{"id":3656,"date":"2021-03-20T10:04:53","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T10:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coachmentoring.co.uk\/articles\/?p=3656"},"modified":"2021-03-20T13:41:17","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T13:41:17","slug":"coaching-and-mentoring-to-ride-your-best-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coachmentoring.co.uk\/articles\/2021\/03\/coaching-and-mentoring-to-ride-your-best-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaching and mentoring to ride your best wave"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RidingThe days are lighter and longer. The number of people vaccinated is growing rapidly. Coronavirus cases are going down in most areas and restrictions are going to be lifting shortly. We have a renewed sense of hope!\u00a0But hold on a minute\u2026<\/em>\u00a0Before you rush off with new plans and direction, are you feeling prepared and in a good place mentally to move forward? Surfers are selective and only paddle for waves that are worthwhile and fit their experience category. Just imagine yourself as a surfer for a moment. Do you know how to find your next perfect wave and ride it forward?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What has the pandemic done to us?<\/h2>\n

Before we go back to surfing, let us reflect on the impact of the pandemic:<\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    It has aged us<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I was perturbed to read a recent article in The Times by John Nash that we all look five years older than we did a year ago<\/a>! Apparently, the strain of the pandemic has pushed us into physical-ageing overdrive. Prolonged stress can affect our telomeres, the segments of DNA at the ends of each chromosome that become shorter every time cells divide. When they get too short, they cause cells to age and stop working. Thankfully, this can be reversed, but if you are feeling your years, it is probably your telomeres!<\/p>\n

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    1. \n

      It has created enormous stress<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, says:<\/p>\n

      \u201cThis has been our society\u2019s longest sustained period of stress since the Second World War. But during wartime people got the stress-relieving benefits of mixing socially and having a strong sense of shared enterprise.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Aspects that we haven\u2019t enjoyed in the last year. No wonder your resilience levels may be a little low currently.<\/p>\n

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      1. \n

        It has impacted our mental health<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"CalmMost people have been grappling with changes to their mental health over the last year, even if they appear calm and in control on the surface. Underneath they are probably paddling away furiously to keep themselves on an even keel. Keeping good mental health is an ongoing struggle for many. Emotional well-being has been at risk for many people for the first time in their lives. We have all suffered basic loss of freedom and of social interaction in the last year. This has been compounded by the loss of or separation from loved ones, job loss and economic suffering for many.<\/span><\/p>\n

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          It has created different behaviours<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Throughout the pandemic, we\u2019ve either experienced being holed up with family for long periods of time. Or individuals have been isolated on their own at home. Plus, there\u2019s certainly been added stress for families who have had to deal with remote learning situations for school-aged children.<\/span><\/p>\n

          We have bought puppies, wear comfortable clothes to work in, watch streaming channels more and according to research by Unilever, don\u2019t wash our hair or bodies so often!<\/span><\/p>\n

          But the pandemic has had positives\u2026<\/h2>\n
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          1. \n

            \"\"Some families have enjoyed being together<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            However, there have been great benefits for some who have enjoyed being cooped up with their families or in their bubbles. Parents and children have benefited from spending time together and some parents have really appreciated not having to commute to their place of work and enjoyed home schooling.<\/p>\n

            A recent poll conducted by the\u00a0i<\/i><\/b>\u00a0newspaper showed an upsurge in community spirit and family values, with seven in 10 parents saying that relationships with their children have improved.<\/p>\n

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              And some have made conscious health decisions<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Exercising and healthy eating are two areas of focus that many have put their energy and enthusiasm into. They have been a way to regain some control over life during the pandemic. Individuals are also spending more time outdoors whilst exercising. Or they have made other conscious lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

              Are we ready for \u2018real life\u2019 again?<\/h2>\n

              Are we ready to jump back into life as we knew it? We are told garden furniture is in short supply and warned to make reservations to sit in our favourite pub garden in April. But we\u00a0can feel the excitement of \u2018normality\u2019 in the Spring sunshine and in the hopeful conversations we are having for the future (even if they are still on zoom!).<\/p>\n

              \"RideHowever, most of us have just been treading water in our lives over the last year. We are waiting for the restrictions to lift and ‘permission’ to exist more normally again. Some of us are thinking of how to pick up our lives again. Like a surfer waiting nervously for the right wave, so they can move forward and create the biggest ride. But it takes courage and energy to ride a wave. It is easier just to bob up and down in the shallows and ignore the waves after the mental battering some of us have endured. Certainly, dodging any big waves that might mean letting go and propelling us forward too fast.<\/p>\n

              What the pandemic has done insidiously, as most of us have worked from the safety of our homes, is to eat into our self-confidence, self-esteem and motivation. Exposing our jogging bottoms in the real world again, is quite a scary step. However, feeling fear and anxiety about release from lockdown is actually a very normal reaction.<\/p>\n

              Is my \u2018new normal\u2019 the \u2018normal\u2019 I want to stick with now?<\/h2>\n

              You may want to reflect on what you want in life as the restrictions ease:<\/p>\n