Over the last 5 years I have been coaching dozens of young apprentices starting their careers. I have helped them develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they will need to be successful in their roles, in the demanding industry of financial services. Success, however, requires more than simply having the right knowledge and skills. More importantly, we need to be able to access and use them, even when under pressure and facing challenges. Supporting mental well-being and building resilience in my clients has as such been just as important.
While my original trainings as a psychologist and transformational coach were more traditional, with a focus on thoughts and behaviours, the last couple of years I have been studying and experimenting with the use of the body to support mental well-being in a more comprehensive way. How we think impacts how we feel, but at the same time our body drives a lot of what is going on in our mind, and how we behave. So, being aware and able to understand what is going on in our body is hugely important for our ability to clearly think, create and problem solve and fundamentally drives how we perform in all aspects of life.
My studies on the impact of our nervous system over the past years have given me the missing piece in the work I do. Bringing mind and body work together has created a powerful combination to support well-being, resilience and performance.
“Knowing how to recognise dysregulation in our own nervous system and that of others, and being able to respond in an adaptive way, is the most powerful tool to enhance wellbeing and performance”.
The nervous system and emotional intelligence
Working with the nervous system to improve mental health and wellbeing is a relatively new area of work. For many of us it has been the missing piece to change our lives for the better.
This work does not only transform our personal lives, but it can also transform organisations and the way their employees work and perform. It is a new and exciting approach to not only support employee health and wellbeing, but also the performance of organisations.
So why is the nervous system so important?
Our body is the birthplace of all our emotions. Our nervous system’s ultimate aim is to ensure our safety and survival through using the body to pick up signals from around us and inside our body and move us into an ‘adaptive’ state of either ‘fight or flight’ or ‘shutdown’ (our survival states) or our ‘window of regulation’ (WOR).
In these states we feel different sensations and emotions. When we are in our ‘fight or flight’ state, we might feel anxious, agitated, and restless. When we are in ‘shutdown’, we might feel flat, listless, and disengaged. When we are in these ‘survival states’, it affects our creativity and ability to problem-solve, make rational decisions, and engage positively with others. In the workplace, this has a ripple effect on the wider team, as the group might lose its cohesiveness and ability to perform optimally. On the other hand, when we are ‘regulated’ or in our WOR, we feel safe, connected, calm and social. It’s where we shine and are able to deal with challenges and stress in a healthy and more productive way.
How working with the nervous system fosters emotional intelligence
While working with the nervous system is important for wellbeing (both mental and physical), it is also relevant when we talk about emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage our emotions, as well as recognise and influence the emotions of those around us. It has been identified as one of the most sought-after transferable skills for employees at all levels.
The key components of emotional intelligence include self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These components can be developed through working with the nervous system.
Awareness: First, we must understand the different states of our nervous system cognitively through education as well as physically through our senses, i.e., the way we hold our body, our way of speaking and being able to sense what is happening inside our body.
Self-Regulation: Once we are self ‘aware’ and understand the state we are in, we can use the right tools for that state and our personal needs and preferences to shift to or maintain a state of regulation (our WOR), so we are self-regulating.
Social Awareness: When we understand and recognise our emotions experienced in the different states of our nervous system, we can recognise them in others through the way they behave, their posture, the way they move, speak, and as such become socially aware.
Relationship Management: Finally, when we do recognise emotions in others, we can from our own state of regulation help them through our presence, voice, eye contact, and manage our relationships better.
To find out more, check out EI Workshops
What I do
I help organisations and their employees develop their emotional intelligence through the lens of the nervous system. At the same time, this work supports overall well-being. I deliver experiential learning through combining education with teaching practical tools that people can use to create their own routine to engage and work with their nervous system on an ongoing basis. The tools I teach combine body and mind, and include breathwork, movement, mindfulness, and more traditional coaching techniques.
I deliver workshops in person at your place of work, and I also team up with other practitioners to incorporate different modalities, such as yoga and sound baths to deliver unique experiences that enlighten and relax.
Who I work with
I work with apprentices and graduates to develop their emotional intelligence through education and practices that support nervous system regulation, which help them thrive and perform in their new careers. These workshops are delivered in a group setting so that participants can learn from each other and build their support and professional network.
Workshops can be adapted and delivered to other groups of employees across all levels of the organisation.
Check out EI workshops
In addition, in collaboration with other practitioners I deliver workshops outside of the corporate context to support health and wellbeing.
Check out Wellbeing workshops