We are celebrating Narrative Life Coaching’s first birthday, so I am delighted to announce a special offer, but more about that in a moment!
According to a recent London Business School study, 49% of us say that in the last couple of years we have had more time than usual to reflect. But if you’re like me, the new trend toward work from home was just a continuation of what I was already doing working from home (wfh). I have been a digital nomad for about 15 years. I used to hardly notice my 11pm or even midnight clock-out times (so I could do an afternoon interview with Los Angeles) or the 7am clock-in times – so that I could talk to Tokyo. I took the contract originally so I could attend health appointments and business meetings with a fragile relative. This wasn’t a problem until I started to go out with my now husband.
‘You are going to do what?’ he asked when I told him I needed to wake up at 7am one day on our honeymoon to be able to talk to the office in Tokyo and after that take a call from Geneva. By that time, eight years into my WfH routine, I had started to take my time-zoneless work life for granted. I regularly read tomorrow’s emails today.
Getting hitched was my wake-up call. I could look after my sick family member with that work schedule, but in the process, was I living the life I wanted to live? I was able to organize my own schedule and despite the many deadlines I was able to travel internationally four times per year. Now WfH has become the norm and it is not always more appealing, especially as travel is much less certain. However what is certain is that in the last year many of us have found we’ve had more time to invest in personal relationships. Sometimes this has given the chance for fathers to reconnect with sons, mothers with daughters. During the last year I’ve also had the chance to reconnect with family members. It was high time that we started talking again as family connections had revolved solely around care.
However at NLC we realise that re-establishing balance and moving forward in our lives means articulating unspoken thoughts where appropriate and possible since they directly relate to our emotional lives. We hadn’t actually spoken despite email announcements. It was partly for this reason that the family members were invested in a story of separation rather than being able to connect. Everyone agreed that we urgently needed to rebuild the bridges.
At the start we connected via Zoom according to a set schedule moderated by a friend, once a month. We committed to turning up. I was reluctant at first, but what made it joyful and hopeful for me was that beforehand I made myself listen to, watch or read an inspiring story of reconnection. Neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang found that when we hear a story of inspiration, we allow more blood to flow into our brain stem. This is the part of the brain that keeps us breathing and alive. Narrative Life Coaching also uses stories, metaphors and images or objects to help you find more balance and think flexibly, opening the door to different, better outcomes.
My next course launches on the 1st February 2022. As it’s the season of gift-giving, I’d like to make you a special offer. Watch this space and follow me on Social Media
Warmly
X Elizabeth Rose
