Clever Coaching - Workplace Wellbeing

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Mark Duffy, Workplace Well-being Psychologist and Executive Coach, for an interactive workshop as part of BeWell@Cherrywood's Mental Health Awareness Month. Mark shared ways to boost engagement, build resilience, and increase satisfaction at work. A big thanks to him for the valuable insights and practical strategies we can now incorporate into our daily work lives! #MentalHealthAwareness #WorkplaceWellbeing #BeWellAtCherrywood

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Mark Duffy, Workplace Well-being Psychologist and Executive Coach, for an interactive workshop as part of BeWell@Cherrywood's Mental Health Awareness Month. Mark shared ways to boost engagement, build resilience, and increase satisfaction at work. A big thanks to him for the valuable insights and practical strategies we can now incorporate into our daily work lives! #MentalHealthAwareness #WorkplaceWellbeing #BeWellAtCherrywood

Looking forward to presenting at this event. If you're going, come and say hi. Many thanks The Bar of Ireland. #wellbeing #workplacewellbeing #wellness #workplacewellness #coaching

You can't beat clean living and purposeful work!

What's the first step towards wellbeing, peak performance, and achieving our desires? I used to often go through dark days and the images that would go through my mind on how to escape it all were as dark as it gets. I had accepted that it was just part of life. Now, I can’t recognise that person. Lately, my dominant state is joy and it just keeps growing. I travelled to Berlin again recently to help employees develop their self awareness for enhanced wellbeing. Self awareness and the five steps in this post were pivotal in turning my dark days to joyful days. Studies demonstrate that individuals with higher levels of self-awareness experience lower levels of stress, greater emotional regulation, and improved overall wellbeing. One study even found it to be the number one predictor of leadership success! But how can we harness it in our own lives? 1. Mindfulness Practices: Engage in mindfulness meditation or other contemplative practices to cultivate present-moment awareness. Mindfulness rewires and even grows the parts of our brains responsible for increased self-awareness and emotional resilience. 2. Journaling: Dedicate time for reflective journaling, where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behaviour. Studies have shown that journaling can enhance self-awareness by providing insights into our inner workings. 3. Seek Feedback: Actively seek feedback from others to gain different perspectives on your strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Vulnerability is key here. When we ask for feedback, we must be willing to hear the answers. Feedback is essential for developing self-awareness and improving performance. 4. Self-Reflection: Set aside regular time for self-reflection, allowing yourself to introspect on your experiences, values, and goals. Studies suggest that self-reflection fosters greater self-awareness and personal growth. 5. Letting Go: When we become aware of unhelpful thoughts and emotions, we may automatically repress or react. Neither of these approaches are helpful. When we accept and let go of unhelpful resistance, instead of fighting or resisting reality, we achieve inner peace, happiness and mental clarity. From this place, we can decide what to do about the situation. With that, we respond to the situation, rather than reacting. By incorporating these evidence-based strategies into our daily lives, we can tap into the transformative power of self-awareness. Let's embrace this journey of self-discovery and unlock our full potential. What step would you add to enhance self-awareness? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for the opportunity in Berlin, Zevo Health. If you found this helpful, please give a like and follow. #clevercoaching #SelfAwareness #Wellbeing #Performance #happiness #wellbeing #wellness #hr #humanresources #hrm #wellbeingatwork #coaching #success

Replace self-criticism with self-compassion and self-love and see what happens. Your life will transform in every way. Just like we don’t need to berate the white lines on the road in order to use them for guidance when steering our car, we don’t need to beat ourselves up about our mistakes to learn from them. Like the white lines on the road, our mistakes can be used to guide us. No self criticism is needed. We can be astute and discerning without taking things personally. Criticising ourselves will deplete us of the dopamine needed for motivation to take action. Dangerously, the more we criticise ourselves, the more we build an unhelpful identity around our criticisms. In other words, by dwelling on our failures, we can see ourselves as a failure. Believe me, I’ve been there. Those were dark days. Even my memories of those days are darker in colour than what I see around me now. The dark cloud was more than just a metaphor. As someone who is conditioned towards self criticism, I still have lots of work to do on letting go. The more I let go, the more things just seem to flow. This doesn’t mean letting ourselves “off-the-hook” or continually seeking comfort. When we love ourselves, we don’t need to self soothe as much. And the only thing getting in the way of self love, is believing our self-critical thoughts. This cannot be under emphasised: The ONLY thing getting in the way of your self love is believing and identifying with your unhelpful thoughts. Therefore, don’t believe everything you think! When we lead with self compassion and self love, we gain the energy and resourcefulness needed to take on any challenge. We create the energy and identity of a healthy and purposeful person. It’s easier to exercise or work on meaningful tasks as we don't have as much inner resistance. Meaningful tasks are often difficult to complete and require self love to be at our best. Sure, there will still be times when we still need to tell ourselves to “just f*cking do it”. But even those words can and should be said with self compassion and levity. For the most part, though, we will operate with inner freedom and inspiration. Try it and let me know what you think in the comments below. Your relationships, health and career will blossom. Follow for more content on wellbeing, positive psychology and workplace psychology. #clevercoaching #health #fitness #coaching #success #wellbeing #wellness #wellbeingatwork #wellnessatwork #hr #humanresources #hrm #relationships

We can only ever be our authentic selves if we're willing to be vulnerable. Otherwise, we're playing a character and this is detrimental for our wellbeing, success and relationships. In a world that often encourages us to wear masks, it's crucial to recognise the power of vulnerability. Authenticity is not just a personal virtue but a catalyst for success in the workplace. 💡 Why vulnerability at work? Being open about our thoughts, fears, and challenges fosters a culture of trust and innovation. When we bring our true selves to the table, it not only creates a more supportive work environment but also unlocks opportunities for collaboration and creativity. 🌱 How to cultivate vulnerability in the workplace: 1. Open Communication: Encourage open dialogues where team members can share their perspectives without fear of judgment. 2. Lead by Example: As leaders, showcasing vulnerability sets the tone for the entire team to feel comfortable expressing themselves. 3. Acknowledge Mistakes: Embrace the learning that comes with failures. Admitting mistakes humanises us and builds stronger connections. 🚀 Benefits of workplace vulnerability: 1. Stronger Connections: Genuine interactions build trust and strengthen professional relationships. 2. Innovation: A culture of vulnerability encourages diverse ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. 3. Employee Wellbeing: Feeling accepted at work positively impacts mental health and overall job satisfaction. ❌ Consequences of avoiding vulnerability: 1. Stagnant Growth: Suppressing true feelings and thoughts hinders personal and professional development. 2. Unhealthy Culture: A lack of openness may lead to a toxic work environment, hampering collaboration. 3. Missed Opportunities: Closed-off communication can result in missed chances for innovation and problem-solving. Let's challenge the norm and embrace vulnerability. Together, we can create workplaces that thrive on authenticity, leading to personal fulfilment, professional success, and meaningful connections. #clevercoaching #coaching #Vulnerability #success #wellbeing #wellness #wellbeingatwork #wellnessatwork #hr #humanresources #hrm #relationships

For an immediate tension release, repeat after me: HAAAAAHHHHHHH (sigh).... F*CK IT! Today, I benefited from this profound ancient practice of sighing and swearing and want to share it with you :) I don't know if this needs any explanation but here's a short one nonetheless. Sighing serves as a natural mechanism to regulate emotional and physiological states, helping to release tension and promote a sense of relief. Plus, swearing can serve as a cathartic release of emotions and stress. Swearing is even proven to lower physical pain. Therefore, science backs it up. Play around with words to have fun with it. I often use the word "feck" as it's lighthearted and can help you find humour in even difficult events (the humour is generally there if you seek it). Sometimes we just need a release to get back into the flow of life. Feel free to state the words internally when in public. It still works! Repeat as many times as necessary! Does this work for you? Let me know what you think in the chat. #clevercoaching #coaching #hr #humanresources #hrm #leadership #happiness #wellbeing #wellness #humour