Stress management reflective entries (coachee and coach)

My session as Coachee (Small wins and life balance analysis)

For my session as coachee, although I submitted my text as “the small wins strategy”, my coach decided to coach me based on “life balance analysis”.  Within the “seven slices of the pie”, I was putting a lot of emphasis on the work and intellectual activities (university studies), while neglecting somewhat the cultural and social activities.  In order to help ensure that there is better balance in my life, my coach suggested a few possible activities.  Regarding my initial “stress” formulation using small wins, this corresponds well to taking breaks to avoid getting burned out and working inefficiently.

For my worries regarding my studies, my coach assured me that I was going the right way, that implicating myself proactively in term projects is the best way to: (1) reduce stress regarding uncertainty about the projects; (2) ensure that I will achieve the best results possible.  As for worries regarding finding summer work, my coach had no specific strategies in mind for me, although she encouraged me to be proactive and not wait until it was too late to try to find summer employment.

My session as Coach (life balance analysis)

My coachee submitted his text as “life balance analysis”, and I coached him based on that paradigm.  I expressed surprise when he suggested that he was “high” in the work slice while simultaneously being low in the intellectual activities slice.  My coachee replied that he considered intellectual activities to be exclusive of university studies.  My coachee expressed the fact that he felt a bit like his communication tools (surfing internet etc.) ruled him.  He stated that it was too easy to “take a little break” to surf or consult Facebook instead of working.  To contrast this, my coachee expressed the possibility of devoting an hour of “downtime” each day to concentrate on spiritual activities – he considered that a small step.  I replied that setting aside one hour was a huge step and congratulated him on his initiative.  I also stated that it need not be an hour, just so that he feels relaxed and refreshed at the end of each “downtime” session.

In addition to his “internet attraction”, my coachee also stated that he felt that he sometimes spent too much time in his room, in his “comfort zone”.  Another problem was his tendency to procrastinate on university assignments.  I suggested a possibility to “kill two birds with one stone”.  He could make “study dates” with classmates and work on assignments.  That would “get him out of his room” and also help him advance in his homework.  I did not mention it, but the fact that one is doing work cooperatively with other classmates is a great incentive not to procrastinate.  One does not want to arrive at the study date having done no work in advance, as the study partner(s) would feel as though they were being taken advantage of.  It is important to be a contributor of ideas within any study group.  Being part of a study group could reduce the “last minute” stress that he was sometimes experiencing.