WELLBE

The WellBe training program focuses on embedding a coaching approach in the work of adult educators. 

The first two days of training were dedicated to exploring coaching principles and skills.

During the second weekend of the program, the goals of our adult educators from the beginning of the training were reviewed in the spirit of partnering and presence.
Some of them included being more adaptive and authentic during training, persistent in using active listening, helping students set their goals, and empowering people to seek their own solutions.

On Saturday, participants learned about active and focused listening, which involves listening for facts, emotions, and free associations. Lachezar Afrikanov, Ph.D. employed the engaging style he uses to work with university students in Bulgaria and skillfully emphasized the importance of being present beyond what is said and expressed. Some of the comments after the session were that time flew by, the practical sessions are connecting people, and that there are truly useful techniques that could be used and practiced in private life with family also, not just in a professional environment.

On Sunday, the focus was on the art of questioning, which included discussions about pre-templated questions that contained the answer, the importance of trainers’ improvisation, and following intuition in the facilitation of group learning instead of sticking to the prepared agenda. Svetoslava Stoyanova shared many tips from her practice as a coach and tapped into the important theme of ethics when applying coaching. 

The trainers also discussed how to encourage people to take steps after the training.

One strong message shared during this day was that powerful questions are the ones that are difficult to answer, and if participants stay in silence, it is a good sign for the exploration process happening. 

The valuable part of the session was a coaching demonstration by trainers, where the trainer in the role of coachee shared a real situation connected to WellBe(ing). Participants were able to see the other trainer in the role of a coach and how coaching skills such as presence, active listening, and the art of questioning are being utilized live.

After this demonstration, participants had an opportunity to practice asking coaching questions in breakout rooms. Some of the insights gained were the importance of echoing what was said, finding resources already in use, and exploring the universe of decisions. There were also questions regarding fields of coaching and clear differences from psychotherapy.

The trainers concluded the program by announcing mentoring sessions and motivating the participants to apply their newfound knowledge. The trainers eagerly anticipate witnessing the WellBe participants’ creativity as they put their training to use in their respective environments in the following months. 

Do you work as an adult educator in any field? Are you looking to create a valuable learning experience for your learners? Have you considered the coaching approach and how it can help you make a creative and impactful training agenda that leaves your audience inspired to seek more knowledge after the sessions? As an adult educator, do you also prioritize meeting your learners’ expectations, being there for them along their learning process, and at the same time, taking care of your own well-being?

If your answers to these questions are positive, we believe our WellBe training program can provide you with important content.

During the last weekend, our team of trainers welcomed a group of around 27 adult educators from 10 different countries to explore the meaning of coaching and dive deeper into the principles and skills outlined in our WellBe handbook.

On Saturday, through exercises and discussions, we explored the importance of a systemic perspective, understanding our stakeholders, and considering their expectations when planning our activities. We also delved into goal setting and measures of success, the definition of coaching, and the four coaching principles presented by the WellBe team: partnering, inclusion, growth mindset, and agility.

From Day 1, the group’s key messages and takeaways:

• A coach’s standpoint should be “never know first, never know better” when giving feedback.
• Coaching is like a tango – we dance together through the process.
• We are constantly co-partnering when we decide on goals and agendas.
• We attend this training to put our intuitive activities in some kind of framework.

During the session on Sunday, we explored the coaching skills that the WellBe team believes are the most valuable for adult educators:

• Self-reflection
• Goal setting
• Presencing
• Active listening
• Feedback
• Art of questioning
• Systems thinking
• Creativity

In the coaching spirit, participants were encouraged to reflect on the skills they already have developed and share examples, as well as identify areas for improvement.

Key takeaways from Day 2:

• The importance of being willing to reflect and learn about our blind spots
• How our feedback is about sharing our observations without being attached to them
• Being open to different perspectives
• Being stubborn regarding our goals but flexible about methods

The highlight of the weekend and a key message fully aligned with our coaching approach was: “Keep it human.”

Looking forward to harvesting learnings after our second training weekend! 😊

Burnout is a growing concern in the workplace, affecting individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and professions. And it affects our personal lives too. Just like the flu, burnout can occur multiple times in a year and can have severe consequences on an individual’s mental and physical health. However, unlike the flu, burnout is not limited to specific groups and can affect anyone in their active working years, regardless of their experience, status, or occupation.

The term “burnout” was first introduced in the 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger, a psychologist, to describe the severe stress experienced by professionals in the helping professions. The World Health Organization now defines burnout as a condition rather than a malady, further highlighting the need for prevention and management strategies.

In 2022, during the development of the Burnout Coaching Project, a team of professionals from Bulgaria and Belgium immersed themselves in the topic of burnout prevention, writing a handbook on burnout prevention in adult education. I was happy to be part of the team and what to share some insights with you. Through extensive research, we identified three key takeaways that highlight the consequences, hope, and actions necessary to prevent burnout.

• Firstly, the consequences of burnout are severe and can derail an individual’s work, study, and social life for a minimum of 6 months to 1-2 years. Burnout can lead to a decline in job performance, a decrease in overall well-being, and an increase in physical and mental health problems.

• However, there is hope. Individuals who have experienced burnout often restart their personal and professional lives with more meaning, purpose, and consciousness. Burnout can be a turning point, leading to personal growth and development.

• To prevent burnout, it is crucial to establish well-being habits. These habits can include regular exercise, healthy eating, good sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques such as meditation or mindfulness. By prioritizing self-care and seeking support from mentors or coaches, individuals can reduce stress and build resilience, leading to better self-efficacy and a decreased likelihood of burnout.

Burnout is a growing concern that can severely affect an individual’s mental and physical health. However, by establishing well-being habits, seeking support, and building self-efficacy, you as a trainer and coach, but also as an individual – can prevent burnout and improve the overall well-being. Not only yours but the ones of your learners and clients. As burnout can affect anyone, it is essential for all of us to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed to maintain good mental health and prevent burnout.

Where to start? 

1. Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness meditation is a simple practice that helps to train the mind to focus on the present moment without judgment. It is a powerful tool to manage stress and build resilience. To start, find a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit cross-legged or in a chair, with your back straight, and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and then focus your attention on your breath. When your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to your breath. Start with just 5-10 minutes a day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable.

Alternatively, try this meditation or ask a friend or fellow coach/trainer to guide you through it: https://www.svetoslavastoyanova.com/a-bridge-to-oneself-a-mindfulness-technique/

• Physical Exercise: Regular physical exercise can help to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. It is important to choose an activity that you enjoy and can commit to on a regular basis. You could start with a daily 20-minute walk, yoga, or lightweight training. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise as you become fitter and more comfortable.

• Time Management: Poor time management can contribute to burnout, especially if you are constantly rushing and feeling overwhelmed. To prevent burnout, it is important to manage your time effectively. This means setting priorities, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, and learning to say no to tasks that are not essential. You can start by making a daily to-do list and setting realistic deadlines for each task. Remember to take breaks and give yourself time to rest and recharge. And last but not least, depending on your work and life roles, maybe you also learn to delegate. Inspiration on the topic is available here: https://www.trendingtopics.eu/are-you-the-only-one-who-can-do-the-job-tips-and-tricks-on-delegation-for-startup-owners/

Incorporating these three habits, namely – mindfulness, exercising, and improving time management – into your daily routine can help to prevent burnout and improve overall well-being. It takes time to develop new habits, so be patient with yourself and keep practicing.

About the author: Svetoslava is representing the Belgian partner in the project, NMCT: https://nmct.eu
Connect with her via LinkedIn: 
Svetoslava Stoyanova, ACC, ICF 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/svetoslavastoyanova/

Welcome to the WELLBE manual, your comprehensive training program on coaching skills for trainers!

As an adult trainer, you play a pivotal role in guiding individuals to continuously develop their competencies, enabling them to effectively navigate the challenges of both the present and the future. Notice that WELLBE is an acronym derived from the first letter of each chapter’s title.

We firmly believe that adopting a coaching mindset equips you with the skills necessary to enhance well-being and lead a more fulfilling life. This involves fostering self-reflection and awareness, setting achievable and measurable goals, and appreciating the benefits of a non-judgmental attitude. In our perspective, a coaching mindset aids in building resilience, focusing on strengths, and developing strategies to overcome challenges. Additionally, the coaching approach enhances self-efficacy, instilling a belief in individuals’ ability to achieve goals, helping them overcome obstacles, and persevere toward improved well-being.

This manual is meticulously designed to support you in achieving optimal results in your training programs, providing valuable insights and practical techniques to enhance your coaching skills and positively impact those you train.

Link to download the handbook: HERE

Ready for episode 3 of the WellBe Video Series? 

Our guest in this new episode is Irina O. Stefanova, ACC, Leadership Success Coach from Bulgaria, who is an expert in the so-called energy leadership. 

With a solid experience in strategic marketing management, analytical work, and the proven success of brands she developed, Irina turned to work towards empowering people and organizations. Over the last 8 years, she has gained considerable experience in leadership & life coaching, with clients from Western Europe, Bulgaria, and the Middle East. 

Enjoy the conversation, in which Irina shares about her work and passion and gives useful advice on how to develop one of the core coaching skills, listening. 

Watch the interview: https://youtu.be/ZK97MjyyaPE  

We already wrote about the importance of preparation and introducing NEW(S) habits.

And we are inspired to dive deeper into one specific topic connected with the letter S meaning Sleep. 

Watching one TED talk from a series called “How to be a better human” motivated us to explore the situations when sleep is not the only, or most helpful way to raise our level of energy.

The sentence we heard: “Sleep and rest are not the same thing”, confused us at the beginning. 

If you are confused too, when read this, try asking yourself:
Did you sometimes feel so exhausted, even after having enough sleep?

According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of the book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Renew Your Sanity, “We live in a society of high-achieving, high-productivity, chronically tired and chronically burned-out people,” and that “true power of rest” lies in understanding the different ways we can practice to restore our energy.

There are seven different types of rest that we need in order to feel truly rested and rejuvenated.

“Recognizing your own rest deficits is the first step to being at your personal and professional best,” says Dr Saundra.

So let’s learn about each type and try experimenting with new ways to rest.

1. Physical rest
First type of rest, called physical rest, can be passive or active. We are passively resting when we sleep or nap, and physically actively resting when we perform activities which encourage circulation in our body and enable our body to be more flexible and restore our energy, like stretching, yoga or massage.

Question for you: 
Do you practice active physical activities before, after or even during your training session?
How would you benefit from them in an online or offline environment?

2. Mental rest

Do you feel exhausted and overwhelmed even if you sleep enough? You wake up at night thinking about work, constantly reviewing something in your head and have difficulties concentrating? Than you probably need a mental rest. 

If you want to have more of this kind of rest, advices for you to slow down a little bit and clear your mind are:
to organize short breaks every two hours during workday,
have a notebook and pen or notepad beside bed to write down things that keep you awake.

Question for you:
How many breaks do you arrange for yourself during training preparation or training facilitation?
How can you enable space for mental rest for training participants during training?

3. Sensory rest

You sometimes feel your senses are overwhelmed. Looking at a computer screen all day, or listening to many conversations (participating or hearing them in the background in a work space), can cause this feeling. And what can we do about that?
Sometimes something simple as closing our eyes could be helpful.
The other advice is to decide to turn off all your devices when you finish with work.

Question for you:
How often do you find yourself successful in resisting external stimuluses?
Can you intentionally introduce the small habit of closing your eyes for a few minutes several times during work day?
What are the ideas in order to introduce sensory rest for you and tour participants during the trainings?

4. Creative rest

Your job is connected to constantly solving problems or there is frequent need for fresh ideas, and sometimes you find yourself stuck and unmotivated?
You can find inspiration and creative rest by:
– Remembering the first time you saw some world wonder or some art that left you amazed
– Exploring nature, go hiking
– Just having a walk or some nice time in park nearby or your own garden
– You can also search for inspiration on Pinterest and create your own visual boards on Miro or Mural.

Question for you:
Where do you find inspiration when designing training sessions?
What triggers your creative moments?
What would your visual board look like?

5. Emotional rest

It is important to you to be nice to other people. So much you sometimes accept some obligations and tasks even if you do not feel like doing it? And often after you say yes to someone, you regret. Does this sound familiar? Anyone called you a people pleaser?
If some of the answers to these questions are yes, emotional rest is what you need more of.

They say this kind of rest requires real courage to show our authentic selves, express our feelings in an open and honest way and to disagree and say no in an assertive way.

Person who invested in emotional rest allows him/herself to be vulnerable and admit that he/she is not at his/her best at the moment. 

Question for you:
How often do you accept tasks or invest time in activities just to satisfy others?
What is the first next opportunity you can try to say no.

6. Social rest

This kind of rest is pretty much connected to the previous one. It is about balancing how we invest our time and assessing the amount of time we spend in some exhausting relationships compared to time with people with whom we recharge our batteries and feel well.

It is important to become aware that you are choosing how you spend your time.

You are socially resting when you surround yourself with positive people who provide you support.

Question for you:
If you create a list of great people in your environment who make you feel well – who would be on it?
Try to pick some names from the list and organize some time with those person/s.
If we take into consideration how our job as adult educators looks like, what would be your biggest challenge as a trainer regarding search for social rest.
What would be the first step in overcoming it?

7. Spiritual rest

When you feel engaged, have a sense of belonging and you know your purpose – you found your spiritual rest. Some people pray, others meditate and some introduce some contribution to the community. It is all about feeling that we are connecting our physical and mental side, and that we are doing something meaningful and important to us.

Question for you:
How would you define your purpose as a trainer?
How do you live according to your purpose?
What could you do even more in this journey of supporting and educating others?

As we mentioned in the beginning, sleep is not the only way to recharge energy and feel rested.

Now, the question for you is how do you rest?

After reading this article, what would be the type of rest you would like to experiment and invest more time in it?

For all of you who prefer visual and auditory learning style – follow the link to the whole talk – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGNN4EPJzGk

And please, leave us a comment on our social media channels about your wellbeing practices which can be useful to us and our trainers. 🙂

About the author: Adrijana is representing the Serbian partner in the project, Koucing Centar
Connect with her via LinkedIn: 
Adrijana Milosavljević, ICF PCC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrijanamilosavljevic/

How would you rate the level of your energy when you enter your training or coaching sessions? Do you always feel ready and fully present? 

As this blog (and the whole WELLBE project) is all about well-being, and how we take care of ourselves, we decided to explore more the ways of preparation and activities we practice before our sessions.

In her book “Engaged”, author Amy Brann from Synaptic Potential emphasizes the importance of introducing and nurturing NEW habits into our daily life. And she also says there is nothing “new” there, we somehow know what we should do some things, but forget or put them aside.

This short acronym can be a fast reminder of how we take care of ourselves, so let’s what it stands for:

Nutrition
Think of your eating habits. As Amy Brann says in the book: Fuel yourself well. Think of what gives you energy and prepare those meals. Also, if you are having the training or coaching sessions live it would be great if you have some fruits around.

Exercise
Most of us know that exercise is good for the body and mind, but somehow it does not have a proper place on our priority list. Create short exercise rituals before entering the session – just a little bit of stretching can make you more present and concentrated.

And, the W stands for – Water. Make sure you drink enough water and that you always have a bottle around.

Maybe we can add a letter in the above-mentioned acronym and create NEWS?

Because, is an additional thing to have in mind for sure, and also not something totally fresh as an idea, but important to mention – be mindful about your Sleep. The night before your session make sure you turn off all distractions and provide enough hours of quality sleep so you are fresh and fully committed to your participants/coachees.

And after you read your NEWS :), there are just several more questions to ask yourself before starting our session:

Do you know who your trainees/coachees are?

Are there any technical/logistical preparations needed (regarding the online tool you use or the room if it is a live session?)

Have you prepared all the needed materials? When we answer all these questions – we should be ready for our session.

How do you take care of yourself and prepare for your sessions?

About the author: Adrijana is representing the Serbian partner in the project, Koucing Centar
Connect with her via LinkedIn: 
Adrijana Milosavljević, ICF PCC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrijanamilosavljevic/

Have you already wondered what is the thin red line dividing team coaching from facilitation? 

The WellBE team is excited to announce the release of episode 2 of our Video Series! In this episode, Svetoslava Stoyanova interviews Cristina Mühl, PCC ICF, SP EMCC, ESIA, an accomplished trainer, coach, and facilitator with over 15 years of experience in audit, advisory, and compliance. Cristina has worked in more than 10 countries on 3 continents, implementing solutions in diverse markets and corporations of different sizes. 

As a leader in the coaching field, Cristina shares her expertise on how team coaching and training can complement each other, her top coaching skill, and how we can apply it to training, facilitation, and life. Don’t miss this insightful conversation! Watch the full interview here: 

Watch the interview: https://youtu.be/3Ou75R4Ak1g