Life Coaching Tips

Facebook Life Coaching Page

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:13:00 +0000

If you use Facebook you can now find life coaching tips and updates on my service on my Facebook page "Life Coaching with David Bonham-Carter".

To locate the page go to: Life Coaching with David Bonham-Carter and sign into your Facebook account.

Or alternatively sign into your Facebook account and search for "Life Coaching with David Bonham-Carter".

Best wishes and enjoy your networking!

David

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Is Anxiety Always Bad for You?

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:13:00 +0000

We tend to think of anxiety as something which creates stress and problems.

Well of course it can do this. But it can have good or useful sides to it too.

For example, if you are faced with a genuine threat or risk, an appropriate level of anxiety can alert you to thinking about how to take reasonable measures to avoid or deal with the threat - in evolutionary terms one often hears of the famous 'fight or flight' response to a threat.

If you deal with dangers or risks complacently, without any anxiety, then you may increase the likelihood of being caught out or suffering adverse consequences following from the risk.

The key words are perhaps 'reasonable' and 'appropriate'. It is when your level of anxiety is excessive in proportion to the real risk or danger that it may be considered to be unhelpful. In those circumstances it may be that you want to use techniques to help you calm down or to help you put in perspective the risk or analyse in a sensible manner how real it is or the extent of it.

If you suffer from a particular form of anxiety, such as generalised anxiety or social anxiety, it is likely that in some situations your perception of the level of 'risk' is distorted - for example, you might expect that people will think badly of you or laugh at you for certain actions or behaviour when many people may not even notice the behaviour or may have a more positive or less judgemental view of it than you anticipate.

If you suffer from severe anxiety and find that you expect yourself to be or behave perfectly all the time, then try not to be so hard on yourself - remember that no one is perfect and if you can, try not to apply a harsher standard to yourself than you would to others. Also, in line with the above, if you have perfectionistic tendencies or a high level of anxiety try to acknowledge those areas of your life where your perfectionism or drive has actually bought positive results for you - it may well have helped you to achievements which people with less drive admire.

Anxiety is not always your enemy. One of my suggestions would be to value it for the times it helps and to try to put it in perspective at times when it doesn't help.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Multi Tasking

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Quote for the Day:

Too Much Multi Tasking Leads to Multi Stress

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

The Miracle Question

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:04:00 +0000

I recently received a query from a life coach in the USA about the Miracle Question.

For those of you who have never heard of the Miracle Question, it is a coaching exercise associated with Brief Therapy (also known as "Solution Focused Therapy").

Brief Therapy provides a set of techniques for helping people to make positive changes in their life which focuses on solutions and how to get there using your strengths and resources rather than on more traditional techniques of analysis.

The Miracle Question is often posed by the therapist or coach right at the beginning of a series of sessions.

The question itself is an incredibly simple way of getting you to think about how you would like your life to be.

The idea is that you try to focus in as much detail as possible on what that preferred life will be like and then you start to think about how you might get there beginning with the very first step.

In Brief Therapy you might be asked to rate how close you are to achieving the future you want on a scale of 1-10 and then to say what would take you just one point closer to the goal and focus on that as that first step. Then you could be asked to focus on other actions that might take you further up the scale.

You can see a simple version of the Miracle Question on my website at the link below:

Miracle Question

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Dealing with Mental Stresses

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:16:00 +0000

Albert Ellis, the person who invented Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (a form of cognitive behavioural therapy), suggests a simple technique for helping with certain types of stresses as follows.

The technique applies to situations where you find yourself thinking that someone should or must or ought to do something. You may be thinking this about someone else (a kind of expectation or demand) or about yourself (a form of self criticism). Or indeed you may be thinking it about a situation rather than an individual: Thoughts such as it ought to be like this or it ought not to be like this.

If you have these kind of internal demands or expectations (and I think we all do at some time or another) then if they are thwarted you usually begin to feel stressed or resentful or angry or frustrated (with others or with yourself or with the situation).

The technique suggested by Ellis is that in this kind of situation in your mind you replace your internal dialogue with the new thought 'I have a strong preference for X' instead of 'X ought to be the case' or 'S/he should do X' or 'I should do X'. You could of course slightly alter the formulation to use a similar phrase with which you are comfortable, such as 'I would greatly like it if X.'

If you do that you may find that the feelings of stress, resentment, anger or frustration reduce.

Try it and See!

Note: If you are interested in learning more CBT techniques like this one through telephone life coaching session, to help with a personal stressful situation then visit the link below for information about what such sessions might cover:

Life Coaching with CBT

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

New Year Resolutions - Plan B!

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:56:00 +0000

New Year is the time when traditionally we decide on the dreams we are going to aim for over the next 12 months - whether that be getting a new career, finding our perfect partner, going to the gym twice a week or something else.

Of course history tells many of us that we don't always achieve or manage to carry out our New Year's Resolution so this Blog Entry is about New Year's Resolution - Plan B!

To construct your New Year's Resolution - Plan B:

1. Think of the dream that you might want to create a New Year's Resolution about - write it down.

2. Now construct your Plan B resolution by writing a sentence that begins 'If I don't [Here insert the dream you put in 1.]....' - Complete the sentence by inserting your optimistic strategy for reacting if your dream doesn't happen for whatever reason.

Examples might be:

'If I don't find a girlfriend/boyfriend I will try like hell to enjoy myself and lead a full life anyway'

'If I don't manage to change job, I'm going to chill out, treat my work as an unpleasant necessity, choose not to get wound up about it, and forget about it in my spare time'

'If I don't manage to travel to the World Cup this year, I'm going to relax and watch it on TV and use the money I save to treat myself in another way.'

I hope you find your dream in 2010 but if you don't then remember there's always Plan B and it may actually be less stressful!

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Coping with Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Christmas for many people is an enjoyable time when you get to indulge yourself a little, relax and share presents and enjoyment with partner, family and/or friends. However, many can also find Christmas quite stressful, demanding or lonely.

If the relationships you have bring with them pressures or arguments or if you are going to be on your own at Christmas then it may be that you are not looking forward to it with quite the glittering anticipation that a traditional Christmas picture paints.

If you think that Christmas may present some difficulties or stresses for you, then it is worth giving a few positive thoughts to how you are going to get through the period successfully and if possible a little more enjoyably than normal. If you can foresee some predictable problems such as arguments or even boredom, then ask yourself in advance:

How can I get through the predictable stresses or problems in the best way - what have I done before that worked or what I can I try this time to make things reasonable if not perfect?
What can I do over the Xmas period (even if only for a short period) to ensure that I get some enjoyment out of it?

If for some reason this Christmas is likely to be different for you from previous years - for example, if you are not going to be with the usual people or in the usual place - then ask yourself:

'Do I want to do anything to help me remember the good points of previous years or the faces I miss, in a reasonable way and/or focus on positive aspects of the new style Christmas?'

Even if you are not Christian, if you are living in a country where Christmas is celebrated you will probably find that your routine changes a bit at this time of year because of the changes around you in terms of shops closing, people taking holidays etc, so you may still find it helpful to reflect on how you will ensure you make the most of the period.

However you view Christmas - whether happily, wearily, negatively or positively - I hope you have a good time during the festive season and a Happy New Year.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

CBT or Drugs?

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:53:00 +0000

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and anti-depressant drugs prescribed by doctors can are both used to treat depression.

The BBC recently posted an article on its news website by Dr Jennifer Wild, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry comparing the relative merits of the two approaches.

The article highlights the fact that changing the way you think (the essence of CBT) can help to lift your mood and wellbeing.

To read the Dr Wild's article click on the link below:

Drugs, CBT and Depression

For anyone interested in finding out more about cognitive behavioural techniques to help with negative thoughts, I have now completed my most recent ebook which provides information about CBT, descriptions of CBT techniques and a variety of practical exercises.

The book gives a practical introduction to different CBT techniques if you want to know more about what they are. Anyone interested can find further information at the link below:

CBT Techniques

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Cognitive Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0000

I am currently working on a new ebook on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques which should be available from my website in a few weeks time.

In the meantime, to give people an introduction to some of the ideas of cognitive therapy which underpin CBT, I have found a page of useful information on the internet, which describes the origins and theory of cogntive therapy and some of its techniques.

The basic premise of cognitive therapy theory as devised by Aaron Beck is that a major factor in emotional difficulties or disorder such as anxiety or mild depression is faulty thought patterns or 'cognitive distortions'.

A simple example would be someone criticising something you do and you concluding from this that you are useless or a failure. The conclusion is excessive but would probably lead you to feel pretty bad about yourself.

Cognitive Therapy and CBT aim to help you to identify and address extreme self criticism of this nature among other things. Techiniques include things such as:

Thought Stopping
Balancing Statements
Activity Schedules

To read the introductory information on cognitive therapy, click on the link below:

Cognitive Therapy

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Google Pay Per Click - An Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:31:00 +0000

As part of my series of newsletters on Becoming a Life Coach, I have created a web page which examines some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Pay Per Click advertising to try to generate business.

You can read the article at:

Google Pay Per Click - An Introduction

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Work Related Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Many of us have experienced a work culture or a personal background where the notion that you might find it difficult to cope or manage at work is perceived as something to be ashamed of, so admitting that you are stressed in your job can be difficult. Yet in 2008-9 it was estimated that approximately 415,000 people in Great Britain alone suffered from work related stress, anxiety or depression (see Health & Safety Executive Website).

My first suggestions if you find yourself affected by this are:
1. Ask yourself what your priorities are. How important is your health and wellbeing? How important is your work? What are your other priorities, such as relationships and family?
2. What effects is the stress having on you personally and on your capacity to carry out the job professionally (particularly if you work in a field where you make decisions which have an impact on the lives of others)?

Assuming that on the basis of your answers to these questions you decide that it is important that you do something about stress, then consider:
(a) From whom might you seek support to help you deal with your stress better or explore your options in a sensible way?
(b) In the work environment, is there anything that you can do, if you are going to continue to work, that will help you to manage your workload and/or other stresses? For example,
- Can you delegate or seek support on any difficult or time consuming tasks?
- Can you prioritise tasks more effectively, focusing on those which really need doing and spending less time on unimportant matters?
- If a work colleague is making things difficult for you, are there ways in which you can act or avenues of support or advice which you can explore to help you deal with that more effectively?

(c) Outside the work environment:
- Try to ensure that you have some quality time outside of the work environment to give you a break if the main sources of stress are at work
- If some of the sources of stress are outside work, try to clarify for yourself what outcomes you want in respect of those issues, what your options are and what constructive actions you can take.

If you are stressed at work, you may well be tired and find it difficult to see clearly or take action. Ask yourself how long this has been going on and if there is a reason why it may change soon. If there isn't and things having been going on for a while, try to initiate some positive change yourself by setting yourself 1 or 2 actions to try out based on the above points.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Marketing for Life Coaches

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:16:00 +0000

Many life coaches are very good at what they do, but not so good at marketing their life coaching service.

I have recently posted an article on my website which gives some initial comments on marketing options for life coaches to get your coaching service known.

For further information, click on the link below:

Marketing for Life Coaches

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

The Alternative Way of Dieting

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Most standard diets set out by encouraging you to devise a program of what you are going to eat. There is usually some choice built into the program or you may be allowed various 'sins' or lapses where you eat some kind of forbidden food, but that is permitted because on the whole you are sticking within the diet plan or are within calorie limits that you have set yourself. Nonetheless the concept remains the same - you are encouraged to lose weight by planning to a greater or lesser degree what you are going to eat.

This kind of approach can work, but it is hard work. It also does not always deal with emotional issues that may be involved in over eating - such as 'comfort eating' or a lack of belief in your ability to change eating habits. But what alternative approach to dieting is there?-

I recently came across (and listened to) an MP3 product by the experienced UK hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, Julie Mann, which tackles losing weight in a different way. Instead of being asked to devise a diet plan, you get an MP3 audio download which uses hypnotic suggestion and relaxation techniques to put you into a confident, relaxed state where you can make healthy choices about you eat. You start to trust yourself to make decisions.

This hypnosis MP3 rests on the belief that we each have resources in us which can when tapped into start to regulate our body and what we eat in a sensible way. So it's not about forcing you to eat certain things or about not eat certain things. It's about helping you to connect with your senses and your natural innate ability to realise when you have eaten enough, and helping you to feel good and comfortable about stopping eating at that point and realising that you can be in control.

The beauty of this kind of method when it works is that your attempts to give up eating unhealthily are no longer such a fight - you are learning to eat healthily through your own inner unconscious resources and learning to realise that any emotional or other needs that you might have been trying to meet through comfort eating can be met in other ways through your own resourcefulness. This doesn't mean this is an instant diet cure - like anything else it requires patience and application - I would suggest that you listen to the MP3 daily at possible until you reach a point where you feel you have made the positive changes in eating habits that you want and no longer need the positive reinforcement of the MP3.

For more information and details about how you can purchase and download the MP3 immediately click on the link below:

Losing Weight - the Alternative Way

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Relaxation Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:55:00 +0000

If you find yourself feeling tense or anxious then it can be helpful to practise relaxation exercises to help to bring your body and mind back into a calmer state.

Below you can find a link to an article setting out 3 simple relaxation techniques:

1. Counting Backwards.

2. Tensing your toes (you can also try this with other parts of your body).

3. Guided imagery exercise.

The exercises may also be of assistance if you have difficulty in getting to sleep. Personally I find the 'Tensing your toes' exercise most helpful for that purpose:

Relaxation Techniques

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Jealousy and Self Esteem

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Jealousy and low self esteem can be related in two ways.

First of all, if you already have low self esteem then you may feel that people close to you will prefer others to you - because you don't value yourself enough. This can contribute towards feelings of envy, jealousy or suspicion of others who you think may gain the attention or interest of your partner or someone else important to you.

Secondly, even if you do not usually have low self esteem but you have a tendency to jealousy for other reasons then you may find that if you act in jealous ways your self esteem is impacted, because you feel ashamed about the way you are acting and feeling.

If either of these situations applies to you then you may be interested in a collection of ebooks which I have now put together in one downloadable pack to complement each other on the topics of jealousy, low self esteem and assertiveness.

To find out more, click on the link below:

Jealousy and Self Esteem

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:56:00 +0000

I recently came across the quote: 'Well behaved women seldom make history'. The idea of the quote I think is to encourage women to step outside cultural, social or gender based roles which may be restrictive.

Curiously enough the quote also had some resonance for me as a man. It made me realise the number of times I have done something or worried about something because I feel it's what I ought to do (or not do as the case may be).

For me as someone who uses CBT techniques in life coaching I guess the question I would suggest people ask themselves in relation to actions (or inaction) they follow based on perceptions or unspoken rules about what they ought to do or ought not to do is:

What are likely to be the consequences?

If a balanced appraisal of the likely consquences of acting in a certain way leads you to believe that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages then maybe it is time to try out acting that way if you haven't done so before.

If it is possible to do so first on a small scale to see what the results are and evaluate them before deciding whether to try the action again then that may be sensible and may also help you to get over the initial hurdle of doing something different from normal.

If on the other hand the change in behaviour is large scale and the potential consequences great, then you might want to take independent advise before taking a momentous decision or action, but ultimately the choice is yours.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Motivating Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Sometimes in my life coaching sessions I ask clients to come up with particular mottos or phrases which they find motivating and to remind themselves of these on a regular basis or when feeling a bit demotivated in order to get themselves going again.

Examples of the things both clients and friends have come up with are:

'Try everything in moderation - even moderation'

'Life is too short to worry about it!'

'Nothing is a problem only a challenge'

'Smile at others and the world smiles at you'

See if you can think of a motivating phrase for yourself then write it out and stick it somewhere where you will see it regularly such as in your car or on your computer or in your kitchen.

Finding a phrase that will help to motivate you is a personal thing. My only tip would be that once you've thought of a phrase ask yourself whether you will feel positive when you say it to yourself or whether you are actually putting more pressure on yourself - if the former, great; if the latter then see if you can think of an alternative which is a bit lighter. If the phrase it a touch humourous that can often help you to relax and move forward.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Sex Therapy Bristol - Bath - South Gloucestershire

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Sex therapy or counselling is a specialist area of work that I sometimes get asked for recommendations on.

This is not an area of work that I personally specialise in. However, if you live in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or Bath and are seeking a helpful sex therapy service to help you deal with sexual issues or concerns in your relationship in a practical effective way, then you can find information about a useful service involving cognitive behavioural techniques and other specialist coaching approaches at the link below:

Sex Therapy Bristol - Bath - South Gloucestershire

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Happiness Economics

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:28:00 +0000

It seems that the idea of happiness economics - that governments in setting taxes and policies should aim to promote general well being - could be becoming fashionable.

Anyone familiar with moral philosopy is likely to know of the utilitarian view championed by John Stuart Mill and others in the 19th century that the best action is the one that brings the greatest happiness to the highest number of people.

Happiness economics seems to promote a similar idea but now brought into the field of economic policy.

David Cameron and some other conservatives such as the former conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith who established the think tank the 'Centre for Social Justice' appear to have embraced the idea of seeking to promote 'general well being' or 'GWB' and some Blairite figures also endorsed the idea.

To find out more about 'Happiness Economics' visit the link below on the BBC website:

Happiness Economics

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

If Life Hands You a Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:56:00 +0000

The other day I received in the post a brochure from a provider of alternative holidays with an editorial focusing on the saying 'If life hands you a lemon make lemonade'. The idea of the saying is to encourage you to try to make an opportunity out of a crisis.

There are some shocks or crises which can turn into positives despite their apparent gloom. Sometimes being made redundant, for example, can lead you into starting to look into career options which you did not dare to consider when you were in steady employment.

It is a daunting thing to be taken out of your comfort zone but if this happens then one possible way of approaching the situation is to try to see if there are any new opportunities for you to develop yourself or to do new things or develop new skills or relationships arising from the situation.

But what if the situation is not one that you immediately want to forget or to move on from? This may be the case for situations involving change in a relationship or loss. If that is so, then you may find the following helpful:

Reflect on the situation that you were in which has now changed. If there were genuine positives in it that you have lost and which may never return - for example, if the situation involves the end of a relationship or a bereavement or a parting - then reflect on the positives that you had and if you can do so, commemmorate them or celebrate them in a way that is fitting to the nature of them - if appropriate you might write about them or create a photo album or some other reminder.

The idea is not to attach yourself to the past but to allow yourself to have a fitting reminder of it for when you need it and to give elements of your personal history and the people and events in it, the respect due to them.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Motivation & Action

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:04:00 +0000

Do you ever find it difficult to motivate yourself to complete a task. Maybe you are dreading doing it or perhaps it's just too boring?

Below is a link to a page where I feature a life coaching exercise called a "Motivation and Actions Checklist" - a practical tool for helping you to get yourself to do those things which you have been putting off.

Click below to find out more:

Motivation & Actions Checklist

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Is Music Good for the Heart?

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:42:00 +0000

The BBC News channel recently featured an article on its website describing the results of a recent study into the effects of music on heart beat and blood pressure.

According to the article, the study suggested that music with a faster tempo increases breathing, heart rate and blood pressure while slower music does the opposite.

This seems consistent with common sense - if you are listening to lively, quick music you are likely to feel more animated and for it to be reflected in physiological changes. If you are listening to slower calmer music one would hope it will help you to calm down.

Soft slow gentle music is often used in relaxation tapes and CDs and I guess here is some scientific evidence to support that use.

Perhaps more intriguingly the study also seems to have gone further and suggested that operatic music, which alternates between fast and slow, could be the best for the heart and circulation.

Verdi's arias it seems sychronise perfectly with natural cardiovascular rhythm!

To read the full article, click on the link below:

Opera is 'Music for the Heart'

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Earning Money as a Life Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Promotional material for life coaching courses may often make it sound as if it is easy to make money from being a life coach.

Is this really the case?

On my website as part of my Becoming a Life Coach Newsletter, I have now published an article considering the realities of making money as a life coach and suggesting some considerations to bear in mind if you are thinking of becoming a life coach.

The article reflects on motivations for becoming a life coach, marketing channels for developing a life coaching business and additional sources of income asides from direct life coaching services for clients or groups.

To read the article, click on the link below:

Can You Make Money being a Life Coach?

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Life Coaching Books and Resources visit: Life Coaching Books

Life Coaching Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:14:00 +0000

People who read my Life Coach Tips newsletter tend to fall into one of two categories:

(1) People seeking to make changes or improvements in their own life.

(2) Those who work as life coaches or in other helping roles, for example in the voluntary sectory or as counsellors and want to develop their coaching practice or find out more about different techniques and ideas that are used in life coaching.

Both in my own personal experience of making life changes and in my work as a coach, I have come firmly to believe in the the importance of having a set of tried and tested techniques or tools that you can use when you want to take steps forward.

With that in mind I have put together a number of coaching eBooks which cover coaching techniques for use in dealing with different issues such as self esteem, life change, assertiveness and jealousy.

Included in these eBooks are some of the techniques which I have found to be most useful, such as cognitive behavioural (CBT) techniques for dealing with problematic or negative thoughts relating to particular issues.

I have designed most of the eBooks so that they can be of use to both individuals and life coaches and they are set out for practical use - if you are just looking for a general discussion of the issues, these are not the books for you, but if you are looking for practical programmes, life coaching exercises or techniques to try out with clear instructions and specific ideas, then they may well be right for you.

One recent product I have designed is a Life Coaching Resources Pack which bundles together at a reduced price four ebooks on different topics - Changing Your Life, Low Self Esteem, How to Be Assertive and Life Coaching Exercises.

If you are interested in acquiring some life coaching techniques and tools to help you move forward in your own life or to help your work as a coach with clients in life coaching sessions, you can find out more about the Life Coaching Resources Pack at the link below:

Life Coaching Resources

(Note for visitors to this blog from the USA: If you are reading this from the United States and would prefer to see pricing in US dollars rather than pounds sterling, the product is alternatively offered in US dollars at Life Coaching Resources Pack - USA Version)

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Information about David's Telephone Coaching visit: Life Coaching

Panic and Anxiety Programs Review

noreply@blogger.com (Life Coach David) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:28:00 +0000

A large number of people experience panic attacks or severe anxiety at some point in their life. However sufferers often seek to hide their experiences from others because of shame or not wanting to appear inadequate or incompetent (this applies particularly to people who experience feelings of panic when making presentations in a job setting).

Quite often, hiding your anxiety can actually make it worse - because it increases your fear of other people finding out. Actually what can help with anxiety is to try to accept what is happening almost as if you were observing yourself from outside like a scientist, because this decreases the fear and the 'fight or flight' response which is fuelling your panic and anxiety and which gets worse if you try to fight the anxiety.

This is easier said than done - and if you experience panic attacks you may think I'm crazy in suggesting it! To help you start to come to terms with your anxiety and therefore reduce the level of panic, there are specific techniques which you can use such as distraction and breathing or relaxation techniques.

There are a number of panic or anxiety non medical treatment programs or methods which cover some of these different techniques and can be helpful in addressing them. Here is a short review of the two online panic and anxiety attack programs that I would most recommend, namely:

1. Jon Mercer's Easy Calm downloadable videos which you can find out more about at:

Easy Calm

and

2. Joe Barry's Panic Away eBook which you can find out more about at:

Panic Away

Which one of these 2 approaches for dealing with panic attacks and anxiety do I think is better? That's quite difficult to answer as I think both are good. I think which is better for you may well depend on your personal learning style - the Panic Away program is an eBook, so if following written instructions and ideas suits your learning style then this may be for you. It is also a little cheaper than the Easy Calm program (neither is cheap but compared to the cost of individualised coaching sessions they both offer good value in my view).

The Panic Away Program also offers Joe Barry's famous One Move Technique for eliminating panic attacks quickly. This is a virtue if you are able to master the technique because then you may get a quick and helpful solution to panic attacks. The downside is that if you are unable to do so, then you could be disappointed.

The Easy Calm videos by contrast offer a more incremental approach - building up skills to beat panic attacks step by step by a series of exercises and ideas. Also the instruction is given on downloadable videos and you hear Jon Mercer's voice speaking (there is a sample of the first video on his site at the link to it at the foot of this blog entry so you can see what it is like). Therefore, the Easy Calm Videos do not offer such a quick solution as the Panic Away eBook but they have good helpful ideas and a patient supportive approach.

The Easy Calm videos would get my vote, but it's very much a matter of personal preference and some of you may prefer the Panic Away eBook. To find out more about each approach click on the links below:

Easy Calm - Downloadable Videos

Panic Away - eBook

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
For Information about David's Telephone Coaching visit: Life Coaching