What is A Life Coach?

A life coach encourages conversations that promote reflection and answers from within. They also assist through necessary steps to achieve a client’s personal goal. Life coaches are a type of wellness professionals who help people attain greater fulfillment through communication and mentorship.

The estimated that there were approximately 71,000 coach practitioners in 2019 globally. This was a 33% increase compared to the 2015 estimate, as coach services gain popularity around the world.

The Difference Between Coaching and Counseling

Similar to coaching is the term counseling. The two have elements that overlap, although coaching is action-oriented while counseling is coping-oriented.

What Kind of People Benefit From A Life Coach?

A life coach can lead us to answers and perspectives that we wouldn’t have found on our own. If you’re the following type of person, you can benefit from a personal life coach:

People Who Want Change

We all have different struggles; family, friends, romantic, career, academics, etc. If you’re looking for a change but don’t know where to start, a coach can be helpful. On the other hand, if you’re happy with life as it is and don’t need much change, a coach may feel like a waste of time.

People Facing Stressful Situations

Are you feeling stressed from work or school? A coach can set you on a more mentally sound path. One university study reports that coaching helps with stress reduction. A coach can guide you through finding the stress cause and advise the best approach. This helps set a better trajectory towards recovery and a healthier mental state.

Benefits of Having A Life Coach

A coach not only “teaches” you, but helps you recognize what YOU think. They help you take your own initiative towards making better decisions. The following are some of the benefits to having a life coach:

The Ability to Proactively Solve Problems

Coaching helps draw out answers that are deep within us. To do this, a coach will repeat dialogues focused on what possible blocks are, what to do, and how to plan towards a goal. A client can transform their mindset from passive to proactive through the repetitive exercises and learn how to face challenging circumstances.

Better Communication Skills

Excellent communication skills are vital in any kind of working environment. Repeated coaching sessions train clients to become better communicators. It also helps a client better understand the ‘intentions’ behind what others are trying to communicate. Communication skills gained through sessions will help anyone become a more proficient business person.

Entering ‘the Zone’ for Optimal Performance

A ‘zone’ describes a hyper-concentrated state where we become fully immersed in whatever we are doing. Anyone can ‘enter the zone’ through sports, business, academics, or hobbies.

Coaching sessions can help people gain clarity in how to visualize a path to success. The sessions help with continual positive thinking which makes it easier for a person to enter a flow state to give optimal performance. A positive mindset also combats negativity to keep our mental states calm.

How Can I Try A Life Coaching Session?

How can we take advantage of the benefits and enroll in a coaching session? It starts with finding a life coach that matches your goals. There are tons of organizations and websites that list coaches based on needs. Try to pick someone that you feel compelled to work with or someone who has the credentials and specialty for your challenges.

Differences like in-person or online sessions, price, and available time frames all will contribute to a decision.

Can an AI app provide coaching sessions? Try SELF MIND app for a FREE trial!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Self-Help Through Coaching Sessions

Although there are many proven benefits to having a life coach, every individual is different in what they can gain from it. Trying a few trial sessions could never hurt in seeing if it’s something you really want to proceed with.

Bottling your thoughts and feelings can lead to mental stress. Give life coaching a try to explore and transform parts of yourself you never knew.

Reference:

Matsuda, T., & Tsuda, A. (2014). Application of Coaching on Mental Health Care of Japanese Language Teachers. Kurume University Psychology Research, 13, 87–94. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005704920/en

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Pandemic Depression Symptoms During COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, there have been numerous reports on varying symptoms:

・Poor sleep
・Poor appetite
・Prolonged low moods
・Difficulties going to work or school
・Lack of motivation in work, studies, or housework
・Diminished focus leading to increased mistakes
・Diminished enjoyment in previously fun activities
・Increased consumption of alcohol or tobacco products

There are many other symptoms, but in general, the more of these symptoms that apply, the higher the risk of developing depression.

Excessive worry and overcautiousness can also cause additional stress. In a study across the elderly population in Japan, one woman reported that she wakes up many times throughout the night to make sure her sense of smell is still functional. She lost her job due to the spread of COVID-19, and when she finally found a new job, she was nervous about whether or not she was infected before her first day of work.

Many of us have become more sensitive to the little things, more easily irritated, and more short-tempered. This pandemic has changed our lives so drastically. The challenges in adapting to these new circumstances could manifest into increased sensitivities to what we were okay with previously. This is why we could be much more susceptible to depression than usual.

3 Ways to Prevent Pandemic Depression

Regular stress relief becomes essential to avoid pitfalls into depression. Below are three useful techniques for relieving stress.

1. Write Down Anxieties

Write down all fears and worries that come to mind on a piece of paper. Then, divide them into two groups of “resolvable” and “unresolvable.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is something that no one could have predicted. Sometimes there are limitations to what we can resolve under these unforeseen circumstances beyond our control. Make the decision to let go of what cannot be fixed and focus on what’s possible. Organizing these thoughts will help calm the mind because it visually clarifies our fears. Once we’re clear on our next steps towards bettering a situation, our follow up action will help combat these depressive states.

An easy stress relief method similar to this is the “negativity trash can” technique. It’s as simple as writing down the negativity we feel and physically throwing it away. It can be practiced simultaneously, so give it a try as well!

2. Journaling to Create Healthy Routine Habits

Keeping a daily journal is known to improve mental health. Journaling helps reconsider the way we live our lives and assists in stabilizing healthier routine habits. This can serve as a deterrent to excessive drinking, mild addictions, and binge eating.

A color-coded format for journaling is encouraged. For example, we can categorize by color:

• Black ink for work-related
• Blue ink for family relationships
• Yellow ink for personal matters
• Red ink for health-related

This way, it’s easier to reflect and reevaluate the activities we go through and develop alternative ways to make improvements.

3. Exercise

The spread of COVID-19 has made it challenging to communicate in person. As a result, many of us have fewer opportunities for physical activity.

Here’s an interesting study result. A large cohort study in the United Kingdom in 2020 found that people who walked slower had about a 66% higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than those who walked faster. It’s still unclear what the causal relationship is between walking speed and the risk of infection. Yet, studies have shown that walking speed is closely related to aerobic capacity. People with high aerobic capacity are reported to have higher respiratory, circulatory, and immune function, which suggests that people with slower walking speed may be more susceptible to infection due to lower levels of these functions,

Physical exercise is known to help with depression and improve our mental state. A lack of exercise can lead to various adverse effects, such as hormone imbalance and sleep disturbances. As we spend more time indoors, we need to find creative solutions to keep ourselves physically active while maintaining social distance regulations.

Surviving Pandemic Depression with an AI Counseling App

Unlike physical discomforts, mental discomforts are much more difficult to recognize. If discomforts persist and you still feel “off,” don’t be afraid to ask for help. The special circumstances and restrictions under COVID-19 can quickly cultivate a state of isolation and depressive moods. Make sure to communicate with family and friends by phone, email, and social media. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a specialist if support is necessary. There are plenty of online counseling services and medications available, so don’t hesitate to consult a doctor.

However, some people may feel uncomfortable talking to friends, family, or a counselor. For such people, we recommend an artificial intelligence (AI) counseling app. In the era we live in now, an AI can easily provide personalized counseling and support our daily journey towards bettering our mental health. Since it’s an AI app, there’s no fear of judgment, and we can seek help anytime, anywhere, whenever the need arises. SELFMIND is a fantastic AI counseling app if you’re facing mental struggles and have no one to talk to.

Let’s make sure we care for our mental health as we survive through this pandemic and navigate through the mental pitfalls.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!
→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for a week!

Image: Unsplash
Reference:
Kimura, M., Ojima, T., & Kondou, K. (2020). Implications for Older People’s Lifestyle During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: The Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Japanese Journal of Health & Research, 41, 3-13.  doi:10.32279/jjhr.20200602

The post Pandemic Depression: COVID-19 and Mental Health appeared first on SELF MIND.