Wellness Professionals at Work Director, Jo Permaul, was interviewed recently by Jayney Goodard of the Complementary Medical Association. The interview highlights how coaching skills can be integrated into many situations or modalities. This enhances the existing practice & enriches the experience for the client. Enjoy the warmth of this interview (15mins). If you are considering […]
I came to life coaching because I had been through the process and loved it. If you are interested in coaching either as a talking therapy to help you or someone you love, or as a career, hop over to Wellness Professionals at Work. I’ve written a piece: What is Life Coaching and Why Have […]
If the new year and the fact that it’s winter get to you somewhat, then Red January may be for you. Created by Red Together founder Hannah Beecham whose mum suffered with depression, Red January aims to beat the winter blues by wearing red and moving every day to lift the spirits. You can be […]
The YE 2022 Annual Reflection has arrived. A helpful tool with which to step into 2023 fortified for the year ahead. I never cease to be amazed how taking stock of what happened in the year that has just passed can distil so much. I’ve updated the format of the Annual Review this year and […]
21 December 2022 Today is the Winter Solstice. The shortest day and the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. Each year I learn how to enjoy the warmth of the low lying sun more and more. It basks our southern facing living room in 30 degrees during the day. For a […]
Who can’t be a fan of the Action for Happiness movement? Below is a recent talk hosted by Action for Happiness with Prof. Richard Layard. Professor Layard is an Economist who has spent a lot of time looking at the wider non-fiscal aspects of economics under the banner of Happiness Economics. Happiness Economics looks at […]
If you are like me and not the biggest fan of Black Friday, here are some positive things you can do instead. Positive News Seven Things To Do Instead of Buying Stuff
I am delighted to announce that I, along with a fabulous cohort of coaches, are Ambassadors for Wellness Professionals at Work. There’s a heartfelt sense of returning home in this news. WP@W is where I gained my credentials under its dedicated founder, Laurel Alexander. I have a lot to thank Laurel for… Thank you, Laurel! […]
In this month’s Mindful magazine there is a very helpful article about losing sense of purpose and the loss of self worth as a result of that. Given what’s been going on around us, this is not an unusual thing to hear recently. What stood out in the article for me was how to create […]
Of all the things I’ve read recently following another New Year and the Pandemic and geo-political shenanigans… THIS article is the best thing. The article is courtesy of Psychology Today, Amanda Dodson. I would encourage you to stop trying to satisfy everyone else and sit down for a while and read this. I think you […]
HELLO, 2022! WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!!! Without further ado, the YE 2021 Annual Reflection has arrived. The links to download it are below. There are now two versions available to use: First, the glossy PDF version which you are welcome to print and scribble all over. An approach, I rather like. Secondly, and for […]
Please take a few minutes to watch this Nature and Mental Health video. UK Mental Health Awareness Week, 10-16 May 2021 We all have mental health and it can be easily forgotten until we feel the adverse effects. This year, UK Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, is focussing on nature as a way to help […]
We’ve all been marked and stretched by the events of 2020. I feel that it would be better if we didn’t rush to live as we did before. It won’t fit and it will feel strange if we do. Covid-19 and 2020 are more than a once in a lifetime wake up call. I’d really […]
Annual Reflection | The Year That Was 2020 2020, the year of challenges (understatement!) that was met and outshone by a fundamental re-establishment of personal needs and acts of humanity and connectedness. At times, the world of 2020 felt dystopian, unsettled, yet never clearer. So this really is an opportunity to reflect upon what it has taken […]
When lockdown happened in March, and we were only allowed to go outside to exercise or shop, I turned to my bicycle to combine both. I liked owning a bike but it was in the garage 99% of the time. I was a fair-weather cyclist. Why? Because it was too far to commute, busy […]
TIME FOR REFLECTION AS WE EMERGE FROM COVID-19 It is 100 days since lockdown began and we are heading into July 2020. The world is emerging from Covid-19 ever-so cautiously (I hope) and oh-so changed. Since March the virus and the reality of living through lockdown have challenged every aspect of our lives. It […]
This year spring-time reflection and new beginnings feel so poignant. During this time of Covid induced distancing we may have an extraordinary opportunity to commemorate and reflect. We could be in a new defining era. Defining a new and better normal. Let’s hope so. Sending much love. RELATED COVID-19 | 100 Days Later | Time […]
Here is an excellently delivered, enjoyable and informative 12 min TEDTalk . Even during lockdown we are being encouraged to exercise. Why is this talk so good? Because even a renowned neuroscientist only learnt the difference taking exercise makes when she went through the experience herself. Knowing the data was fine. Walking the talk made all […]
Richard Baldwin is Professor of International Economics at The Graduate Institute, Geneva. In this 10 minute Pocket Lecture he will explain better than anyone the epidemiological curve of coronavirus and why the economic shock will last longer than the pandemic. One of the best illustrations of how economics maps and models human behaviours at both the […]
Things didn’t change over a year, month or a week. Despite international news coverage of Covid-19, everything changed in a day. It’s now week 2 of self-isolation which has evolved into a lockdown (in all but name). We can only leave our homes for 1 hour of exercise or shopping. My 1 hour of state […]
When I originally wrote “Resilience and Endurance | What are they?” on 2nd March 2020, little did any of us know how quickly the world would change because of Coronavirus. There is absolutely no doubt that this sudden disruption will have an effect on every aspect of life. The last week has shown shock, disbelief and responses by […]
With the arrival of COVID-19, organisations and individuals need to plan and to be able to deploy with immediate effect a remote working strategy. Many of us have learnt how to manage working flexibly between the office and home. But if its something you don’t do regularly or haven’t done over a longer timeframe, […]
IKIGAI is the Japanese concept of finding purpose. It’s likely you will have seen an illustration similar to this before. WHY I LIKE THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE CONCEPT Ikigai is often simply illustrated with a Venn-style diagram.Venn diagrams have a way of visualising segmentation and cross-over elegantly. Ikigai, or purpose, is positioned at […]
Whether you do this regularly, or perhaps this is your first time, this year’s annual reflection has arrived! You can download it from the image link below. I find it valuable to take a little time and to re-cap in this way. Whether we’ve had a “good year” or a “bad year” an exercise like this […]
The traditional model of work has changed. The 9-to-5 is pretty much over. What were traditionally four types of employment; full-time, part-time, freelance / contractor or business owner have evolved in response to both technical and social change. How we work today is delivered in a variety of ways: flexible working hours flexible working arrangements to […]
This week, 18-24 November 2019, is Self-Care Week. Self-care is deeply subjective and highly personal. We all need to consider what we need to do in order to maintain our levels of mental, physical and overall well-being. Ditch thinking it’s selfish. Self-Care is essential. SELF-CARE IS EMPOWERMENT The key is to understand that self-care […]
It’s in the news again, research studies show that physical activity benefits brain health in two ways: in later years it reduces the rate of cognitive decline it manages depression We have a win-win, both in the here and now, and in the long term. The Michael Moseley article also says that it’s never too late to […]
The clocks have no gone back an hour. The days are shorter and nippier. The nights are longer and colder. If you think we’re heading toward the end of the year, perhaps this may help you to think again. In the Celtic Calendar this time of year is considered the beginning of the year and night as the beginning […]
This week the Office for National Statistics published the latest data on personal well-being for the UK. The data measures the reported level of well-being at national and local levels. There’s nothing like a little comparison to gauge our own levels, right? The data focuses on several areas: Life Satisfaction – overall Worthwhileness – things […]
Life is currently complicated while being boiled down to simple issues. Which they are not. If you want to understand the context of the world, its issues and drivers, look to Chatham House. Chatham House is based in London and is a world leading institution on international affairs. In recent years we have all learnt […]
“Man plans, and God laughs” Entertaining while echoing that anything can happen despite the most detailed planning. Here’s why I advocate that plans and journals work well alongside action when it comes to professional and personal progress. ***** Google “should I plan?”, or “what’s the best plan for…?” and you will net a sizeable haul of […]
Guide for Studying or Working from Home. It’s September and it’s that exciting time when we get back into the study-groove or work-groove. When we travel to a dedicated location for work or study our mindset becomes much more focused on the task at hand. If you are someone who spends a lot of time working or […]
2019 seems to be under-pinned by uncertainty, and with so much going on in the world at the moment, this can play havoc with our internal compass. The summer months often allow an opportunity to reflect. Especially when we go away or take time out from our regular life-style. This year I’ve updated the Annual […]
The article below (see *****) was originally written 5 years ago. This week (w/c 13 May 2019) is Mental Health Awareness Week, focused on Body Image. I felt that this was a good time to share changes I’ve been through; physically and mentally since 2008. I take a personal interest in this because of the importance […]
Friday 8th March is International Women’s Day and the theme this year is Balance for Better. We can assume that in today’s world there is equality and balance between genders. Unfortunately, recent spotlights on #metoo and the gender pay gap (just to name two) illustrate that there are still endemic gender, cultural and society biases. I […]
ANNUAL REFLECTION | GOING FROM 2018 INTO 2019 This year’s annual reflection has arrived! This is something I really enjoy doing; taking a little time out to reflect on the year that has just passed and recollecting what appears to be an ever increasing number of things I’ve forgotten as the year speeds by. Allowing […]
We’re all connected to social media either directly (individual usage) or indirectly (seeing how others use it around us or tag us). Here are three videos which, together, I feel capture some essence of the world of social media and smartphone habits. 1. What If We Lived “Real” Life As We Do Online? 2. How Does Social Media […]
September/October is the time of year I really think coaching comes into its own. Autumn has arrived and nothing crystalises our tally of personal change and progress to date than when we step outside and witness the changing natural world around us. When we’re busy and time-poor, it can feel indulgent to step away from […]
Making the Future More Relevant by the Actions We Take Today Our desire for what we want in the future can feel strong yet that future state we desire may seem so far away that we can feel disconnected from it. If we feel disconnected we are more likely to give up or go off […]
In an age where we are constantly connected to “the internet and everything” I have been in a long-running social media tug-of-war. One the one-hand, staying in touch with people is great. On the other hand, being stuffed with updates on the where, what and who everyone is with is bloating. Am I the only person with this feast […]
I came across this short Radio 4 piece and it struck a chord. In an age of populism, greater polarity of views, and the divisive tweeting of presidents I feel it worth sharing. Is the culture of character limitation or the use of binary emoticons more akin to a Roman judgement of who lives or […]
I am often asked, ‘What is Life Coaching?’ The Elevator Pitch The nearest analogy I can draw is that it’s a massage for the mind. Why The Massage Analogy? As with physical massage, Life Coaching addresses the knots and tensions which restrict our ability to function at our best. Sometimes massage is gentle, relaxing, soothing and […]
I was asked to do an interview for Life Coach Hub in August 2013. It was around the time of my birthday so I’m always in serious thinking mode about then. I reflect upon my own coaching style as well as how I see the future of coaching progressing. It was a lot of fun being […]