Coaching support during challenging times

We are currently going through an unprecedented situation, with the corona virus spreading across the world and impacting people, families, enterprises and countries on a global scale. The entire world is now slowing down with everybody staying home and companies closing down or asking people to work remotely, when possible.

In this context, the external reality creates high levels of stress, anxiety and concern. We are all impacted by this level of uncertainty, anxiety and stress, trying to cope with the new situation.

In order to support you during this challenging time, to find your balance, become more present and resilient, I share here below a coaching technique that is used during stressful situations.

This coaching model is called: RAINS.

This is what it stands for and how it works:

R = Recognize your thoughts and emotions during this time. Naming those thoughts and emotions that you have, helps in better identifying them and sizing them, making them easier to manage and differentiate versus your other thoughts and emotions.

A = Acknowledge and Accept your thoughts and emotions. This implies that once you recognised your thoughts and emotions, you can acknowledge that it is a normal reaction to this specific situation. Accepting them and accepting your mental and emotional reaction during this time, helps you to have more compassion and understand that this is a human reaction in this context.

I = Invite curiosity by starting asking questions like:

What can help me now?

Who can I trust?

What resources (external and internal) are available to me?

What action can I take right now that can help me?

By asking yourself open questions, you are moving from the mental and emotional turmoil that you have, that is based on the natural reaction of fear (back of the brain - survival reaction), bringing you to the conscious part of the brain (frontal part of the brain). This can help you move into action and start taking distance from a fear based response.

Once you start asking these questions and exploring what comes up, you can go one level up to a META level and ask them again. See what comes up at that moment and how you feel.

N = Non-attachment to your thoughts and emotions. We are not our thoughts and emotions, we are more than this.

Our thoughts and emotions are generated by the context we are in, by the people we are surrounding ourself with, by what we experience. However, we are not those thoughts and emotions.

Once we start realising this, we can start looking at our values and who we truly are, what defines us. Maybe you are a very brave person, or a very supportive parent, or a sportive person. Look at what are your values and what defines you.

This can move you into a open space of freedom towards your reaction to the current situation and how you choose to respond.

S = Self-care is of paramount importance during this time. This is not just about taking a bath, doing a massage, having a nice drink or chocolate cake.

It is taking care of yourself at a deeper level. It is making conscious choices and taking intentional actions to increase your mental, emotional and physical health.

When you do this on a daily basis and look into your limiting beliefs, into your negative talks and stopping your inner critic, you start becoming more resilient and strengthen yourself. You start making healthier choices for you on a regular basis.

I hope this tool helps you find balance, calm and strength during this period.

May you be safe and healthy!