Looking on the bright side of life
Do you have a work-life balance? Can you prioritise family and friends as well as your own mental and physical wellbeing alongside your work? Living a flourishing life can be finding that balance and ensuring it is not all about your job.
Globally, life coaching is a multibillion dollar industry and has become more popular due to the pandemic and movements such as The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting.
A Life Coach should ideally have proof of training (in other words, not just an Instagram Influencer) and accreditation with either the ICF – International Coaching Federation – or ANZCAL – Australia and New Zealand Coaching Alliance. Their business is your wellbeing, whether that’s you identifying and achieving goals, gaining a more fulfilled work-life or having better personal relationships. It has a focus upon the future.
Life coaching became more widely known in the 1980s and thereafter grew in popularity, encompassing a wide range of areas such as financial, diet and fitness, and career changes. A Life Coach is not a qualified psychotherapist and they should not be offering to help with serious mental health issues. Psychiatrists assist with mood and anxiety disorders, healing trauma, and other mental health conditions. Life Coaches want to discover the obstacles that may be holding you back. They should, over time, give you strategy suggestions that will identify your strengths and skills and help you to overcome any obstacles.
“The land of burnout is not a place I ever want to go back to.” - Arianna Huffington.
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, occurring when you may feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained and you are finding it difficult to function properly. People with burnout can begin to lose interest in their job, feel detached, cynical, resentful and underappreciated. Some or all of these symptoms may be experienced when burning out:
Low energy and feeling drained; trouble sleeping; headaches and anxiety; a lack of motivation and isolating yourself, and constant irritability. Burnout can creep up slowly and recognising the signs and symptoms in yourself and others is crucial. It is common in over-achievers and those working long hours.
Prevention and recovery
In the worst cases, burnout can result in having to take a lengthy time away from work. A doctor should be consulted when experiencing the symptoms above.
A wellbeing plan could help prevent it happening. Some may seem obvious and not suit you, but have helped others:
A Gratitude Diary: it has been proven that regularly practicing gratitude affects the brain positively, boosting dopamine and serotonin. Jottings: a pen and pad beside the bed can be useful for writing down worries and anxieties. This may help the brain to let go of them. Labelling: a tool used in Mindfulness, negative feelings are identified and labelled so you can create distance from them. You could also try asking yourself, if money was no object, what would I do? What is the best version of myself? What do I really want from life?
Burnout is increasing, so reach out to others if you are struggling. Many workplaces offer EAP, the Employee Assistance Programme. Finding things that make you happy outside of work can help, even if it’s just having a coffee with a friend to “switch off.” Turn off screens and take a break, especially if you’re in the habit of answering work emails in the evening. Set boundaries! Connecting with a cause is beneficial, as “giving back” can help our self-esteem and may combat low moods. Taking care of our health by eating well, exercising and finding ways to relax can all assist in prevention and aid our recovery if the flame has burnt too low.
-Gill Towle
