Is Elevated Stress Keeping You From Reaching Your Optimal Potential?
Are you consumed with stress, worry or even fear? Do you feel two steps behind, spread too thin or like you’re dropping the ball—or feeling it slip through your fingers? Is stress keeping you up most nights? Perhaps you know the toll that stress can take on the body and are beginning to worry about your health. Or maybe you have become easily distracted, exhausted and irritable, which is decreasing your productivity, negatively affecting your relationships and preventing you from reaching your potential. Are you beginning to feel out of balance and find yourself without the time or presence of mind to enjoy the aspects of your life that you work hard to enjoy? Have you been using drugs or alcohol to mitigate and manage stress, even though you know that substances are not a long-term solution? Are you ready to find a way to effectively manage and alleviate stress so you can get more rest, be present in all aspects of your life and increase your productivity and efficacy in order to achieve your goals?
As you well know by now, stress can negatively impact your health, mood, productivity and relationships. It can damage all aspects of your life and cripple feelings of wellbeing. Essentially, it can get in the way and prevent you from engaging in life. And, unfortunately, stress does not go away on its own. In fact, sometimes the harder we try to force ourselves to relax, the worse stress becomes.
Millions Of Americans Suffer From Stress
If you are suffering from heightened stress, you are not alone. Stress is ubiquitous in our culture, and it is literally making us sick. Studies and surveys show that half of all Americans report suffering from stress and that people experiencing stress are more likely to report hypertension, obesity, anxiety or depression.
Even with all the information we have on the negative impacts of stress, rates of stress in the U.S. are still steadily rising. We live in a technology, information driven culture that tells us that we always have to be on and plugged in. The lack of down time in our society has many of us in a constant state of fight or flight. Even though no threat of physical danger is present, as our bodies are becoming increasingly physiologically wired to constantly feel on edge, we are producing more and more stress hormones, which can lead to chronic illness.
The good news is that stress can be properly managed and even overcome. While stress-producing events, people and situations are inevitable, stress management coaching, with a mindfulness-based approach, can help you build resiliency and become grounded, present and equipped to effectively handle anything that comes your way.
Learn To Relax And Reach Your Potential With Stress Management Coaching
In practical, efficient and goal-oriented stress management coaching sessions, I can help you identify the stressors in your life, create goals for changing the things you can and help you restructure your thoughts about those things you cannot change or remove. Very often, stress is aggravated or even created through the way we perceive situations or challenges and reinforced by behaviors that we habitually return to. This is where mindfulness comes in. While stress can create feelings of anxiety or confusion, creating awareness in the present moment can help you reframe your perspective and let go of the extra, unneeded stress you are putting on yourself.
A growing body of research shows us that stress management with a mindfulness approach is an extremely effective tool for stress reduction. This practice can help you change not only how you relate to stress, but also alter the neurology of the brain, which can lead to lasting results. As awareness in the present is heightened and perspective about certain stressors is reframed, studies show that the fight or flight response in the brain actually shrinks. While stressors will always exist, you can literally retrain your brain to handle them with more presence and ease. Rather than react with agitation to situations, you can pause and respond thoughtfully. You can shift the time and energy spent worrying into focusing on the tasks and people you are present with in the moment, leading to increased productivity, better relationships and a richer life.
In sessions, we will work collaboratively to tailor create a stress management coaching plan that best supports your personality, goals, needs and lifestyle. I will also provide you with customized mindfulness exercises that you can use as a daily practice as well as in moments of heightened stress. We can also explore supplementary practices and lifestyle changes, such as journaling, meditation, yoga, habit planning, exercise, time management, organization skills, how to get better rest and ways to cut back on caffeine, which can also make a big difference in how you respond to and manage the stressors in your life.
I have been coaching people on mindfulness practices for over 15 years. I work collaboratively, thoughtfully and efficiently. Sessions are client-led, and I honor your unique values, priorities and goals. Both the sessions and your stress management plan are action-oriented. We can also work together to create a fallback plan for situations and areas that you anticipate being most challenging. The length of coaching is flexible. I can provide you with a stress management plan and techniques to put your plan in action in one or two sessions, or if you need additional support, we can meet on an ongoing basis.
Stress does not have to be debilitating. With stress management coaching, a mindfulness practice and effective techniques that you can apply every day, it is possible to positively manage stress. You can learn to remove the unhealthy stress in your life, enjoy better health and relationships and clear the space needed to reach your optimal potential. It is possible to feel successful and balanced in all aspects of your life.
You still may have questions about stress management coaching and mindfulness…
How long does stress management coaching generally take?
The length of time you spend in coaching is totally up to you. We can meet once and devise an action plan and equip you with techniques or we can meet often and develop an ongoing relationship. It really depends on your needs, goals, schedule, routine and budget. Furthermore, I offer both in person and VCEE sessions. VCEE is like Skype, easy to use and HIPAA compliant, meaning that this technology ensures that our sessions are confidential.
My life is full of external stressors, which I cannot remove. Can this kind of coaching still help me?
So much stress comes from thought patterns and reactions to stressors, which is why a shift in perception can help so much. Through stress management coaching, you can change the way you interpret stressful situations and learn how to take control of your thoughts. And, mindfulness can help you shift from reacting quickly to responding thoughtfully. When you are present, aware and grounded in the present moment, you can make a conscious choice about how to respond to the information coming at you and thrive regardless of external stressors.
What is the difference between this type of coaching and traditional therapy?
In traditional therapy, your therapist is really taking on the role of mental health care provider with the goal of helping you manage your symptoms. A coach, on the other hand, is able to stand with you and look ahead toward what you want to create and who you want to become. You take a more active role in deciding what to prioritize and how to fit it in your life. Essentially, you are in the driver’s seat. But, that’s not all. In addition to differences in focus and control, a coaching relationship can be much more flexible. And the work can be done in less traditional ways, like integrating email and text message check-ins to help you put your inspiration into action.
You Can Relax, Reach Your Potential And Really Live
You can live a productive and joyful life without the burden of excess stress keeping you down. I invite you to contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss your specific needs and to answer any questions you have about stress management, coaching sessions and mindfulness meditation.