Why learning mindfulness makes you a better coach
Elevating Your Coaching Through Presence
Coaching is a dynamic and transformative profession that requires constant growth and adaptation. As coaches, our mission is to guide our clients toward self-discovery, personal development, and achieving their goals. To be truly effective in this role, we must continuously refine our skills and deepen our understanding of the human experience. One powerful tool that can significantly enhance our coaching capabilities is mindfulness.
Mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword, it's a way of being that elevates your coaching practice. I’ve been practicing, learning and teaching mindfulness for 7 years so I want to share with you how learning mindfulness can make you a better coach and provide you with practical insights and tools to incorporate mindfulness into your coaching conversations.
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Increasing Your Ability to Be Fully Present
One of the foundational principles of mindfulness is the cultivation of presence. As a coach, your ability to be fully present with your clients is paramount. Mindfulness practice helps you develop this skill by training your mind to focus on the present moment without judgment. Imagine the impact of being truly present during your coaching sessions. Your clients will feel heard, valued, and understood. They'll sense your genuine engagement and empathy, which creates a safe and trusting space for them to explore their thoughts and emotions.
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To build your capacity for presence pay attention to your breath, the sensations in your body, and the sounds around you. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the present moment without self criticism.
Creating an Impactful, Positive and Transformative Coaching Experience
Mindfulness isn't just about being present, it's about harnessing that presence to create a positive and transformative coaching experience. When you bring mindfulness into your coaching sessions, you empower your clients to delve deeper into their thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. By creating a mindful environment, you help your clients become more self aware, resilient, and open to change. Mindful coaching can lead to breakthroughs, increased self confidence, and a greater sense of purpose for your clients.
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Start your coaching sessions with a brief mindfulness exercise to set the tone. Invite your clients to take a few moments to centre themselves and become fully present before diving into the conversation. Grounding a client helps them to access their whole self during a session.
Improving Your Professional and Personal Life
Mindfulness isn't just a professional tool, it's a way of life. As you start to incorporate mindfulness into your coaching practice, you'll naturally apply it to your personal life too. The skills you develop, such as self awareness, empathy, and non attachment, will have a positive effect in all areas of your life. I was really shocked at how this happens when I started committing to my practices. My intentions were around my relationship but I noticed my relationships to my work was also changing. Professionally, mindfulness can help you manage stress, maintain a work/life balance, and make more insightful decisions. Personally, it can enhance your relationships, boost your overall wellbeing, and lead to a more fulfilling life.
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Use a mindful approach to your day by bringing your awareness to everyday activities, like eating, walking, or even washing up! This habit will deepen your mindful awareness skills.
Tools for Increasing Presence and How to Use Them
Mindfulness provides a toolbox of techniques to increase your presence during coaching sessions. Here are my top mindfulness tools and how to use them effectively:
• Mindful Breathing Incorporate conscious breaths throughout your session to ground yourself and stay present. Encourage your clients to do the same when they need to refocus.
• Body Scan This can be great for releasing tension. It can help your clients to connect with their physical sensations (something most of us are very bad at doing!). This can be especially useful when a client is addressing issues related to stress or emotions.
• Loving Kindness Meditation This meditation has been proven to cultivate empathy and compassion, which will be extremely useful when you’re dealing with challenging coaching conversations.
• Mindful Listening Truly listen to your clients by giving them your full attention without interrupting or formulating responses in your mind. Reflect back what you've heard to show that you're present and engaged. This is a core competency, but you’ll notice your capacity for active and mindful listening will increase the more you practice mindfulness.
Quieting Self Doubt and Internal Chatter
Coaches, like everyone else, have moments of self doubt and internal chatter. Mindfulness can be a life saver in these moments. By observing your thoughts without judgment, you can detach from self doubt and redirect your focus toward your client. When you quiet that noisy chatter in your mind you create space for your clients to explore their thoughts and feelings without interference. This silence within you can be a profound gift to your coaching practice. This takes practice, of course, but it’s well worth the effort.
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When self doubt arises, acknowledge it without judgment. Then, gently return your focus to your client's needs and the coaching process. Remember, your role is to facilitate their growth, not to be perfect. Perfection is a myth!
Noticing Judgmental Thoughts and Managing Them
Mindfulness helps you become aware of your own judgmental thoughts, a crucial skill for all coaches. In coaching, it's essential to suspend judgment and create a nonjudgmental space for your clients to express themselves openly. When you notice your own judgmental thoughts use mindfulness techniques to release them. Recognise that judgment is a natural human tendency, but it doesn't serve your coaching relationship.
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During a coaching session, if you find yourself making judgments about your client's choices or actions, take a deep breath and return to a nonjudgmental place. Remind yourself that your role is to support and that there is no one right way to live.
Practicing Non Attachment
Non attachment is a core concept in mindfulness. It involves letting go of attachment to outcomes, opinions, and expectations. In the coaching context, non attachment means being open to whatever arises during a session and not becoming overly invested in your client's choices. By practicing non attachment, you allow your clients the freedom to explore their options without feeling pressured by your expectations. This creates a sense of empowerment and autonomy. I find that this mindset is also really useful to have in the front of your mind when you have discovery or chemistry calls.
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Before each coaching session, remind yourself of the principle of non attachment. Focus on the coaching process rather than fixating on specific outcomes. Trust that your clients have the wisdom to make their own choices.
Leveraging Increased Presence for Improved Empathy
Mindfulness and empathy are closely intertwined. When you cultivate presence through mindfulness you naturally enhance your ability to empathise with your clients. Which is different from sympathising. You'll be better equipped to understand their perspectives, emotions, and challenges. Empathy is a cornerstone of effective coaching as it allows you to connect with your clients on a deeper level, making them feel heard and supported. Your clients will be more willing to open up and explore vulnerable areas of their lives when they sense your genuine empathy.
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Practice empathy during your coaching sessions by actively listening and validating your clients' feelings. Try to see the world from their perspective and reflect their emotions back to them. This strengthens your bond with the client.
Hearing Non Verbal Communication More Deeply
Coaching involves not just listening to words but also paying attention to non-verbal cues. Mindfulness sharpens your ability to pick up on subtle non-verbal communication, such as body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. When you become attuned to these cues, you gain valuable insights into your clients' emotions and thoughts, even when they don't explicitly verbalise them. This deepens your understanding and enables you to ask more targeted and insightful questions.
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During coaching sessions, tune in to their body language and tone, and use this information to guide your coaching approach. Practice observing your client's non-verbal cues without judgment.
Your journey of continued learning and personal development
As a coach, your journey of personal and professional growth is ongoing. Learning mindfulness and integrating it into your coaching practice can be a game changer. By increasing your presence, creating transformative experiences, and applying mindfulness tools, you'll become a more effective and empathetic coach. I know it’s enhanced my coaching skills and this is why I teach it to others.
Mindfulness isn't just an add on, it's a fundamental aspect of coaching that can elevate your skills and empower your clients. So if you embrace mindfulness as an essential tool in your coaching toolbox, you’ll see it enhance your coaching practice and your own life.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?
If you’d like to learn these tools with me, book a free discovery call here to sample what it’s like to work together and what outcomes to expect.
Warmest, Kate x
Certified Mindfulness Teacher and ICF Coach
