With every training session I do about crisis communication and crisis management there is one thing I always include – wellbeing and resilience. If we aren’t looking after ourselves how can we ever think we can care for others? In the past week I have spoken to a few people about the fact I have had counselling and coaching in the past. I don’t see it as a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.
In the past five years I have come to recognise the importance of noticing when I need some help and not being afraid to ask for it. I wish I had learnt this lesson a bit earlier as it would have made a huge difference to my life. After what has been a very challenging 18 months I have looked for some assistance again. This time I am having some life coaching sessions. When I mention it people are intrigued about what it is and why I am having it.
Life coaching is not like the Speakmans and other people that you may see on TV or working with celebrities. It is about looking at where I am and where I want to be. It is about looking at what matters to me in my life. It is about understanding how I can develop. I have an hour long session and so far it has been looking at my values and rating myself at how I am living them. I have also had to look at what gives me energy and what depletes my energy.
It is interesting to see how my values have changed dramatically from around a decade ago when I did a similar exercise. What is my top value now? Simple, it is compassion. It is what I want to show to others, and what I know I need to show to myself.
Why am I doing it now? I have found great benefit from grief counselling over the past 12 months. It has helped me to walk around the big hole in my life that has been caused by a number of losses. As my Dad always says some days we will fall in the hole but mostly we try to walk around it while acknowledging that it is there. Now, I need to start to rebuild my life and find what I want to do and where I want to be in the future. Life coaching gives me the time to reflect and someone to push me to go a bit deeper.
We all need a bit of help from time to time. Communication and PR is a tough industry to work in and when you deal with crisis communication take care of yourself should be a number one priority. Wherever you are this weekend take some time out to recharge and relax.
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