In My Shoes: Meet the life coach helping people through loss and anxiety

My day starts off with a walk among nature. 

I’ve been struggling to get back to my usual morning workout since my mother passed three months ago, so I go walking instead to help get me moving and ease me into the day. 

I head out as close to 7:30am as possible and stroll for around 45 minutes. Being outside really clears my head and gives me clarity of thinking, and I take this time to practice mindfulness. 

When you go for a walk it is so easy to get lost in your thoughts, so I try to make sure to use my senses to see, hear, feel and smell my environment. That way, I am less in my head and more in the present moment. I find practicing this mindfulness feels freeing, calming and very grounding. 

As a Life Coach, specialising in anxiety and wellbeing, it is absolutely vital that I care for my mental health so I can continue to help others. 

My job involves using tools and techniques to improve people’s mindsets so they can get to where they want to get to in life. 

Therapy tends to focus on the past, what happened and why you are the way you are. Coaching looks at where you are now and where you want to get to. It can help map out a step-by-step plan for how to move forward in life. It’s all about the client’s future.  

Running my own business means that I often find myself too busy to have breakfast, but as today falls in Mental Health Awareness Week, I want to start my day off right. 

My partner has made me protein blueberry pancakes, and as soon as I finish them it’s time for the first session of many throughout the day. 

I have a packed schedule today with client meetings over Zoom until 3pm. 

Usually I would meet with people in person but over the past year everything has transitioned online, which has meant I have thankfully been able to continue to work throughout the pandemic. 

People come to me for sessions because they want to get clarity over an area of their life like their career, health or even relationship. I will look at where they are presently and help them explore their options through various questions. 

For the more in depth work, I can help a person overcome past trauma, anxiety triggers and negative memories.

My first session of the day focuses on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) – This looks at how the mind works, what works and what doesn’t. It involves getting specific, looking at what the client is ‘doing’ inside their mind in relation to their thoughts. 

I explore their internal experience through asking questions that allow me to understand their thinking and how it influences their present state, both mentally and emotionally. 

From there, I shift the client’s focus from where they are currently stuck to how they want to live. I build up a mindset that shapes their understanding of their thoughts and gets their inner voice under control. Ultimately, I show them how to alter their way of thinking, getting to the stage that they can do it without me there. 

After an hour, the session is over and I move onto my next one. With this client, I use integral eye movement therapy (IEMT), which involves moving the eyes in certain ways that can lead to a rapid release and relief from unwanted thoughts, feelings and emotions – without having to dig into the past. One of my clients had been struggling with anxiety for over 20 years until she gave it a go and found it made a huge difference. 

Coffee calls as soon as I finish my final meeting of the day. I take an hour to unwind by calling a friend or just using social media. I use my platforms mainly to share professional knowledge and now over 90% of my clients come through social media, as people see my content and get in touch for their own personal needs. 

I’ve noticed that people seem to use social media to focus on their fitness and diet but not so much time on working on their mind and emotions, that’s why I like to use my platforms to spread insights and knowledge as well as tips and tools that anyone can use to help themselves.

I love helping people discover the power of their own voice, as many don’t realise that they let it run wild with what it says inside their head. Anxiety, stress and overthinking is often down to someone having an inner dialogue that they feel they can’t control. But with a bit of work, they can. 

After completing my social media and podcast admin it’s 4.30pm so I decide it is time for another mindfulness walk. This helps me relax, rest my brain and think about what I have to do for the next few hours. 

I use the walk to centre my thoughts after a long day. Especially when I am working with clients who have traumatic experiences they have shared with me. I want to make sure my mental and emotional state is centred on the present, not on what I have heard that day. 

After my walk, it is time for dinner, followed by my nightly exercise, such as pilates yoga, or sometimes a HIIT workout.

I also practice breath work, where I focus on the journey of the inhale and exhale. Following my breath focuses my mind and I find it calms me quickly.  

After my workout, I do some gentle stretching which helps me settle into a relaxing night with my partner.

For me, mental health awareness isn’t just for one week of the year, it’s my job every single day – and I am ready to do it all again tomorrow.