Being centred

At any given time, there seems to be a buzz of activity in my life - Sometimes everything is just a crazy rush.  I put a load of pressure on myself to get things done, and I only have a couple of hours a day to do it, because as soon as I fetch my son, Josh, from creche at 12h15, it's all about him - getting him fed, putting him down for a nap, playing in the garden, etc.  I have found that life is much more rewarding and much less frustrating when I don't try to fit too much into my time with Josh.


Life happens
That said, I find that sometimes stressful stuff will happen moments before I am due to see a client for a coaching session, or things in my life might be nagging at me. It is incredibly important to my functioning as a coach that I am able to have a clear head for my client, because it requires all of my attention!

 Before seeing any client, I need to make sure that my inner voices are silent, so that I can listen effectively to the client and pick up their themes etc, rather than have my inner voice interfering.  This means that I need to be calm and centred beforehand.  

Image: Evgeni Dinev

Centering yourself

This can be as simple as taking time to breathe. I like to sit in my chair, and close my eyes, and breathe deeply and slowly.  I relax my shoulders, and I imagine myself as though I am an observer.  All the thoughts in my head drift past - they are of no consequence and I can release them from my mind. 

 

When a thought comes into my mind while I am trying to be silent, I don't fight it or try to make it go away.  I simply watch them and let them float on by (if it is a persistent thought, I may dismiss it with a "how fascinating!".

This done, my mind is empty of the distractions, and I am able to listen well and focus on all the nuances and whispering of the universe!

Let me know if this is helpful, and if you have any other tips on how to keep yourself calm in a crisis!