You will be spending too much of your EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL ENERGY ON THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE YOUR CONTROL.

We all do this. I do this. I find I am in a right old frazzle and then stop to see what it is I am feeling so overwhelmed about and sure enough…it will be something outside my DIRECT control. Der Louise! That’s basic, but SO easy to slip up on!

Checking in on this cuts through the overwhelm instantly as it allows us to self-direct our mental and emotional energy to the place where it has the most impact. Overwhelm dissipates pretty much immediately.

Here’s a handy graphic and a list below for you

So, if you are feeling overwhelmed check in and see if your attention is one (or more) of these…

Out Of My Control…

• What other people believe, think, say, or post online
• What other people choose to do, including their behaviour, decisions, priorities, and boundaries
• Other people’s feelings, including how they feel about me (yup, sorry!)
• Other people’s opinions or worries
• Other people’s time
• Outcomes (as opposed to my effort)
• Timing of external events
• Random events or luck
• The past
• Global news
• Market conditions or economic shifts
• Cultural norms or societal expectations
• How quickly others change or grow
• External opportunities appearing or not appearing
• Illness or unexpected health events
• Aging
• Time
• Tax
• Traffic
• The weather

Hmmm…quite the list huh? There is A LOT that we do not control, my friend. Like A LOT. When we focus on it, and how it coulda/woulda/shoulda be different it is a fast track to feeling overwhelmed. We want things to be different, but we have no control in them being different, equals overwhelm. It’s a real waste of our mental and emotional energy.

So, here is where should we redirect ourselves to:

In My Control…

• What I say, including my words and tone
• What I think – full control over my own brain!
• What I do, including my actions and responses, priorities and focus
• My opinions about myself and others
• How I interpret situations and the meaning I give events
• My effort and consistency
• The standards I set for myself
• Whether I follow through on commitments
• How I spend my time and attention
• What I look at online and choose to put into my mind
• My self-care choices and how I choose to take care of my body
• What I consume (food, media, information, influences)
• My habits and routines
• Who I hang out with
• The boundaries I voice
• The questions I ask myself
• Whether I ask for help or support
• When I choose to persist or pivot

Notice how you feel, when you read the first list, as compared to when you read the second list…quite different, yes?

Whenever you feel overwhelmed (and this is life in 2026, that is inevitable) the key is to see WHY you are overwhelmed, track it back to the first list. Accept that it is out of your control and then take your attention – and therefore your MOOD – where it matters, back to your own sphere of control. Your power and your positivity lie right there, and are available anytime.

I hope this helps

P.S, If you’d like to know more about my Academy, click here

The post Overwhelm: the list you need to change the pattern appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

Our EMOTIONAL capacity

Our PHYSICAL capacity

Our MENTAL capacity

Our LOGISTICAL capacity

Plus many others…

We treat them like they are STEADY, the same, on a level, each day

They are not. 

We expect too much from ourselves – and others – too often because we make the assumption of steady capacity. 

It just doesn’t work like that.

Some days we can be super patient, super tolerant, and other we just don’t have it in us and we get snappy, despite our best intentions. We are not bad people, we just have reduced emotional capacity that day. 

Some days we power through the gym or a long walk, are raring for yoga after work and other days we can barely drag ourselves to walk back to the car from the office. Reduced physical capacity is our body TALKING, and it happens for all sorts of totally reasonable reasons to pay attention to.

Some days we are SHARP. We power through our work, make speedy decisions, tick tick tick that To Do list! Other days we procrastinate and second guess ourselves and achieve half the output. That happens because we are NOT ROBOTS, we are humans who have naturally fluctuating mental capacity levels! Its NORMAL!

Some days we FLY through the day juggling other people’s needs and our own, to this appointment and the next and the food shop and the dentists, and call the electricity board and sort out that refund, pick up the thing at the vets bosh bosh bosh, and other days we are just ON THE EDGE and need a day off the logistical treadmill and cannot add a. single. other. thing. Our logistical capacity is massively varied and the pressure we put on ourselves for it to be at the same high level each day is immense.

It’s time we call cut ourselves a BREAK.

Capacity IS NOT LINEAR. 

On any of the scales!

It will vary each and every day.

IT IS MEANT TO! 

The problem is not our capacity: it is our (and others) EXPECTATION of relentlessly high capacity. 

It’s an unmatchable expectation.

We will NEVER be the same in our capacity each day. 

We are humans, not robots.

Let’s drop that expectation, and be a little KINDER to ourselves (and others) and respect our naturally fluctuating human capacity in this life 

The post Four different types of CAPACITY issue appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

Why is it that when it comes to our mental health, we expect it to…

a) magically take care of itself; and
b) do it for free, totally unsupported.

I think about this a lot…how mental health is the poor cousin in terms of financial priority, and I think it has a LOT to do with the fact we can SEE physical unfitness, whereas mental unfitness we cannot see, it’s something we FEEL. It’s also something we can more easily HIDE from others behind a cheery “Fine! Yes darling, I’m good. How are you?”.

Drives me mad, but there we are! When it comes to mental health, we want it on the cheap! So, in the interests of giving the people what they want, here are my personal TOP FOUR WAYS of improving your mental health FOR FREE!

1. JOURNALING

I say this ALL THE TIME: stressful thoughts and repetitive worries do NOT belong in your HEAD, they belong ON PAPER where you can see them. Analyse them for truth. Be more objective. Figure out solutions. Work your way to acceptance where needed. Illuminate your patterns. Getting clear on what’s bothering you in black and white and on paper is enormously powerful.

Personally, I journal several times a week. Not every day, but on the regular. It is like a spring clean for my brain. I type it as it’s faster, but obviously old skool pen and paper works too.

2. WALKING

Movement moves your mood. Fact. Movement helps your body process trapped emotions. Movement helps your mind unwind.

I walk every day. It’s a mental health maintenance baseline action in my opinion. It’s one of the mechanisms Mother Nature built in for us to stay healthy and well. If you want to improve your mental health: MOVE.

3. MEDITATE

I know many of you are rolling your eyes at this because you find meditation HARD. You are not wrong. It IS hard: we are SO overstimulated in today’s world that to DELIBERATELY slow your thoughts and to try to reach that place of stillness BEYOND thought is bleddy tricky (which is why we provide bespoke GUIDED meditations each month for Academy members as that’s a far easier route in).

When I spent a month at an ashram doing my yoga teacher training (about 20 years ago now, YIKES!), we would spend FOUR HOURS A DAY silently meditating and then chanting. FOUR. HOURS. Two first thing in the morning, and two in the evening. FOUR. HOURS. Sat cross-legged on a stone temple floor. You have no idea. Truly. ANYWAY, there is a reason why the practice of meditation has endured for THOUSANDS of years, and that’s because it WORKS, on a deeply restorative level spiritually and mentally.

I meditate just before bed. That’s the best time for me, although I know mornings are the traditional time. The key here is FREQUENCY. Small but daily. That’s where you get the biggest mental health pay off. Yes, this takes discipline, but this is a list of what is FREE, not what is easy! Like I say, that’s why we create bespoke guided meditations for Academy members each month to make this enjoyable, accessible and doable.

And onto the fourth most powerful way to improve your mental health that is FREE:

4. STOP AVOIDING YOUR PROBLEMS

Yup. You heard me!

STOP.
AVOIDING.
YOUR.
PROBLEMS

Stop avoiding them by drinking wine / over-eating / continually scrolling / gossiping / over-working / online shopping / continually complaining about the same stuff.

STOP avoiding them and repetitively going on about them and DEAL WITH THEM.

Set the boundaries you need to set and hold them. Have the hard conversation you don’t want to have but that is needed. Leave the situation that no longer serves you with a well-managed exit. Quit the self-sabotage and keep your word to yourself.

Avoiding dealing with our problems doesn’t make them go away: it makes us compensate in other ways that can then become a problem in their own right. It’s a GUARANTEED downwards spiral for our mental health. The way to improve it is to upskill ourselves to do what needs to be done, be courageous and deal with these situations DESPITE the discomfort it evokes.

Easy? No! But FREE.

So, there you have it…my TOP FOUR WAYS to improve your Mental Health that are FREE: all that’s required is self-discipline, courage and time.

As you may have realised these are all GREAT options, FREE (as per the brief!) but…NOT EASY. This my friend is true, which brings me back to my opening statement about all the money we are happy to spend to support and improve our physical health and appearance.

We EXPECT to spend money on that (it won’t take care of itself!) so we do. I’d like to encourage you to think in the same way about your mental health in 2024: far less about EXPENSE, and far more about EASE. Can you make it EASIER to support and improve your own mental health? Easier so you DO actually DO it!

Yes, you can. If you are looking to make mental health management EASIER and ready to INVEST a small amount to do that, I can give you the structure to do that. Everything above is easier within the supportive structure in My Coaching Academy, Wellbeing Warriors.

Journaling becomes automated in the 2 minute a day daily challenge. Insight gets unlocked in the monthly worksheet.

Movement becomes more meaningful with the exercise challenges, the walking meditations and so much more.

Meditation itself becomes easily accessible with the bespoke guided audios that will have you sleeping better than you ever have.

And as for stopping avoiding your problems and dealing: you get weekly live coaching, Q & A sessions, as well as tools and techniques on every aspect of mental health management, from boundary setting to having difficult conversations with confidence to a million things more.

Is it free? No. It’s $87 NZD or £39 GBP/mth. Will it be one of the best investments you EVER make in yourself? Absolutely yes.

For what it’s worth, I think you don’t SPEND money on your Mental Health, you INVEST IT. It’s our financial investment that pays the highest happiness dividends there are, because your mental health is the literal foundation of EVERYTHING ELSE in your life. It’s the investment that will pay you back the most handsomely every single day of your life. You feel happier and more in control.

Want to invest in supporting and improving your mental health? Here are three ways I can help…

1. Grab 101 self-care actions in a beautiful workbook that you can TICK OFF and scribble on PLUS my resource-packed, guided, mini self-care course for just £10!! Click HERE for that.

2. Join my Life Coaching Academy, Wellbeing Warriors for as little as $87 (NZD) or £39 (GBP) per month for daily, practical, doable support and structure to uplift and maintain your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing every day of your life. Click HERE for that.

3. Take part in my VIP 121 Coaching Programme for $5,000 NZD (£2,500 GBP) – a totally tailored-to-you, 2-6 month process: just you and me, unpacking and transforming whatever is stuck or difficult in your life. Spaces are extremely limited (we just opened up five spots and they sold out in 24 hours) and first priority goes to Members of my Coaching Academy. If you are interested in VIP Coaching with me, you can waitlist here and I’ll let you know the next time I have a space available.

The post 4 ways to Improve your mental health for FREE appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

We’ll be celebrating 9 years of the Wellbeing Warriors Coaching Academy! That’s NINE YEARS of DIFFERENT 30-Day personal development courses , quite the milestone!

(Want to see a full list of all the courses? There are some that will really surprise you… you can see them by clicking here).

Waaaay back in 2015 (which seems like a lifetime ago!), I never dreamed that I would be celebrating this milestone. Most coaches will have put out maybe a handful of courses in that time… and the vast majority of coaching businesses do not even make it past the two-year mark, let alone the decade I have been honoured to be doing this work with y’all.

So, to celebrate this special occasion, here are the Top 9 LESSONS I have learned about human nature (and myself!) from teaching 9 years of 30-Day personal development courses.1. RESULTS CREATE A CYCLE OF MOTIVATION

Tangible results create momentum and motivation. Because I see this DAILY with all the comments and aha! moments, it keeps me focused on delivering more of what works for people. Because the members see the small actions they take paying off in terms of immediate impact and results in their life and health they keep doing it too. RESULTS create their own momentum.

You can see this in your own life when you start towards a goal or a project and start to see some quick wins (the word count on your novel, your jeans starting to fit better, etc). It’s EASIER to continue something when you experience it working.

2. LESS IS MORE

A big lesson I have learned through creating 100 different modules is that women really are BUSY. Throwing everything helpful at people just creates overwhelm and they don’t put stuff into practice. Less is truly more.

REFINING and CURATING the module resources each month on a particular topic, whether that is boundaries or ageing well or perfectionism is about giving my ladies the absolute CREAM OF THE CROP. They don’t need to know everything about that topic: they ONLY need to know the 1-3 easy-to-remember tools or principles that they can apply easily, will move the needle for them and that they will USE.

My work creating each month is as much about what I leave OUT as what I put IN. I have got better and better and better and elevating the content to be as simple to deliver, understand and apply as possible.

When I was a baby coach I made a MISTAKE and would try and give people everything but the kitchen sink! That was inexperience. That’s not what people need. Life is WAY too busy for that! These days I love giving a super-curated experience of everything they need and nothing that don’t. In fact, we redesigned the technology of the whole Academy on that principle a few years back – stripped it right back. I don’t want people faffing about looking for stuff and a whole heap of useful but irrelevant stuff they will never get to. The KEY to growth and progress is LESS IS MORE.

If you are struggling to get traction on something, consider if you are trying to do too much or reach too high. LESS IS MORE is often the principle you need to get things unstuck.

3. IMPLEMENTATION TRUMPS INFORMATION EVERY TIME

When it comes to wellbeing I kind of knew this at the beginning in Module 1 (way back in December 2015!) but I didn’t realise just HOW important until I started seeing WHY people were getting their wins and results. It was NOT about what they KNEW but it was down to what they put into PRACTICE.

People put WAY too much value on INFORMATION. Piles of self-help books half-read on the nightstand. Zillions of Instagram reels of shiny people being marvellous throwing out tid-bits watched. Newspaper articles underlined, but nothing actioned. Honestly…all that NOISE…it’s all POINTLESS.

If you don’t ACTION IT, it DOESN’T HELP YOU! It’s FAR better to KNOW ONE BRILLIANT PRINCIPLE and apply it consistently, than know more but put it into practice “one day when life is less full on”. That day NEVER comes. It’s what you do TODAY that counts. How your life, body, finances, relationships are a year from now is based on what you DO TODAY.

One of my biggest learnings in terms of seeing people TRULY improve their mental and physical health (not just wish about it) is that implementation trumps information every. Single. Time.

4. DON’T UNDERVALUE THE POWER OF COMMUNITY IN THE MODERN WORLD

This has been a big learning for me over the 100 modules. I didn’t realise just how powerful the members’ community would be. I thought the most valuable thing would be me and my cool info , and sure, that is very valuable and the engine of the results people get. But the HEART of the results, oh my friends…that’s the COMMUNITY. I had no idea of the sheer power of having hundreds of women dispersed around the globe, diverse in every way possible, but having this incredible shared VALUE around personal growth, compassion, curiosity, open mindedness. 

Life is disconnected in 2024, The biggest relationship a lot of people have is with their PHONE. So much genuine connection, understanding, support, has evaporated in the modern world. Holding this safe space for the community to learn and share privately and in a judgement-free zone is a rare and beautiful thing. It is a place where people feel deeply understood, in a hyper-connected world that seems to offer less and less of that. 

How and where do you feel seen, heard, safe, deeply connected? I think it’s a vanishingly rare quality in 2024 and I am so glad it is at the heart of what we do  

5. EMBRACE YOUR SUPERPOWER. 

So, the most fun thing about growing the Wellbeing Warriors Coaching Academy has been the sheer variety of wellbeing topics we have covered. When I started The Academy I always knew I wanted us to explore the topics that were important to wellbeing, but that no one else was really talking about… what I didn’t realise was just how fun that would be to do and to evolve. 

My gift, my superpower if you will, is taking COMPLEX TOPICS and boiling them down to one really simple tool or principles that people GET, REMEMBER and more importantly USE. 

People ask all the time: “How do you think of new ideas or what to cover?” and the reality is that’s the EASY bit. Wellbeing is SO broad, and constantly evolving, so there are always new facets of mental health, emotional wellbeing, physical improvement and spiritual growth to explore. 

Is there an aspect of your wellbeing (mental, physical, emotional or spiritual) you want to uplevel in 2024? (you can see the full list of 100 topics here).

6. YOU DO YOU

Everyone is different and people’s life stages are changing ALL THE TIME, so what works for someone doesn’t even necessarily apply the same to them a year later. 

Building tools and distilling core coaching principles that can be applied in different ways by different people in such radically different situations is THRILLING to me. 

That we have a commonality of wanting to be healthier and happier and so on, but that the execution is so individual. “You Do You” is a mantra we live by in The Academy that underpins not just the non-judgmental support but the permission we all sometimes need to step up and do life our own way. 

The way I create tools and principles that relate universally but can be applied in bespoke ways to each person’s particular situation and life stage, has evolved and improved over time.

It’s good advice for MANY situations that you may be wrestling with, especially if you are feeling the weight of a lot of “shoulds”. YOU DO YOU. No-one else knows what it is like to live in your body and your life but you.

7. WHAT YOU DO DAILY MATTERS. A LOT. 

Humans are reeeeeally good at putting stuff off (you probably know this!). We are also good at setting big intentions and not following through on them. What I have learned over the last 100 modules is WHAT CAN GET GONE QUICKLY IS WHAT GETS DONE. 

And what gets DONE DAILY is the most important of all. It’s those micro-habits that determine the fabric of our life.

When I first started the WW Academy those 100 modules ago, I did the implementation challenges as an afterthought really. They were kind of daily-ish, just when I was in the mood. But I realised very quickly that actually they were the MOST IMPORTANT PART of the whole freaking thing. That forming a TINY DAILY HABIT of doing one small thing for your mental or physical health by doing the daily challenge in the Academy was the CORNERSTONE of member’s progress. 

Since that light bulb moment all those years back, the challenges are scheduled to come out at 6am every day 365 days a year. And hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of women around the world start their day with a coffee and that 2-minute wellbeing challenge. It’s the ultimate mental health micro-habit. WHAT YOU DO DAILY MATTERS. Not what you intend to do daily, what you actually do.

8. LIVE LIFE COACHING CREATES SERIOUS RIPPLE EFFECTS

I added this to The Academy a few years back as a sort of trial and everyone loved it so much we have done it weekly ever since (click here for a 60 second teaser of our weekly live coaching sessions).

It’s my FAVOURITE part of the week! We call for questions in the Private Members Community on a Tuesday, where the Wellbeing Warrriors can ask a question about an issue they have in their own life and I answer them in a live video session on the Friday. I can tell you over the years we have had it all. From serious health issues, divorce, affairs, neurodiversity challenges, toxic workplaces, embezzling spouses, homes destroyed in natural disasters, mean sisters, financial explosions, you name it, we cover it. 

What is SO COOL about it is it helps the person with the problem, often in a totally life-transforming way, but equally cool is the fact that every single week other, members will get SO MUCH from it that they weren’t expecting.  It will give them answers to questions they didn’t even know they had. It shines a light on our own stuff we have been avoiding, sometimes for years. The coaching principles we use are so timeless and applicable to so many situations: sometimes watching a Coach Spot for someone else is the EXACT answer to a problem you have been silently wrestling with yourself for years. 

I absolutely LOVE doing these The replays are all filed, so members can rewatch those coaching nuggets anytime they need them. 

9. IT TAKES A VILLAGE

I sure did not know THAT when I started 100 modules ago . To start, it was just me, and my part-time VA Justine, who did 8 hours a week. We are now a team of 7 talented professionals scattered around the globe!

Technology has changed, of course, so the level we offer is SO elevated compared to where we started. I’ve invested SO much in making The WW Coaching Academy the best on the planet. It’s elegant. Easy to use. Has the library of all back courses to dip into at will. The level and breadth of the service the members get is second to none, and I am so grateful to the amazing team of talented and dedicated humans I work with. 

AND A BONUS THOUGHT – CONSISTENCY TRUMPS QUANTITY EVERY TIME

When it comes to business, it is the same as when it comes to our wellbeing: CONSISTENCY TRUMPS QUANTITY VERY TIME.

Why has my coaching business endured where the other 90% have fallen by the wayside over the last decade? Because of consistency. Consistency is what creates TRUST.

6am on the 1st of the month, every month, no matter what: a brand new module of personal growth lands in the members inboxes. It’s the same discipline that has meant that Wellbeing Wednesday is in your inbox at 6am every Wednesday morning and has been for over… ooooh…13 years now. 

I believe in what I do. I see how it works, so I show up for YOU with quality and consistency.

You show up for ME to read, to think, to learn, to be a part of the magic. THANK YOU!

This is the same for any significant result we are trying to achieve in our life or health. What we SHOW UP FOR CONSISTENTLY is what will be successful.

It’s a great question to pause and ask ourselves: What am I consistently showing up for? I might be Instagram scrolling marathons… or gossip sessions with colleagues. Or it might be showing up for ourselves three times a week at the gym, or in our 2-minute daily coaching challenge in the WW Academy. Obviously, the outcomes are really different here… and that’s why it’s so powerful to be honest with ourselves about who we are showing up for consistently and why. 

If you don’t know, this is how The Coaching Academy works:

I release a BRAND NEW COURSE of personal growth every month on the 1st of the month at 6am NZT. 

Each month, we work through the course together in our Private Members Community, with a suite of bespoke themed resources and in-depth tutorials in the Members Hub. PLUS the integral 30-Days of 2-minute daily implementation challenges, and added tools, including bespoke guided meditations, screensavers, workbooks and even a colouring page. It’s a guided 30-Day mini-course – it will challenge you – and it will change you!

As well as group and bite-sized self-learning, the Academy offers WEEKLY live coaching sessions with me, in the form of a weekly coach spot (our members-only snappy Q & A session ON LIFE DILEMMAS!) as well as a monthly Q & A on the month’s topic.

I create and teach every course live, monthly (yes, all 100+ of them!), so that each of the tools and modules you learn integrate and layer beautifully on top of one another for a seamless learning experience. Each module also stands alone as a complete 30-day transformational course you can dive into at will in our indexed and searchable Wellbeing Warriors Members Hub.

Think how you might be feeling today if you’d joined us in year 1? Think how different you could be feeling by year 10?! 

Now is the time. Click here for all the deets and to join.

The post 9 lessons I’ve learned from 9 Years of Wellbeing Warriors Coaching Academy appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

Clearly, this is a complex and multifaceted issue (and this is Wellbeing Wednesday so I like to keep things light!) but this fantastic graphic (image credit @gapingvoid) for me sums up one aspect of what is SO wrong with a lot of the wellbeing industry

Good, right? I have said this before and I will say it again: INFORMATION IS NOT POWER.

Unless information is INTEGRATED AND IMPLEMENTED, it isn’t helping!

I went on a course many years ago, delivered by a VERY well known practitioner and author, and I have to say her information was AMAZING. Like WOWSERS amazing. Blew our collective minds!

She delivered so much content our brains were buzzing with it. WOW WE CAN BE THE HEALTHIEST WOMEN EVVVEEERRRR everyone was thinking!

There were so many questions about the intricacies of what she delivered almost every hand went up…but…she only took the first 5 questions…so those questions were left unanswered. There was no follow-up after the day, just a “thanks for attending (and please buy some more of my stuff!)”. It was helluva a day though, I mean WOW! SO MUCH INFORMATION!!!

A month later, I caught up with the girlfriends I did the course with. We reminisced on just how amazing all that information was. So WOW! The bits we could remember by then, anyway. I asked sheepishly what they had CHANGED in their own life since the course (knowing full well I hadn’t done anything, there were about 500 things I needed to do differently so somehow I just hadn’t started…but I would…one day… ). Turned out, not one of them had actually integrated a single practical thing into their lives either. It was all just too much. Fascinating! Illuminating! But…totally overwhelming. And so our lives and bodies improved not one jot from that day, other than the fact we had spent some good girly time together.

Such a shame, yes?

How many times have YOU had that experience?

Read a brilliant book! Decided YES THIS IS THE ANSWER! And closed the book and implemented….not one thing into your real life. But you will, right? One day…

Done a virtual course. Learned LOADS! WOW WHAT A STRATEGY! SO MUCH GREAT INFO! Then finished the tutorial and implemented….not one thing into your real life. But you will, right? One day…

Been to a lecture or a course live and loved the buzz in the room! WOWEEEEE SO MUCH GRAT LEARNING HERE! YES I WILL DO ALLL THESE THINGS! Then gone back home, put your comfy pants back on and implemented….not one thing into your real life. But you will, right? One day…

And that, my friends, is the true difference between INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE.

When we learn something FOR REAL we can see how and where it is going to fit in in our life. Where it applies to us. The information connects and alters with other information to become personal, and then to LIVE IN OUR LIVES.

IMPLEMENTATION is what makes it knowledge.

When we have EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE of actually practicing a new tool or strategy in our lives, and going “aha!”

Personal growth (mental and physical) is literally one AHA! Moment after another.

Those connections, each one is an AHA moment! It’s…

AHA! I see how that fits my life/brain/situation

AHA! I just tried that and it worked! Whoa!

AHA! This is helping me! Right now in real time (not one day)…I feel BETTER IN SOME WAY

AHA! That makes SENSE to me now I have tried it

AHA! Now I’ve asked that question, I KNOW this and how it applies to me on a whole new level

AHA! Now I have worked on this for a month, I can never un-learn this. I know myself and what works for me on a level I can never unlearn as I have PRACTISED IT.

That is knowledge that sticks. That is knowledge that IMPROVES lives.

Information is something in a book or on a webpage. It becomes knowledge when you make it live and breathe by joining the dots.

Benjamin Franklin famously said: “Tell me, and I will listen; Teach me, and I’ll remember; Involve me, and I will learn.” and so it is.

For the record, this principle is WHY each module in my Coaching Academy is 30 days of PRACTICE. The tutorial is only 30 minutes (less IS more) and on Day 1, and then you have 29 days of a 2 minute experiential PRACTICE to EMBED THE INFORMATION SO IT BECOMES KNOWLEDGE that improves your life.

Information does not get you results. It’s your KNOWLEDGE that you IMPLEMENT that gets you results .

Not getting what you want? Stop chasing information. Implementation is where it’s AT.

The post Information is NOT power… unless you have THIS! appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

I am talking about Paying it Forwards today.

I am sure you are paying it forwards in all sorts of ways each week {first_name}, in a way that is just an integral part of your values and your week. I know this as only GOOD HEARTED PEOPLE read Wellbeing Wednesday!

I have a question, though, about Paying It Forwards…

I’d like to ask you {first_name},

What are you paying forward to yourself?

Huh, yes?!

Think about it:

Your life right now is (largely*) a result of what you chose a year ago.

Your life a year from now will be (largely*) a result of your choices now.

*excepting huge unforeseen tragedies/windfalls that you cannot anticipate

Basically…your choices TODAY are PAYING FORWARDS TO THE FUTURE YOU

What will the YOU a year from now be enjoying about their body? Their bank account? Their balance of life?

All those things are determined by what YOU pay forwards TO YOU, NOW.

Something to think about huh?

Choose accordingly.

The post Do you “Pay It Forwards”? Don’t forget this person… appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

Now, a very interesting thing happened. She was drawing away an absolute hodgepodge of scribbles randomly everywhere. Having a lovely time. I was also having a lovely time drawing flowers, and cats and teacups and so on. I drew some helpful outlines of cupcakes and kittens and encouraged her to come join me so she could colour them in rather than just randomly scribbling.

“Ooo Chloe do you want to come and colour in this Mickey Mouse?” I said a few times, feeling really helpful and pleased with myself…

“No thank you. You colour what you want to colour. I’ll colour what I want to colour.”

HUH! GOOD ONE, CHLOE, no?

Who am I to say that my colouring-in is better than her free expression?!

There is no “right way” to do a lot of life, actually. Despite what we like to tell ourselves – and others.

We can get really righteous in our conviction that ours is the “right way” to load the dishwasher or deal with the accounts department.

Actually, our “best way” isn’t always the best way for everyone.

And sometimes…whisper it…we might even learn a few things if we drop our “right way” and observe.

3 + 3 = 6

but also

2 + 4 = 6

Learning to observe and respect others’ ”best way” is a huge learning curve.

SO many arguments and niggles and nagging are when we are trying to make OUR way THE way.

It isn’t always so. Life is not always so black and white.

In the Wellbeing Warriors Coaching Academy, one of our overarching teaching principles and community boundaries is “You Do You”. All tools are taught in a way that you can make them your own, make them fit your life and life circumstances. One size will never fit all! Of COURSE it won’t! That’s fine: apply it in a way that works best FOR YOU.

All communication is based on the principle of compassion: we NEVER tell another member what to do or judge their situation (how could we? we will never know how it truly is in her shoes at that time) but offer insightful suggestions of what we tried in similar situations so they can be inspired to their own solutions. It’s a VERY different approach. The world (and internet) is FULL of people telling others to be like them, think like them, do like them. It’s unhealthy this attachment to pushing our own rightness: they need to listen to Chloe:

“No thank you. You colour what you want to colour. I’ll colour what I want to colour.”

Such wisdom. And she was FOUR!

Our best way isn’t everyone’s.

You do you darling. Let them do them.

The post What I learned from a 4 year old called Chloe… appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

Over-thinking… sound familiar?! So common, and at a very real cost to our mental health.

Much (not all, but, a lot) of our stress is (when we step back and evaluate it objectively) self-created. It’s the same thought-loops or stories we have told ourselves over and over about how we are letting someone down / not good enough in some way / something is going to go wrong / so and so we will be upset. These catastrophising stories can run on repeat in our heads, creating anxiety and stress. It’s the over-thinking “What ifs” that drag us down.

A really helpful tip can be getting these endless anxiety-inducing stories out of your head, and onto paper.

Yes, I literally mean get a pen and paper out and write down verbatim what’s going round and round in your head.

I know you think you don’t have time, but, honey, you do. You have likely been overthinking and stressing about Issue X for a day/a week/ a freaking year…you DEFINITELY have 10 minutes to get those thought loops down on paper.

Once you look at them in black and white it’s a lot (and I mean A LOT) easier to slow the over-thinking down, and evaluate them with a more considered perspective:

Is that really true? Is that a fact?
Where’s the evidence of that?
What’s the percentage likelihood of that ever occurring?
If that did happen how would I handle it?
When have I handled something similar successfully before?
Is this even my responsibility?

The problem isn’t that we are thinking – it’s HOW we are thinking.

Pull out a pen and paper (or use the notes page in your phone), acknowledge that thinking, and then assess that story for truth, likelihood, responsibility and your capability.

Overthinking. Let’s do something ABOUT IT today.

___________________________________________________________

While you’re here I have a question for you.

Does overthinking keep you awake at night?

Does this lady provide an accurate representation of how you often feel?!

If so, I would love to help you.

Join me in July 2024 for

The Shrinking Overthinking 30-Day Bootcamp

Stop negative spirals and make your mind a nicer place to live in 30 days.

Join me in July 2024 to learn 6 powerful techniques to manage your mind and reduce anxiety.

As someone who overcame extreme burnout, I’ve helped thousands of women stop overthinking.

Now, I am looking for 50 women who want to learn how to reduce stressful loops of overthinking, stop negative spirals, declutter their mind and feel more in control, to join me for this 30-day challenge inside my Coaching Academy, from 1st July 2024.

It’s £39/month | Risk free | 30-Day Guarantee | Cancel any time!

Click here to learn more.

The post Conquer overthinking and find inner peace: a step-by-step guide to transforming your thought patterns appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

We’ve been sold a lie that Self-Care looks super nice and fluffy. That it looks like pedicures, bubble baths and avo on toast. That it smells of bubble-gum and candyfloss, and it lives, mainly on Insta, striking a well-lit pose.  I know you know what I’m talking about. Self-Care is BIG buck’s y’all. There are a LOT of vested interests in telling you that THIS perfectly manicured, utterly passive image, is what Self-Care looks like.

Let me tell you something from coaching thousands and thousands of smart women to lead their healthiest, happiest lives peppered with continual personal growth…

Real Self Care is actually really ACTIVE: it’s WORK.  And sometimes it’s really HARD. And it pretty much always doesn’t look pretty.

Real Self Care doesn’t come with a pink bow on it – real Self-Care looks like this:

• Sitting down and making a spreadsheet of all your debts and figuring out some sort of payment plan that will start to release you from crushing financial stress – THAT my friend, is not sexy, but it is Self-Care.
• Walking away from that oh so gorgeous soulmate of a man, with the abs and the flowers and the smile, who also never turns up when he says, lets you down continually and intermittently ghosts – THAT, my friend, IS Self-Care.
• Scheduling a meeting with your boss to talk through your responsibilities and workload, and remuneration in a well prepared, confident, assertive way – THAT, my friend, that is Self -Care all the way (in fact, this was a topic we covered in my weekly coach spot inside the Coaching Academy. You can watch that here).
• Politely saying no thanks to that girl’s get-together that inevitably makes you feel like crap and that you have to compete and yes you have known each other since school, but they just don’t really get you anymore. Deciding not to go this year – THAT is Self-Care.
• Calling ahead to the dinner party host to explain you are doing a particular health-related eating programme that you are really committed to sticking to – even at her event, and working out a few easy menu items that she can prepare or you can bring – THAT is Self-Care.

Here’s the thing:

Self-Care doesn’t always look like what’s EASY.

Self-Care is unlikely to be something that is PASSIVE.

And it’s usually not INDULGENT.

It’s not that indulgence is bad. Far from it – but bubble baths – they only feel indulgent when you are lying there knowing you can afford your mortgage.

Don’t mistake an enjoyable indulgence for Self-Care. Enjoy the indulgence, of course! Enjoy that good passive bubbly stuff that puts the cherry on the top of life – but don’t mistake it for the real WORK of caring for your beautiful self.

People wonder why they have a massage or spend the day at the spa, essentially “doing self-care”, but then basically feel exactly the same about themselves, their body, and their life once they have left the spa and got home.

This is why. They have not been doing Self-Care! They have been doing Indulgence. Indulgence feels gooooooooddddd, (and I’m all for it) but – and this is the really important thing – it only feels good IN THE MOMENT.

Self-care? REAL Self-Care? My friends, real Self-Care is often HARD WORK in the moment. It’s about change. About challenge. About TRUTH. But – here’s the kicker – It LASTS. When you genuinely do what you need to do to really CARE for yourself – you feel better not just that day, but day after day after day.

Remember this:

Indulgence makes you shiny on the outside.

Self-Care lets you shine long term, from within.

This is what we do in the Wellbeing Warriors Coaching Academy. We do REAL self-care. And the results of the self-care work that we do in the Academy look like this…

• having the courage to quit toxic work environments
• creating healthy boundaries with extended family (hello MIL!)
• ditching sugar without drama
• confidently wearing a bikini for the first time in a decade
• processing grief in the supportive community

So if you want to partake in REAL self-care that WORKS and makes lasting changes to your life for the better, click HERE and come join

The post The big, HUGE lie you have been told about self-care appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.

You know I am BIG on any milestone opportunity to press pause, and check in with ourselves and the summer/winter solstice is as good a time as any, with the added spiritual nod to connect with the cycles of nature and to tap into our own inner wisdom.

Here are a few ideas to use the solstice this year to create a marker for personal development:

• REFLECTION QUESTIONS. We are six months into 2023. What has been the high-light? What has been your low light? What are you proud of? What has surprised you? What do you want to AMPLIFY in the second half of 2023?
• CONNECTION WITH NATURE. Go take your shoes off and stand barefoot on the grass! Studies have shown walking barefoot in nature increases endorphin flow, and decreases stress by over 60%. The solstice is an excellent reminder that our connection with nature is not just a nice to have once or twice a year on holiday, but an essential part of how human beings are MEANT TO connect and recharge.
• CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON. Ritual is important. Humans are wired for ritual. Raising a glass to celebrate the abundance and good times and achievements of the first half of 2023, sets the tone (from a Law Of Attraction perspective) to welcome in and attract MORE good times in the second half.

The post Positively manifest a new chapter this Solstice 🌙 appeared first on Louise Thompson, Life Coach, Wellbeing Writer and Speaker.