Is Stress Changing Who You Are? It’s highly likely that the toll of chronic stress is silently reshaping you, and without understanding how to manage it, the risks to your wellbeing, family life, and leadership effectiveness are only growing.
I would like to share a model to help explain what might be happening, from a neurophysiological perspective, called the Window of Tolerance.
“In the relentless pursuit of success, many high-achieving executives wear their burnout as a badge of honor, not realizing it’s a complex condition that can be rooted in trauma, as well as cause it.”
At the heart of this issue lies the High Achiever’s Dilemma: being in perpetual pursuit of achievement, while continuously increasing one’s standards and expectations of themselves, and no matter what they achieve and accomplish, they never feel “I am enough”. There is a void where there should be a natural sense of worth, self worth and ‘Good Enoughness’
Lately, many of us find ourselves tossed about by tsunamis of stress, emotional adversity, and uncertainty about the future. Amidst the chaos, we can always find a profound yet often overlooked resource within us – the power of our hearts to help us generate a state of greater inner balance, harmony and coherence.
At its core, heart coherence is a tangible psycho-physiological state with profound implications for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. It’s rooted in the science of Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
“The people who have survived trauma teach us about what it is to be human, by teaching us what they’ve lost – and they’ve lost the ability to feel safe enough with another.” ~ Stephen Porges
It got me thinking deeply about how the need for connection and social engagement. How, at a time when we could use the support of others, the hearts of others, some of us just can’t open up to receive those benefits – instead, we close our hearts, we isolate and we shut down to protect ourselves.
This article explores the profound need and impact of feeling safe within ourselves and with others, and offering practical steps to cultivate inner safety, regulation, and resilience through heart-centered practices, so we can ultimately connect with others, and mutually reinforce resilience and wellbeing.
Executive & Career Coach Lynn Nicolai and I had an insightful chat about Coaching geared to those of you who’re thinking about hiring a coach but not sure how to decide what’s right for you.
Whether you’re feeling stuck in your career or a relationship, struggling to find balance or confidence or peace in your life, or simply seeking guidance to grow and unlock your full potential, choosing the right coach for you can make a massive difference – watch or listen to this insightful chat to learn how to prepare and what to consider
