Four Simple Ways to Look After Yourself as a Coach

While you're busy serving others, you might forget to check in on you. Here's how to reset and recharge.

Four Simple Ways to Look After Yourself as a Coach

We've all heard the expression it's not how hard you fall it's how gracefully you get back up.

Well, I had a very humbling lesson last week that sometimes it's how graciously you accept a hand to help you up too. I write this story with a bit of hesitation.

We’re meant to keep our puddle moments to ourselves. Please bear my indulgence as I hope to remind anyone feeling low it’s not just OK to pause and look after yourself, it’s essential.

We belong to what I believe is the best community in the world—The Coaching Institute. We cheer each other on, we hold each other accountable and our ethos is humble servitude asking, 'What more can I do?'

The first important lesson is it's never about you, it's about the client.

Never, that is, while working.

It has to be about us sometimes or that mini me or shadow, whatever you choose to call it can get narky and raise its head until it's paid its due respects.

I wish I'd put into action four simple ways to look after yourself as a coach, because that's what happened to me, if I may share an important lesson in being OK with my vulnerable side.

With some brilliant results for the new financial year I was on a wave of activity and servitude, absolutely loving it.

Somewhere in the hype of it all I confess I forgot to check in with me. The quiet me. The vulnerable me.

Life can be so ridiculously noisy and fast these days. Between Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tinder, emails, webinars, recordings, there's always something to catch up on.

On the train, waiting in line, in the lift, it’s surprising there aren’t more neck complaints we’re looking down so much.

Have we forgotten how to connect with the simple joy in the silence of a moment?

Well I'll be the first to confess I did, and the result was not pretty. My best friend grabbing me for an urgent wine as I sat a blubbering mess with so much noise in my head I couldn't think.

A dozen snotty tissues later we sat in reflective silence for a while to which my friend asked when I'd last really just sat in the moment?

Bloody good question. She could be a life coach. We laughed at the irony of how many times I'd told people feeling down to grab a dog and head to the beach. Best happy pill ever. Somehow in the busyness of life my weekend walks had become a mission to exercise Bella and get back to busy.

So a reminder for me that hopefully may get you checking in with yourself too. Four simple ways to look after yourself so you're primed to serve others even more.

1. Greet yourself in the morning like you do your best friend

When you look at yourself in the mirror do you see the parts of you?

Sheez, the eyes are baggy this morning, dam, is that a grey hair? I look so pale, better get some sunlight today.

Or do you look at your gorgeous self and say good morning with a beaming smile?

I did this morning and had a jolly good giggle with myself, what a great way to start the day!

2. Put the phone down

Not for ever, just don't let it be the first thing you reach for in the morning, enjoy some silence.

A cup of tea sitting outside listening to the birds. Go for a walk without the earphones in.

I'm the first to say I always have trainings on, on the train, in the car, at home. Make some time for old fashioned silence..

3. Reach out to a friend and ask for help when you need it

Here’s a secret, occasionally I don’t have all my shit sorted. There, I’ve said it. My clients don’t need to know it and definitely don’t need to see or hear about it.

There’s a gift in opening up and asking for help occasionally. Sometimes we’re so deep in it we don’t notice it’s just a puddle.