self care for coaching tips

1. Self care for Coaches
Why bother… and how to begin
by Jane Keep
Jane works as a coach and
practitioner on the processes of
Jane Keep organisational and personal change.
Ponder on this… And if you aren’t yet convinced then yourself matters very much...
take a look at the current workforce
The true delivery of
productivity, absence and sickness
service begins first by
delivering that same statistics. For example... “180 MILLION
service to self in every way, In every case, whether obesity, EMPLOYEE SICK
and to the others (e.g. clients diabetes, HIV, cancer or heart
and colleagues) by the same disease, the incidence of all of these DAYS LAST
manner, that are within the illnesses is on the rise, and although
organisation/team, before any life expectancy has risen (due to the YEAR”
organisation can truly serve. amount of pharmaceuticals and high
(CBI survey 2010)
technology medical and surgical
Serge Benhayon
solutions now available), illness and
Universal Medicine 2006
disease is a worsening problem, not
If we aren’t taking care of ourselves, just in our lives, but in our working Also, take a look at the global health
and if in that we are not serving lives. statistics for example
ourselves (with self care, self
We know that: ‘Coaching is one of
kindness, tenderness and gentleness
the fastest growing professions…’
to ourselves), then how can we
(Bresser & Wilson 2007)
"ACCORDING TO THE
provide services to others who most WORLD HEALTH
often are in need of that exact same So...
ORGANISATION, THE
support – to learn from us for
If coaching is offering services to NUMBER OF PEOPLE
themselves. If we are an organisation
or team equally who aren’t taking
support those in organisations who DYING IN THE WORLD
may be stressed, stuck, challenged, FROM CANCER COULD
care of ourselves, our team, or our
overwhelmed, tired, unproductive,
organisation how can we serve DOUBLE BY 2030 AND
recovering from illness...
others? REACH 13 MILLION."
...how much of an inspirational role
Is it not key to going forward, to
model can a coach offer if they
resilience and steadiness to serve
themselves aren’t the embodiment Curious? Then let’s further
ourselves in a way that supports and
of self care, clarity, true physical and
nourishes ourselves, teams and
physiological vitality, and a sense of consider…
organisations? So that then and only
steadiness and consistency? For example,
then, can we provide true services for
others. So the ‘why bother’ is that you • Have you ever had a coaching session
matter…and the way you are with from a coach, or an appointment as a
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2. client with healthcare practitioner, How much do you actually • Being open to using the physical body
where you have felt that something as a ‘marker’ – it is the marker of all
wasn’t right during the session or
appreciate yourself? truth (Serge Benhayon) (the mind is
after? When I asked myself these questions dishonest) – allow it to speak to you
• Have things ever seemed incongruous at the beginning of this study I was not • Networking with others about how
or inconsistent in what a coach or truly nourishing and supporting myself they take care of self at work
facilitator or healthcare practitioner in my daily work or daily living and I
Jane has studied, presented and
said, and in what they personally did wasn’t waking up feeling vital and
practiced HRM and OD for over 20
or didn’t do as a role model or in how steady, but after 5 years of self study,
years at a senior level as well as at a
they were/looked or felt? developing a deep self awareness and a
strategic/national level in the NHS, her
self honesty, I can now say I feel the
and focus being to bring true wellbeing
healthiest I have ever felt and I am
back into the workplace.
• What then is authenticity in coaching becoming consistently steady as I have
practice? made many small but supportive During the last 10 years, Jane has
and changes to the way I live and the way I coached over 500 individuals and
work. teams in a variety of workplace
• Is it possible coaches can inspire settings (wider public sector, voluntary
others simply by their own vitality, So if I choose to deepen and private sectors), in addition to
steady-ness and consistency?
my self care as a coach, facilitating 40 departments/teams
Also ask yourself...have you ever towards a focused sense of purpose
turned up to ‘serve’ another/offer a where do I start? and more harmonious working
service to another (whether it was Here are a few suggestions: practices.
coaching, facilitating, managing or
• Make it about self as a study, and be
otherwise) when you were tired,
emotional, hungry, thirsty, frustrated,
open to learn – playfully – it’s your This short paper is taken
life... from the PhD study on self
distracted, overburdened, or when the
‘orange light was flickering’? • Self awareness comes from self care that Jane Keep is
observations – with no judgement,
If you have (I know I have), then... completing, which is based
simply observing. This is self caring
on the teachings of esoteric
• Can you say that you truly nourish, • Being open to developing self honesty
support, care for, and tend to yourself (e.g. why do I grab the chocolate bar psychology and esoteric
every day? every afternoon at 3pm or 8pm?) medicine by Serge Benhayon,
• Do you wake up feeling vital and • Learning to say ‘no’! the School of Universal
steady? • Undertaking regular self-appreciation Medicine.
and audits
• How well do you know yourself and • Mini – (practical) experiments e.g.
what supports you? drinking more water, or changing the
time I go to bed
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