How Coaching Restored Balance for Emma
Emma contacted a coach to help her improve workplace relationships. She was exhausted from taking care of others during the pandemic. She felt hurt that her supervisor did not acknowledge her contributions. She arrived at coaching exclaiming, “I’m not stubborn, am I?”
What does it mean to be stubborn?
A definition of stubborn is headstrong or unreasonably unyielding. Ouch! If you dig a little deeper, you will discover that stubbornness has softer connotations. It also means being resolute and carrying something out in a persistent manner.
It's not surprising then that a hard-working woman like Emma, who was determined to persist through the challenges of the pandemic, was labeled stubborn. “During the pandemic,” said Emma, “I never said no. If something needed to be taken care of, I stepped up.”
When everyone else was exhausted, she persisted, always going above and beyond to get whatever was needed done. It seemed Emma always said yes. But did she? With the help of her coach, Emma unpacked what being stubborn meant to her.
Her ah-ha moment came when she realized that being stubborn was her way of setting boundaries. Her stamina and persistence were assets during a crisis, but they did not serve her day-to-day.
With the support of coaching, Emma learned to set healthy workplace boundaries and restore balance in her life.
Understanding that being persistent had benefits in a crisis but was off-putting in calmer times allowed her to shed her defensiveness.
Coaching also helped Emma to gain clarity about how to manage her workload. And it helped her communicate her needs more effectively to her supervisor.
Taking action on her goals for self-care sparked a resurgence of joy in her life.
Remember, sometimes, taking care of ourselves means reaching out for support. In Emma’s case, scheduling her first coaching session was life-changing.
For more tips read the article How To Have A Good Work-Life Balance by Allaya Cooks-Campbell on Better Up
