Spring renewal

Springtime! New life feels to be bursting out all around, and as I write this we're being blessed by the most gorgeous, spring weather, with blue skies and sunshine. Wonderful!

I've been away in the Lake District for a few days and we've enjoyed some wonderful walks, great scenery and even (mostly) fantastic weather.

And just before that I celebrated a milestone of a birthday with lots of friends and family.

All in all it feels like a time of real renewal. A time of new beginnings. A time for feeling refreshed and starting again with new energy and vitality.

It's interesting how, as we returned to more everyday life after my birthday and our break away, both my husband and I seemed better able to deal with the tiring or stressful or mundane bits of our lives. Taking time out, changing focus from the everyday to just taking time to appreciate the things around us, enables us to feel so much more creative and energetic.

Maybe if your energy levels have felt sapped, your creative juices had dried up, or your stress levels have reached an all-time high, now's a good time for you to have a bit of renewal too?

The price of stress

There's some research out this week showing that ill health is currently costing the UK economy £11 billion each year. That's some figure!

A large majority of that ill health is back pain. It's widely recognised that a lot of back pain is a direct result of too much stress. So, our stressful lives are leading us to huge amounts of illness resulting in distress, time off work, visits to the doctor, lowered productivity, costly medical bills and much unhappiness.

How much better, for ourselves, our families and our workplaces, if we could take control of our stress and minimise its damaging effects?

Maybe like me you've suffered from back pain and are aware that it stems, at least partly, from your stress levels. Maybe you run a workplace and can see the damaging effects of stress on your staff and on your bottom line. Or maybe you'd simply like to manage your own stress before it gets out of hand and limits your health and wellbeing.

There are all sorts of things you can do to manage your stress, including being aware of what your own stressors are and finding ways to limit them, not taking on too much and learning to say 'no', organising your time so you work effectively and efficiently and still find time for yourself and your family, giving yourself positive messages that boost your morale and wellbeing, and learning how to relax.

In fact there's so much that can be done to help control your stress, it's amazing we don't do more about it, especially given the recognised impact on ourselves and on our economy.

A lot of my work centres around helping people manage their stress. Some come looking for ways to manage their time better, others wanting to find out who they are and find some sense of purpose and inner peace, still others wanting to build their self-esteem, look after themselves
better and feel more relaxed.

Solutions include one-to-one coaching, group workshops (great for companies), and my online courses, including the popular How to Find More Time for Work and Play.

In response to the fact that so many of us suffer stressful lives and find it difficult to relax, I've compiled a professional self-help CD Ultimate Relaxation which contains powerful techniques for managing your stress. Email me at elizabeth.juffs@ejlifecoaching.co.uk or phone me on 0115 925 2552 to order your copy or find out more.

Maybe, just maybe, as more of us learn ways to take control of our stress, our lives will become healthier and more satisfying, and the UK economy will follow suit!

Aches and pains

I've been a little out of action this week. I've been struggling with some kind of chest infection, leaving me feeling rather low and definitely not my usual, fighting self.

It's interesting how we can keep going with our busy lives, with little let up, and then something suddenly mows us down.

I often talk about our 'personal bank balance' - our inner reserves that we draw on to help us deal with the usual stresses and strains of life. Drawing on them when our bank balance is healthy is fine. Continuing to use up our inner reserves when they're already running low, leads to stress and illness.

Guess that's what happened to me - yes, even Life Coaches aren't immune!

It's only once I realised what was going on - that I really was unwell and needed some TLC - that I actually took some time out and started to give myself the rest I needed. Fortunately I'm already on the mend.

It's so easy to think we can just keep going - perhaps that we MUST keep going. If we just stop and give ourselves the TLC we need - and that we'd almost certainly recommend to a good friend in the same situation - we can then start to rebuild our inner reserves so we feel better and are much better placed to deal with day to day life. Yes, and we are even better placed to help others, rather than thinking we can continue to give without taking heed of our own needs too.

OK - so I'm just off to put my feet up for a bit!

Popping the question

A female client of mine used the time-old Leap Year tradition on February 29th of being able to ask her boyfriend, with whom she is very much in love, whether he would marry her. Much to her delight, he said 'yes'. Good on her - and him!

According to tradition, if he'd declined her proposal, he would have to buy her an item of clothing by way of compensation. Apparently, asking a man to marry her on 29 February used to be a great way for a lady to enhance her wardrobe. (Mmmm, must think about that myself - although being happily married already, it's unlikely!)

For my client, this Leap Year gave her a wonderful opportunity to ask for something she really wanted - and her courage was rewarded.

Wouldn't it be great, though, if we didn't feel the need to wait for a particular moment before we do something courageous?

Many of the people I work with come to me having 'put their lives on hold' in some way or other. Some are suffering a job that no longer suits them, put up with low levels of confidence, or feel to have 'lost themselves' in the busy-ness of their lives and aren't sure where they're heading.

What if each of them had the courage to make the changes they need to make so their lives become fulfilling and purposeful again? If they knew how to move forward and get out of their 'stuckness'?

Many of us find that difficult on our own. Investing in some life coaching enables us to get out of that stuck place and find the courage and the direction needed to move on with our lives.

So, whilst you may not have 'popped the question' on 29 February (or had someone ask you to marry them), you can find a way to move forward positively and courageously anytime you want to.

Why wait till the next Leap Year? What have you been putting off? How about deciding today to do one thing that will move your life forward?

Go on, do it - and then let me know what happens. I'd love to hear!