Feeling overwhelmed?

Feeling overwhelmed? 

Some clients may be feeling overwhelmed at the thought of covid restrictions suddenly coming to an end and the expectation that everything will just return to normal overnight. However, as a professional coach you may be asked by your clients to help them understand how these changes are making them feel and explore the best options for them to transition back to the way life once was.

One really simple approach could be to ask your clients to list out anything that has recently caused them to feel any stress or worry. And then work with them to break down their list into the things they feel they could influence and the things they simply have no or very little control over. Helping them to understand what influence they have over the things that cause them to stress or worry, can significantly help them learn how to adapt to these types of changes and navigate the conversations that may currently be taking place around them.

Looking through the list of things they feel they can’t change or influence will really help them start to come to terms with the things they will need to either accept, let go of or walk away from. And we find that these are normally the things that many clients say cause them to feel really overwhelmed and result in the most frustration or the highest levels of stress.

But we would never want our clients to feel as if fear is in control of their lives, so it can be really helpful to remind them that the most important thing we can all control, is how we feel about the world around us. So once you have identified the things outside of their control, try to move the focus onto the list of things that they do have some control or influence over.

Reviewing the list with them to see if they can cluster the items into themes will help them spot any quick wins or simple actions they could take to regain some of the control they may feel they have lost. This can then be used to build out an action plan that shows the small steps they feel confident taking between your coaching sessions and if they are going to need any help or support to be successful.

By asking your clients how they are feeling about the lifting of restrictions or taking some time out of your next coaching session to explore how they are feeling right now, may unlock a conversation about how much control they feel they have over their life. This can help uncover anything that has the potential to cause them stress or worry and gives them a safe space to learn how to manage their reaction or the impact it could have on them and the people around them.