Over the last month I have been studying a Mindfulness course with the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia with Dr Craig Hassed – Associate Professor and Coordinator of Mindfulness Programs and Dr Richard Chambers – Clinical Psychologist & Mindfulness Consultant.

We have been looking at:

• the impact that being distracted and inattentive has on our performance and executive functioning
• how being more mindful (attentive, engaged and being present in everyday life) can improve performance and executive functioning
• the effect of  rumination on our effectiveness
• the power of curiosity and how we can cultivate it
• how our default mode can lead to getting stressed
• effectiveness when multitasking
• how unitasking and efficient attention switching can benefit us
• how distraction and procrastination can impact us in the workplace
• managing our emotions

Mindfulness is about bringing your attention to the present moment and not thinking about what has happened in the past or thinking about what is going to happen in the future. To bring yourself into the current moment, Mindfulness focuses on the breath and your attention to the sensations you can feel in your body as they are currently happening. It is also about being non-judgemental and considering others as well as yourself.

Mindfulness is something that many of my students find useful for dealing with anxiety, anger, self-harm and also sleep issues. With regular practice they find it has a positive impact on their well being and performance both in and out of school.

If you would like to know more about Mindfulness and how I use it with my students or if you know of someone that would benefit from coaching with me then please contact me.

This week has been Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme was to spread a little kindness.

Having support from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will surely significantly contribute to raising awareness around children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Everyone from parents, carers, teachers, therapists and coaches is being encouraged to talk openly with their children and support them in developing their awareness around emotional intelligence (EQ) and the support and information that is available to them.

I am passionate about making a difference to young people and their lives. Mental health struggles in young people have definitely increased in the three years I have been coaching in schools. And anxiety affects over 80% of my students.

Now is the time to take action, If we listen to young people today then we can support and assist them to be a happier, more contented, successful and anxiety-free generation for the future.

If you know of any young adults or teenagers that would benefit from life coaching then please contact me.

I am currently studying a course on FutureLearn in conjunction with the University of Liverpool about Psychology and Mental Health and the debate about whether it is nature or nurture which has most influence.

Understanding why we behave as we do is a fascinating subject for me. As I work with my clients I learn a lot about what makes them tick.  I then coach them to use this information to move themselves forward and achieve success.

There are some very thought provoking articles regarding mental health from The Royal College of Psychiatrists and also the ‘New Laws of Psychology’ by Peter Kinderman. I was also interested to read the different perspectives of Professor John Quinn PhD, Dr John Read and Dr Philip Goff and the causes they attribute to mental health.

As my coaching practice grows so does my thirst for knowledge around psychology and neuroscience and the impact it has on our actions and behaviours. Mental health issues are certainly on the increase and it is a major reason that my clients come to me for coaching. The more I learn around the subject the more effective I can be for my clients.

I am looking forward to the next five weeks of learning and also in deciding what my perspective on the ‘nature or nurture’ debate will be by the end of the course. At the moment I feel it could be a combination of biological and social influence although I will be keeping an open mind and I am happy to be persuaded otherwise.

If you know of someone who is struggling in life and would benefit from coaching then please contact me.