Part of my practice includes facilitating corporate wellness workshops inside of companies for employees and managers, leaders rarely take the time to do this unfortunately. The number one hot topic is Stress Management followed by Work/Life Balance. These are big deals for employees who recognize that they are stressed especially if a lot of changes are occurring inside of the companies. They want to be able to manage this better including healthier life styles choices. I have done some workshops on Worry and Anxiety, Resilience, Self-Esteem which are in the same category as Stress.
I always ask the participants to share with me what they would like to get out of our meeting and what the key drivers are? At the end of our time together, I circle back to these as they are important to people and need to be woven into what is being presented and discussed. It all goes back to better managing what's not working and learning new things to manage going forward.
Breathing, visualizing, mindful thinking (being in the present moment), stretching are instant practices that can help change the current mindset. So if someone is in a stressful environment, overhearing a stressful conversation or are in that conversation, they can take a minute to breathe, maybe get up and leave their chair, take a few seconds before they respond or speak so they feel a bit more in control of their emotions. This is a simple and helpful practice to learn to develop.
One practice that people want more control over is leaving work at the office and not taking home
to their love ones the worry, stress and anxiety they feel. I have them think of a way to put a boundary around this. Play some soft music in the car, take some deep breaths before they go in the door, mentally tell themselves that they have left the junk at the office. One person liked screaming while alone, where no one could hear her. One person created a "hugging tree" in their yard. They hug the tree before they go in the house, leaving all the baggage outside. Really important to create a practice that works for you on controlling and managing your stress, worry or anxiety.
Having a support partner is very helpful in managing stress - someone who is your soft place to land. Someone who will listen and not offer advice unless you want it. Eating balanced diets, adding exercise to your daily routine (even if it's taking a walk at the beginning or ending of your day is important); getting enough sleep every night are just as important. Learning how to say No to things is really helpful. There is an exercise I give people on this. Men are better at doing this than women.
There are many tools and practices that people can learn to embrace so that they make better choices in their lives. Being in worry, anxiety and stress are just not healthy. We all have our moments with this but it's being able to manage how long we stay there is what is key to change.If you can't break free from these negative feelings and emotions, may want to consider getting some mental health counseling. Coaching is for healthy minds so we are a resource to get better at managing stress and work/life balance, etc. If someone is depressed, they need to seek out mental health professionals who are trained to deal with depression.
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