Dealing with stress and fear

I'm working with a fabulous lady at the moment, who has had an incredibly difficult time. Yet despite it all, she continues to be able to bring up her two sons single-handedly whilst looking after her home and studying.

To the outside world she looks and sounds fabulous.

Look beneath the surface and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the cracks appear.

When she allows herself to admit to her true feelings, she is very stressed and fearful. And it's this stress and this fear that's stopping her making the changes she wants to make in her life.

I guess we all feel stressed or fearful at times. And its exactly at those times that we can find change so difficult. We're like rabbits frozen in the glare of headlights. We're unable to move forward or to achieve the things we'd like to achieve.

It's almost impossible to make the changes we want to make in our lives if we're feeling stressed or fearful.

If this sounds like you, or someone you know, the trick is to develop daily renewal to get out of your stress or fear mode and into a place where you are more optimistic and inspired. Only then can you learn and change.

And if you recognise that you, or someone you know, are often stressed, why not come along to my stress management workshop this September? You even get to take away a free CD containing powerful techniques to help you continue to take control of your stress at home or work.

Take a peek at my website to find out more, or drop me an email at elizabeth.juffs@ejlifecoaching.co.uk It would be great to hear from you!

Highs and lows

Isn't the weather this summer amazing? We already know that this June in the UK the weather was the wettest since records began. And July looks set to be not far behind. Even my son, who is such a positive soul, recently said he'd had enough of the rain. And I can only guess at how it must be for those who have suffered flooding of their homes.

I wonder, though, if you've seen a few glimpses of sunshine? We've certainly had a few days where the clouds have given way to blue sky and we've had glorious sunshine.

And hasn't that been fantastic? It's almost as if we're seeing the sun with new eyes; as if sunshine is something completely new. However much I enjoy the sun (and I do) I'm sure I wouldn't appreciate it the same if I had sunshine the whole year round.

I believe that we have to have the darker bits in order to fully enjoy the bright bits. And that applies as much to our lives as to our weather. The darker days give contrast to our brighter days, and mean we can appreciate the good bits so much more. Without the darker bits, everything can seem just a shade of grey.

So, do you want a grey life, or one with contrasts, where you can enjoy the brighter bits too?

I know which I'd choose!

Learning for the future

I wrote an article recently about sibling rivalry and the challenging job of parenting for which there is no 'instruction manual'.

One reader, Sharon, wrote this in response:

"Thanks Elizabeth, this valuable advice comes at the perfect time, just before I lose all my feathers! I share all the self-improvement, life-skills and growth I am experiencing through newsletters such as yours, courses, workshops and books with my children - imagine if they have the awareness and insight that we have gained from years of hard knocks as they grow up how much more advanced and better equipped they will be when they venture out into the world.... "

How fabulous to pass on our learning in this way. How fabulous if the learning we achieve, whether through the "hard knocks" we experience or from our reading and the courses we attend, leads not just to a better life for ourselves, but also to a better life for our children and future generations.

Sharon's message is such a positive one, I wanted to share it with you.

What about your story? Do you have any stories or experiences to share or things that have happened as a result of you reading my blog or other messages?

If so, please share them using the comments link below - it will be great to hear from you!