you wouldn’t be where you are now. In the long run, what this means if you’re going to get better at brainstorming and seeing solutions where you hadn’t previously.

 

# You Become Better at Seeing the Opportunity

Once you look past the disaster itself, you’re going to start seeing a chance to shine. There’s a great deal of opportunity in upheaval if you can maintain an openness to trying new things and adaptability when it comes to rolling with the punches. Developing this skill now means you’re never going to miss an opportunity again.

 

# You Cultivate Positivity

How can you possibly make it through a crisis if all you’re doing is focusing on the negative? If you can now discover the ability to find the positive and to keep an upbeat attitude even when things are going wrong, you’ll be able to stay positive no matter what life throws at you.

 

# You Develop More Empathy

You can’t go through these kinds of tough times without learning something about how hard life can be. By leveraging this into empathy, you’ll gain more compassion for those around you. 
Wow, this is a lot! Imagine the newer, stronger version of yourself developing even now. How exciting to think you’ll be coming out of this crisis more robust and better than ever before!

Looking for a coach to help you with personal growth? I can help! Check out my affordable coaching packages to help get you out of your moment of chaos and onto a clear path to getting things back on track to normal. Contact me today

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