Lucy White Coaching

Discover the Power of the Present Moment: Overcoming Stress with Mental Fitness

Discover the Power of the Present Moment: Overcoming Stress with Mental Fitness

by | Aug 17, 2023 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Leadership, Leadership Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, Positive Intelligence, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Sage Powers, Team Coaching

I’m writing this while sitting on the deck at my family cottage. I’d be writing on the dock but our original dock has finally given up and we’re in the middle of getting a fancy new one.

The old dock has been with us since the early days when my siblings and I would stay in the lake until our lips were blue with cold. And, that thud, thud, thud, of our feet running to the end for a flying leap, is a big part of my memory of those times.

I know the new dock will not sway dangerously if you walk too close to the side or suddenly give way underfoot. But what sound will the new dock make under running feet?

I have to admit that I’ve been dreading this newsletter quite a bit. Not the writing, but the recognition that it is mid-August. The abundance of tomatoes, beans, corn, peaches, and basil at the local farmstand, the nightly cricket song, and the cooler nights are reminders to savour the summer while we can.

The ability to savour the present moment requires intentional attention to our positive senses, feelings, thoughts and actions. When we are overwhelmed, stressed or burnt-out, emotional and physical exhaustion can make it impossible to be present with and enjoy our positive experiences.

If you recognize that stress or burn-out are preventing you from enjoying your life, there are things you can do now that will help:

  • See your doctor to make sure there is no physical illnesses at play.

  • Get more sleep. Everyone needs at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

  • Move your body. Walk around the block or have a solo dance party.

  • Adopt a mindfulness practice like sitting, walking, yoga, or following your breath.

Mental Fitness participants report that the increase in their emotional regulation has helped them to recognize what causes them stress and what to do to reduce it.

They understand how to weaken negative self-talk and strengthen their powers of empathy, curiosity and to take action when needed. They increase their emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and presence.

As a result, they are happier in their careers and relationships, and have a greater sense of purpose and direction.

Registration opens soon for Mental Fitness for Nonprofit Leaders (September 26-November 28.) Places are limited so if you’re interested, click here to save your place.

If you are curious about the benefits of Mental Fitness or how it works, I’d love to you reach out. Book some time on my calendar or send me a note.

Why conditional happiness holds you back from real fulfilment

by | Jul 19, 2023 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Leadership, Leadership Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, Positive Intelligence, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Sage Powers, Team Coaching

Did you know that we are at choice about how happy and fulfilled we are?

Yes, truly! We are at choice about how happy we are.

Let me show you what I mean.

Any of these statements sound like you?

  • I’ll be happy when I get that promotion.
  • I’ll be happy when we meet our fundraising target.
  • I’ll be happy when I can afford to take a special vacation.

Were you happier when you got what you wanted? Probably not.

I used to think that I was just one of those people who wasn’t very happy. By any measure, I had lots of the things (good job, car, house) that should make me happy but happiness just didn’t seem to stick. Why was that?

The above statements are examples of conditional happiness—happiness that is contingent on achieving an external goal. Research shows that, on average, conditional happiness is brief and fades over time. Meaning that to recapture conditional happiness, you need to set yourself another achievement, and another. It’s just not sustainable—it’s exhausting and stressful.

So, why isn’t conditional happiness sustainable? It’s because every person has a baseline level of happiness. Achieving conditional happiness will shift your baseline level of happiness temporarily but inevitably it returns to your set level.

As a nonprofit leader, your organization and all its stakeholders rely on you to manage your emotions. If you are constantly seeking happiness, fulfillment, and gratification through external conditions, you’ll bring that state of mind to work. You won’t just set goals, you’ll keep moving the goalposts looking for the next fix of conditional happiness.

But there is a solution.

You can rewire your brain and raise your happiness set level so that you experience happiness more frequently and sustainably.

Let’s take a quick detour and look at the definition of happiness. For my purpose, I’m defining happiness as feeling positive emotions like contentment, gratitude, joy, and compassion. While it is essentially human to experience all types of emotions—pleasant and unpleasant—we don’t need to stay in the unpleasant emotions indefinitely. We can choose to be in command of our emotions.

Research at Positive Intelligence shows that Mental Fitness practice helps to rewire your brain so that pleasant Sage emotions grow stronger and unpleasant emotions generated by our Saboteurs grow weaker.

When we encounter our unpleasant emotions, we are able to experience them AND recover faster so that we don’t get hijacked by anger, sadness, jealousy, or judgement.

We are in command of our emotions and we have quicker access to empathy, curiosity, innovation, and action–all the powers required for skillful and productive leaders. And, you feel sustained pleasant emotions as a result of responding powerfully to life’s challenges.

We are at choice about how happy we are. Mental Fitness provides accessible practices and tools to choose and sustain happiness.

If you are curious about the benefits of Mental Fitness or how it works, I’d love to you reach out; Book some time on my calendar or send me a note.

The ROI of Leadership Coaching: Three Benefits for Employers

The ROI of Leadership Coaching: Three Benefits for Employers

by | May 10, 2023 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Leadership, Leadership Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Team Coaching

Great employers know the benefits of investing in their people. Increased productivity, high levels of employee engagement and retention, and increased revenues are three benefits frequently noted when thoughtful employee development programs are put in place. 

Leadership coaching is one of the many options organizations have to invest in the development of their people. Before authorizing leadership coaching in their organizations, prudent decision-makers will have many questions about the benefits and costs related to coaching. Before I jump to the ROI of leadership coaching, let’s first clarify what it is and what it isn’t.

 What is Leadership Coaching?

Leadership training is instruction on the competencies that leaders need to succeed. The purpose of leadership coaching is to enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of leaders so they can be more effective in leading and managing their teams. Leadership coaching complements training by providing a space for individuals to explore their personal leadership style, learn to regulate emotional responses, and uncover the recurring patterns and limiting beliefs that block or limit professional success.

Organizations that offer coaching and have built coaching cultures say their top reasons to make coaching a key part of their leadership development strategy are:

  • Improved communication skills
  • Improved teamwork
  • Improved decision making
  • Increased productivity
  • Increased employee engagement

While leadership coaching is often perceived as expensive, the return on investment (ROI) can be significant. A Price Waterhouse Cooper’s survey reported that the average ROI return for companies that invested in coaching was seven times their initial investment and more than 25% of survey respondents reported ROI of 10 to 49 times the initial investment. These are impressive numbers. Let’s look at three ways that the ROI of leadership coaching can be assessed.

  1. Improved Performance

One way to evaluate the ROI of leadership coaching is by measuring the improvement in performance of leaders and their teams. 

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) found that 70% of individuals who received leadership coaching reported improved work performance, while 86% of companies reported recouping their investment in coaching through improved productivity and profitability.

Coaching helps leaders develop emotional intelligence (EQ) and self-knowledge needed to lead their teams effectively. Leaders with high EQ are better able to motivate and manage their teams to higher levels of performance. Communications improve and team conflict may be reduced.

  1. Employee Recruitment and Retention

Another way to evaluate the ROI of leadership coaching is by measuring the impact of coaching on employee recruitment and retention. Organizations that offer coaching demonstrate to current employees and candidates that they are committed to the ongoing training and development of their staff. This improves retention of top and high potential employees and helps to attract the best qualified candidates. 

For example, stress is cited as a key driver of poor performance and employee absenteeism. Positive Intelligence Inc., where I received my coaching credentials, reported that 100% of employees of a US-based health and wellness company managed their stress better after completing a coaching program. 

Research conducted by the ICF found that organizations that provided coaching to their employees had a 21% higher retention rate than those that did not provide coaching. The study also found that coaching was the second most effective tool for retaining employees, behind only salary increases. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that replacing an employee can cost an organization 6-9 months’ salary on average. Reducing turnover leads to significant cost savings.

Coaching can help leaders develop the skills needed to create a positive work environment, which can lead to higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. As a result, employees may be more likely to stay with the organization, reducing turnover costs while the organization increases its ability to attract the best candidates.

  1. Increased Revenue

Coaching can also lead to increased revenue for organizations. By improving the performance of leaders and their teams, organizations are able to increase their productivity, efficiency, and profitability. Additionally, coaching can help leaders identify new opportunities for growth and development, leading to increased revenue streams.

For example, a study conducted by the ICF found that coaching led to an average revenue increase of 46% for organizations. The study also found that coaching was the second most effective tool for increasing revenue, behind only strategic planning.

Conclusion

The ROI of leadership coaching can be sizable. Organizations that implement leadership coaching can expect to see benefits such as improved performance, increased employee retention, and increased revenues. While the upfront cost of coaching may be significant, evaluation of the long-term benefits should outweigh the costs, making it a worthwhile investment in an organization’s leadership development. 

If you are curious about how leadership coaching could benefit you or your organization, contact me to explore the value of leadership coaching with you.

Originally published in The Osborne Group Insights Blog

Do you keep your promises to yourself? Two ideas to make it easier.

Do you keep your promises to yourself? Two ideas to make it easier.

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, Positive Intelligence, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Sage Powers, Team Coaching, Values

Isn’t this spring crazy busy? I see you and how many conferences, grant applications, launches and openings you’ve got going on. I hope you’re taking time to stop and smell the hyacinths!

In March, I was busy getting ready for the next cohort of Mental Fitness for Nonprofit Leaders.  I did a happy dance on April 1 as the new program got underway. I’m so proud of every person who commits to learning how to overcome stress, negativity, or overwhelm so they can live the unique life they crave for themselves.

Speaking of commitments, I recently made a commitment to myself to up my writing game by sending twice monthly newsletters. Writing can trigger all kinds of saboteur voices trying to hold me back. On the other hand, I really don’t like the disappointment I feel when I let a saboteur voice distract me from emailing you!

Another thing I don’t like? Strawberries in salad. What a waste of a good strawberry. I’m working on improving my health with more veggies and exercise but a person has to draw a line somewhere. But that’s enough negativity about those misguided salads.

Let me share something I do like:  I like keeping my promises to myself!

I like remembering to prep the week’s meals on Sunday, to write thank you notes, and pay my bills on time. In the past, strong Avoider and Restless saboteurs could divert my attention or prevent me from even getting started.

I find that regular PQ Reps* through the day help keep me focused on the important things and stacking my habits means I don’t have to make constant fatiguing decisions.** I now do a few PQ Reps when I first wake up and whenever I plug in the kettle. I’ve recently stacked getting a latte on Saturday morning with going to the gym. No gym, no coffee!

Do you find it hard to stick to the promises that you make to yourself?

What tricks or tips do you have to keep you focussed on your commitments?

*Curious about PQ Reps? Here is a short video of me demonstrating a PQ Rep.

** Decision fatigue is a real thing! Read about decision fatigue here.

Transform Restless to Relaxed in Five Steps

Transform Restless to Relaxed in Five Steps

by | Mar 1, 2023 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, Positive Intelligence, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Sage Powers, Team Coaching

I have a foolproof way to know when spring is coming. No, I don’t rely on Groundhog Day or Easter chocolates appearing on store shelves.

It’s the first day that someone in British Columbia posts a photo of daffodils. The collective moaning and kvetching from the rest of Canada is deafening. Everyone else feels grumpy as heck that we’re still up to our knees in snow.

I’m as anxious as anyone for spring to arrive. By early March, I’m feeling intense spring fever. I’m restless for primroses and tulips to appear in gardens, for eliminating a layer or two of clothing, and for a green vegetable that is not frozen peas. I’m ready for the fresh energy that spring heralds.

That spring restlessness that many of us feel can be a good thing; a sign that we are ready to leave winter hibernation behind us. Or it can be saboteur energy that distracts us from what is important, hampers our productivity, and prevents us from working on our priorities. That kind of energy is exhausting not energizing.I’ve noticed that whenever I have an upcoming writing deadline, the Restless Saboteur pulls my focus away from the concentration needed for writing. I’ll suddenly be cleaning my home, cooking elaborate meals, and tidying my workspace.Unchecked, Restless Saboteurs can be the cause of a busy yet unproductive day. The Restless Saboteur will have us multi-tasking and looking for quick hits of dopamine. People with Restless habits can be impatient and will avoid unpleasant feelings or situations by switching focus constantly. They might be driven by a feeling that life is too short and that without constant movement they’ll miss out. FOMO may well have been coined by someone experiencing a Restless Saboteur.

When you suspect you are in Restless mode, try these five steps to transform restless to relaxed:

  1. Notice what kind of energy you are bringing to the busyness. Is it scattered or focused? Nervous or calm?
  2. Whatever you are doing, bring as much focus as you can to the task. If you are dusting, notice the tiny particles of dust as they lay still or move in the air. If you are exercising, notice the pace of your breathing, the feel of a specific muscle as you move. Do some PQ Reps on touch, hearing, or breath.
  3. From this place of attention, ask yourself if this activity is a priority for your day or a distraction? If a distraction, notice any feelings that come up when you think about the priority.
  4. Now bring your focus to that priority activity. Imagine yourself doing that activity in great detail. Imagine how you want to feel as you are doing the task—capable, happy, focused? Next imagine how you want to feel when you complete the task—proud, calm, reliable?
  5. When you are ready, move to your priority activity. If it is a big task, break it down to small parts and tackle one at a time. Repeat the above steps as needed until you are acting from a place of relaxed focus.

Thanks to consistent Mental Fitness practices, I’m gradually gaining self-command over Restlessness. After a short session of PQ Reps, I’m able to transform the high energy and creativity that underlies Restless behaviours into focused action on my work.

The Mental Fitness system gives my clients the tools to transform their insights into new habits and their restlessness into productive relaxed action.

Is Mental Fitness for you? It was for this nonprofit leader!

by | Jul 12, 2022 | Coaching, Group Coaching, Life Coaching, Mental Fitness, Positive Intelligence, positive mindset, Saboteurs, Sage Powers, Team Coaching

Is Mental Fitness for you? It was for Joyce!

 My client Joyce* has worked in the nonprofit sector for the last 15 years. She didn’t intend to end up in nonprofit work. Her immigrant parents worked hard so that Joyce had the best education possible and at their urging, Joyce earned several degrees including an MBA.  Joyce soon realized business was not her calling and she chose nonprofit work as a refuge from her unfulfilling job.
 
When she came to me for coaching, Joyce was beginning to realize she’d spent her whole life pleasing her parents, partners, and employers. She had great fear that, at 50, she didn’t love her nonprofit work anymore and that she was running out of time to figure out what she wanted in life. She felt lost and directionless.
 
After my Mental Fitness program and individual coaching, Joyce understands how her inner Pleaser sabotaged her by putting her needs second to the needs of others. She has more clarity about what she loves and doesn’t love about her work. She is calling on her inner sage powers to Explore and Innovate so she is more productive and work is more rewarding. And she has set herself some goals to explore what makes her happy outside work starting with more time in nature.
 
Does any of Joyce’s story ring a bell with you? Have you been thinking that it’s time to make some changes in your life but feel overwhelmed, directionless, or stuck? If so, my mental fitness program could be exactly what you’re looking for.

My next Mental Fitness program is coming in September!
In the program you’ll learn:

  • how to be calmer and happier in 15 minutes a day
  • new tools to shift from a negative to a positive mindset
  • how to take action to achieve your life goals

I’m making a few improvements to the program to make sure participants get even more value. You can expect a greater impact on your productivity, stress levels and overall happiness.  

Places are limited to 12 participants so that each participant receives individual coaching as well as the group experience. Contact me to reserve your place now.

Mental Fitness for your team
Are you a non-profit leader? I’d love to speak with you about bringing Mental Fitness to your team. I can tailor my Mental Fitness program especially for your team at an affordable price. Please contact me to discuss your team’s needs.
 
*I’ve changed details such as name and occupation, but “Joyce” is a real person!