Sunday, 29 March 2009

Executive Depression

Executives of all backgrounds are suffering the most awful pressures whether from their workplace or from not being in work. Just look at the number of articles being written everyday on the increase in mental health problems, suicide and depression and anxiety cases.
"Prime minister Gordon Brown may have made a 'slip of the tongue', according to his spokesman, when he recently referred to the recession as a 'depression', but there is no confusion about the association between economic problems and poor mental health.
An increasing number of studies are linking the recession to ill health - particularly anxiety, heart disease and stress. For example, academics at the University of North Texas have found that three to five years after periods of job loss and financial insecurity, there was a marked increase in the number of heart attacks.
Meanwhile, researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine report that surveys following the break-up of the Soviet Union showed that the regions with the highest rate of job loss also had the highest death rates."

Let's get really active in offering our support. As Retreat Coaches we are trained to support and allow for reflection. This is our time as thousands are looking at their "Crisis of Meaning" a theme that we used to associate with the mid life crisis stage. It is hitting hard and our executives are losing face, confidence and jobs. Many of the values that they held so dearly have been wiped out in the business world and people are looking for guidance and support to find new meaning and purpose.
As their lives crumble there is the need to work with resilience, values, positive mental attitude, CBT and almost every tool in the Retreat Coach toolbox.
and step up to the cause. Be sure that coaching is the correct intervention, that medical assistance has been received and that you have your professional intentions set and contracted for.
Dorothy Larios

Sunday, 1 March 2009

Taking Meaning from Kindness.



I went walking the other day around my local area to post a letter, pick up a prescription and generally let the sunshine brighten my mood. As I looked at the sudden colours of spring blooming in the gardens and people taking the first steps towards awakening their passion for gardening, I began to see the goodness of our world.

As if through fresh eyes and ears which had borne the winter's economic depression, I saw things afresh. A little girl was sad as she left the doctor's surgery and her Mum bent down to meet her eye to eye to explain that taking medicine wasn't really so bad as it would make her feel better. The headache and sniffles would stop and she would be able to go out to play again!


As I continued along the pavement beside the parked cars, I noticed that someone had designed a really beautiful Birthday Message and lain it over the windscreen of one of the parked cars. " Happy Birthday Steve- Have a good one!"


It lifts your spirits to experience such little tastes of gentle kindness amongst the usual day to day routine of any normal neighbourhood. It brings a spring smile to my face and thoughts of " the majority of people are truly kind." There are so many cynical people telling us what is wrong in the world we forget that there are more goodness and kindness out there that you can ever imagine. Like all good news it is seldom told.

I am reading "All Will be Well" by Michael Meegan and would love you to enjoy it too.