How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching

3.28 MINDFULNESS Mindfulness is a "hot topic" in Western psychology right now increasingly recognised as a powerful therapeutic intervention for everything from work stress to depression - and also as an effective tool for increasing emotional intelligence. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful mindfulness-based therapy (and coaching model) which currently leads the field in terms of research, application and results. Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness, focus and openness - which allows you to engage fully in what you are doing at any moment. In a state of mindfulness, difficult thoughts and feelings have much less impact and influence over you - so it is hugely useful for everything from full-blown psychiatric illness to enhancing athletic or business performance. Mindfulness in coaching is equally important to coach and coachee, because it helps him them to establish a positive, open, and acceptive relationship based on trust and respect, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) programs offer a vast range of tools to learn mindfulness skills - many of which require only a few minutes to master. They break mindfulness skills down into 3 categories: 1) defusion: distancing from, and letting go of, unhelpful thoughts, beliefs and memories 2) acceptance: making room for painful feelings, urges and sensations, and allowing them to come and go without a struggle 3) contact with the present moment: engaging fully with your hereand-now experience, with an attitude of openness and curiosity . These 3 skills require you to use an aspect of yourself for which no word exists in common everyday language. It is the part of you that is 631

How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Page 314