March 16

How to Help Your Clients Navigate these Challenging Times

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Coronavirus has impacted people throughout the world in numerous ways. 

The efforts of containment from COVID 19 has reshaped our everyday lives. People are staying home from work and school, some businesses are having extreme financial difficulties, food is being grabbed up, stocked up, hoarded. Much of the world is panic-stricken and uncertain of what is ahead. It is truly a weird, weird time.

How do we help our life coaching clients as well as ourselves and those we love?  Here are 5 ways we can assist our clients. 

  1. Listen to their shock, fear, and upset.
    Given the abrupt changes that are happening many people are in shock.  Can this really be happening? Clients are afraid. Will those I love get sick and die? What do I need to do for those you love?  What will happen to my livelihood?

    Let your client talk and talk.  Acknowledge it’s understandable they are in shock, fear, and uncertainty.  Venting is a useful exercise to cope with stress right now.

  2. Facilitate your client to get in a positive, more resourceful state.
    One simple technique that really works is to ask your client to list off their current emotions (e.g. fear, shock, insecurity, etc.), then ask your client how they would like to feel (e.g. calm, trusting, certain, secure, relaxed, etc.).

    Ask your life coaching client to choose those feelings by saying I choose to feel (e.g. calm, trusting, certain, secure, relaxed, etc.).

    Then go back to what is still left of their uncomfortable feelings. Then ask you, client, to choose what feelings they want again.  Do this several times until the client shifts. It really works!

  3. Help your client address their most pressing issues.
    They need adjusting to kids being home from school, elderly parents, changes in their work or business, etc. Develop a short-term strategy for them to cope with their current situation.

  4. Coach your client to find ways to feel more balanced and peaceful.
    In these times of stress, your clients need a way to maintain calm.  What helps? Is it exercise, praying, listening to music, being in nature etc.? What routine will best support them right now?

  5. Explore the opportunities that might present themselves at this weird time.  These might include:
  • Spending more quality time with family
  • Catching up on house projects
  • Taking up a new hobby 
  • Spending more time reading
  • Catching up by phone or Zoom with people you haven’t talked to for a while
  • Going back to school
  • Becoming more introspective or more spiritual and using this as a time of growth
  • Quieting down your life
  • Caring for others in a more compassionate way.
  • Feeling more connected to everyone on earth-this is human crisis worldwide

We as life coaches are vital as a support system right now.  Listen to your client’s shock, fear and upset. Support your client to get in a more positive state, develop a game plan to dealing with their pressing situation, and maintain a sense of balance and peace. Explore new opportunities that might present themselves. Make sure you stay in balance yourself.  You can’t give your client the support you need if you don’t care of yourself first.

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Tags

life coach clients, Life Coaching


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