Insights And Tools For A Happier Life

June has flown by, and we've now crossed the halfway mark of the year. The past six months have been a whirlwind of activity, culminating in the completion of the weekend intensives for the Mental Wellbeing Coaching training. While the intensives are behind us, our bi-weekly classes continue, providing deeper insights and skills development.

During our last weekend together, we focused on one of my favourite topics: the role of compassion in coaching. As a Mental Wellbeing coach, I see compassion as a crucial area where many of my clients need the most support. Many struggle with cycles of self-criticism and self-judgment, and some even project these feelings onto others, leading to unhappiness and suffering.

Often, people think compassion is something we offer only when someone needs support or a listening ear. However, compassion is much more than that. There are many myths surrounding compassion, particularly in Western society. Some view it as a fleeting trend in self-development, yet it is one of the oldest methods for healing and transforming suffering. Ancient philosophers and religions have long taught that compassion is the gateway to peace and happiness. Through loving-kindness toward ourselves and others, we can alleviate suffering both within and around us.

In our Mental Wellbeing Coaching training, I emphasise that compassion can be cultivated. Buddhist philosophy, for instance, has trained people in compassion for thousands of years. Through small, daily practices, we can rewire our brains to be more compassionate towards ourselves and others. One key practice is identifying our automatic thinking patterns, especially during stress, overwhelm, anxiety, or depression.

Recognising these thinking patterns can highlight where we need to strengthen our brain's soothing system. Often, we are unaware of how little compassion we extend to ourselves or others until we reach a point of exhaustion or overwhelm. It's then that we realise we haven't been caring for our minds and bodies with kindness.

I encourage my clients to reflect on where in their lives they could benefit from more love and kindness—towards themselves, others, and their bodies. It's not an easy question to answer for many, and there is often resistance to even considering it. However, when they take a moment to honestly assess their unhelpful thinking patterns and life experiences, they quickly see the gaps in compassion.

Take a moment to ask yourself these questions: Where in your life would you benefit from more loving-kindness towards yourself, others, and your body? If you seek to understand your level of self-compassion and wish to identify unhelpful thinking patterns that lead to self-judgment and criticism, you can download my Unhelpful Thinking Patterns sheet here: Download now.

For those ready to strengthen the neural connections in their brain’s soothing system and develop greater self-compassion, I recommend using the Ho'oponopono prayer above whenever you notice unhelpful thoughts about yourself or others.

Let me know how you get on. Sending loving-kindness your way.

With love

Avril 💕💕 💐