Slow way down and be present.
We had the third week-long module of the Trauma-Informed Coaching Certificate program I have been taking this year with Thomas Hübl, PhD and Amy Elizabeth Fox a couple weeks ago, and as I reflected back on what I’ve learned from the course so far, it boils down to advice that they gave in the first week back in March to slow down and be present. I’ve been unpacking that idea and applying it to my own life, both personally and professionally, for the last six months and it has been transformational for me.
As a coach, I’ve learned to notice when a client is rushing through explaining something because it often indicates pain or hurt that they want to avoid feeling. For me personally, the same applies – when I notice myself getting triggered with anger or other strong emotions, it’s often because that’s a way I learned to deal with shame or anxiety. In either case, the way through is not to go faster, but to slow down, be with the emotions and allow the body to process them.
“Slow way down and be present” is one of those deceptively simple ideas that requires years of practice to effectively put into action. Talking about it doesn’t help improve one’s capacity, nor does learning about cognitive frameworks; building this skill requires deliberate somatic practice to rewire one’s brain to handle whatever comes up, internally or externally, in the process.
Check out the latest edition of my newsletter to learn more. I also share my thoughts on “founder mode”, and offer a last call for my class on how to become a more effective executive, starting this Friday, Sept. 27th: https://lnkd.in/gngvuwqq