We explain more about the different types of coaching, and how working with a coach can help to increase your confidence, redefine your goals, and guide you towards your true potential.

The coaching industry has exploded in popularity in recent years. In the US, life coaching is the second fastest-growing industry after IT. In the UK, there are now over 370,000 coaching professionals. Yet despite the growing interest in coaching, many people aren’t sure where to start. With so many different types of coaching available (and just as many different price points for single sessions, packages, and block bookings), how do you know the right coaching style for you?

What is coaching (and what can it help me with)?

Coaching (often referred to as life coaching) can refer to any process where a coach helps support you in making positive changes, learning new skills, and setting or achieving goals. A coach may work with you in person, online, or over the phone. Ultimately, a coach aims to help you make progress in one or more areas of your life (personal or professional).

A coach is there to help you make changes, discover more about yourself, and set goals, through using techniques such as questioning, active listening, observation, and reflection. The idea is that, over time, this helps you to gain a greater sense of self-awareness and personal insight, thanks to working with a non-judgemental, unbiased coach.

With help and support, you can discover a sense of clarity, direction, and focus. Many find that coaching can help boost their confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem. By working with someone, it can be easier to feel motivated, as you create a sense of accountability. You can also learn new skills, and discover new techniques and approaches to help you improve different areas of your life, from building emotional resilience and setting healthy boundaries, to setting career or financial goals.

What can’t coaching do?

In order for coaching to work, you need to be committed and open to the process. If you aren’t ready to make changes, or aren’t willing to put in the time and effort needed, you aren’t going to see the results.

If you’re in the right mindset, and find a coach that you feel comfortable being open and honest with, coaching can be a life-changing experience offering numerous benefits.

It’s important to remember that, while many coaches can help with wellbeing issues, coaching and counselling are not the same. If you are struggling with ill mental health, addiction, trauma, or other serious concerns, it is important to work with someone who is trained to help within that area.

Here we share more details about the different kinds of coaching on offer, and how you can figure out which one is right for you.

Health and wellness coaching

When you think about improving your health and wellbeing, what first comes to mind? Practising mindfulness, working with a nutritionist, talking with a therapist?

Recognise the signs and get the support you need from employers

To others, it may look like you’re thriving, and that you’ve got everything under control. But, despite how it looks on the outside, you know something’s wrong. You’re constantly tired, you’re feeling overwhelmed. Every decision or conversation feels like it’s draining you of energy, and that nagging voice of self-doubt is growing ever louder.

If this sounds familiar, you might be experiencing, or at the very least approaching, burnout.

While burnout is no new issue, it’s becoming increasingly prevalent. And after the last few years, many of us are aware of what it means to be happy and healthy, and what our minds and bodies need in order to function at their best.

But even if you know something isn’t right, the hard part can be asking for help. So, how can you tell your employer that you’re struggling?

Understand what may be causing it

When it comes to burnout recovery, often, the first step is to understand the root cause. Identifying the potential causes can help you to know exactly what support you may need from your employer, and also, indicate if there’s anything that has been missing from your life. For example, have you been unusually busy in and out of work, so you’ve lost the time you previously had to actually rest? When was the last time you did something for yourself?

Identify the help you need

Once you have an idea of what may be causing it, the next step is to understand what help you need. There might not be a clear answer, but having an inkling of what will help you can make the conversation easier later on. Perhaps you feel like there’s simply too much on your plate and delegating some of the work could help ease that pressure?

Of course, if you’ve realised that you’re unhappy at your workplace, you may decide now is the time to move on. While scary, taking this leap could be the best thing you ever do.

Speak to someone you feel comfortable with

If you’re nervous about talking to your employer, can you talk to a friend first? Or is there a colleague you can confide in? Someone to be a listening ear while you try to understand what you need. Simply talking about how you feel can help you make sense of the situation when you can’t see the wood for the trees.

Read your company policies

Does your company offer any wellbeing support? According to Mental Health UK, just 23% of people knew what plans their employers had in place to help spot the signs of chronic stress and burnout. While this is on employers to improve communication, if you are struggling, it’s worth reading through company documents to understand exactly what is offered.

Book a time to chat

Knowing how you feel and what support you need will help make the conversation as easy as possible. Who you speak to will depend on the issue, but for general workload or job satisfaction issues, your manager is likely your first port of call. If you’re feeling mistreated, or if you’re not comfortable speaking with your manager, schedule a chat with HR.

The best advice I can give from my own experience is to be as honest and open

With the back-to-school season well underway, we’re taking a look at how families can use this time to reset and shape new routines to prevent burnout

Just like that, the summer holidays are over and as we see the beginnings of autumn, we also see children returning to school. Despite the buzz in the air from the kids, it can also be a time of doubt for parents who are faced with the dreaded early starts and school runs - and that’s all before they start their own working day.

It’s six o'clock and you’ve probably grabbed your first of many coffees that’ll get you through the morning. After ushering everyone out of bed and trying to get them ready, you’re faced with the great breakfast debate - who’s having what cereal and in what coloured bowl? Hair, teeth, coats, bags, shoes, and a whirlwind of multitasking later, you’re finally ready to head out the door for the school run until… “I need the toilet!” All before 8:30am.

As exciting as it can be watching your child grow, the back-to-school season can also be a time of heightened emotions for parents. The truth is, after a long summer and perhaps a lovely family holiday, the struggle of going back to work is real, let alone doing the school run too. Upon returning to work, you might be expected to remain positive and breezy, when actually you’ve already faced your battles for the day and it’s not even 9am.

Luckily, there are some things you can do as a family that can help ease the hustle and bustle of the school morning routine.

Tips for resetting your school routine

1. Plan ahead

This seems easier said than done. The last thing you want to do after a long day at work is get everything sorted for the following morning, but your mind and body will thank you for it.

Try to establish an early evening routine before you wind down for some much-needed family time by gathering everything you and the kids need for the following day - does homework need to be completed? Make sure school bags are packed, lunch boxes are at the ready and you could even set out plates, bowls, and cutlery in time for breakfast.

You might also want to leave coats, bags, and shoes at the front door to save time (and the panic of trying to find that one missing shoe buried at the back of the cupboard). To really make the most of it, encourage the children to get involved in the evening routine, such as making lunchboxes together. This will not only give them some independence but also allows you to spend time with them catching up on their day.

2. Meal plan

The above also applies to preparing dinners. Batch cooking is a great way to ensure the whole family is getting hearty, nutritious meals at a fraction of the time it would normally take to cook them. You could spend some time at the weekend thinking about what you’d like to eat that week and store it in the freezer. This makes for a quick and easy way to whip up dinner for the whole family, whilst still allowing for ‘you time’.

Struggling for inspiration? Try these batch-bake recipes.

3. Prioritise

Throughout the week, make sure you prioritise doing the things that really need to be done, and toss those that can wait to the side. The easiest way to keep track of this is by writing a to-do list. Maybe you need to do the laundr

Are you hiding behind a mask of pleasantries at work?

If I was to ask you, “How are you doing?” What would your response be? Now, imagine I’m a manager at work asking the same question – has your response changed?

There’s a new ‘ism’ in the workplace: pleasanteeism. This refers to the pressure many of us feel to conceal any stress, anxiety or low mood we may be feeling, choosing to hide behind pleasantries instead. This grin-and-bear-it workplace culture is on the rise, according to healthcare provider Lime Global. Surveying workers in the UK, in February 2022, Lime Global found that 75% of respondents admit to putting on a brave face at work, increasing from 51% in May 2021.

Looking at the causes of this rise, financial concerns and the cost of living were high on the list, with over a third of those surveyed saying they were worried about money. But, while recent economic shifts no doubt have a part to play, concealing negative emotions is something we learn early on.

“We’re taught to hide our feelings from an early age. To stop crying when we’re upset or in pain, to not be angry at people who hurt us,” burnout prevention coach Gaby Grzywacz explains.

“It’s no surprise we take those lessons into the workplace. While at work, we are expected to be professional – and we usually don’t see displaying our feelings as professional. So the thought of being open and honest about it doesn’t cross people’s minds.”

Gaby also notes that there is still a great amount of stigma surrounding mental health, with some fearing that they may be perceived as ‘weak’ – though she notes that it takes courage to be open about your feelings at work.

The fear that’s driving pleasanteeism may be palpable, but hiding your feelings isn’t the answer. Suppressing negative emotions can impact our mental health, affecting our self-esteem, and causing a rise in anxiety and depression. It can also harm our physical health, leading to increased blood pressure and memory problems.

So, how can we find that courage to be more open at work? First, let’s look at the root of the problem: workplace culture.

“If the company has the culture of pushing through all difficulties, delivering perfection, the whole ‘work hard, play hard’ nonsense, it’s unlikely that an employee would feel comfortable disclosing their feelings to their boss until they’re at a point where they can’t do their job,” says Gaby.

Employers need to take the reins when it comes to preventing pleasanteeism, cultivating a culture of openness. “It starts with simple things, for example, a manager admitting that they have a headache, or are feeling a bit down, so they won’t be at their best that day,” Gaby explains. “That shows their team it’s OK not to be at 100% all the time.”

Increasing the company’s awareness of mental health and self-care is also key. This may include introducing mental health training, reminding people that they can take sick days for their mental he

Feeling lost and uninspired with your career? Ask yourself the following questions…

We spend a large portion of our days, weeks, and lives at work, to the point where, often, the time we spend on developing our careers and businesses outweighs time with friends and families.

This isn’t necessarily negative; hopefully our work supports us to live with meaning. But, sometimes, we may not feel aligned to our role, or valued by our employer, or feel positively challenged by our job. Perhaps, our values no longer match with the organisation we work for, or the lack of career progression may be holding us back.

As with all areas of life, things can change. Our ambition might outgrow the current role we have at work.

Maybe we are returning from maternity leave with a renewed sense of identity, perhaps we have a new manager who doesn’t support our career ambitions, or we realise that a 50-hour working week isn’t for us anymore. It’s common to have these thoughts, and to feel out of sync with our working life for some time before we review and act towards change. Job security and financial stability can outweigh the possible risks that come with a career move, and we can start to feel ‘stuck’ instead of curious.

But the pandemic has created a shift in workplace culture, and the changes towards flexible working have provided new opportunities, reduced commuting, and minimised office politics for many. As a life and career coach, many of the clients I work with share thoughts on wanting to make a positive impact through their work, wanting to feel more fulfilled, and to have more of a balance between work and home.

As with all big life decisions, it is important to move through the fear that we first notice, and into a place of open-minded possibility. So, ask yourself these five questions that can help you to reconnect with your career path and purpose.

1. Is your work ‘meaningful’ right now?

Having a sense of purpose in our work keeps us motivated and allows us to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves. What do you love most about your role right now? Assess how your company’s values align with your own personal ones. Make a note of when you can influence positive change in your projects. Recall the colleagues that inspire you, who share your vision for a supportive work environment.

2. Is your current role making you feel valued?

Knowing that we are making a difference, and that our time and contributions matter, is how we feel fulfilled. Reflect on recent feedback, and note the contributions you have been thanked for. Assess where and how you enable your team and organisation to achieve objectives – does this make you feel proud? Being appreciated helps our motivation. Who is championing you and sees your potential?

3. What new skills are you learning through work?

Our capacity for learning is endless, and each opportunity for growth taps into our potential. Access to learning and development keeps us engaged and motivated, whether this is through formal learning, observing, or saying ‘yes’ to new experiences. Does your curre