Written by: Erin Ekman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How will you create certainty for yourself and the people around you during times of change? Remember, change is inevitable. You get to choose whether you embrace it or resist it. Learning what you have control over, and what you do not, will lessen the discomfort (and even suffering) associated with change. If you haven’t done so already, please read our article on Two Mindsets To Help You Embrace Change before continuing on reading this article to learn more about the power of embracing a Change Mindset. 4 Ways to Develop a Change Mindset Now that you know what a change mindset is and the benefits of embracing change, here are four ways you can learn how to build a Change Mindset. Practice No1. Connect to memories of positive change Our brains are built to avoid experiences that are uncertain and reinforce our desire to have experiences that are predictable ‒ all in the name of energy conservation. A brain that is built on repetitive, predictable experiences is more efficient as it utilizes less energy (glucose) to keep following the existing neural pathways than to build new ones. Our brain will even go as far as ignoring the evidence that new experiences, spontaneous events and change can be energizing, fun and downright good for us. It is with an intentional reflection that we can remind that primal part of us that seeks safety, that everything is going to be ok, and potentially even great. Reflective Practice: Take a few moments to reflect (and journal) on the following questions: Where has change been a positive force in your life? What perspective did you have at the time that allowed you to embrace change/trust in the change that was happening? What did you learn about you, others because of this unexpected/expected change in your life? Practice No 2. Reduce uncertainty and recognize where you have control What I've learnt from 13 years of working as an executive and leadership coach, is that the most painful part of change is accepting uncertainty; how long will this last, can I make it through, what will happen to my job, my income, my family, my health, etc etc. Uncertainty can cause us to spin and grasp for control ‒ we seek for an anchoring point to feel secure amidst the storm. While it is natural to seek this anchor, we often seek it in unhealthy and destructive ways. Ever notice yourself micromanaging others at work because your home life feels out of control? Are you guilty of obsessing that the front hall closet isn’t perfectly in order when you are not sure if your organization is going to downsize your department? We all want to feel a sense of control over our lives, but if left unchecked, we may overcompensate in places where it is unnecessary to control the outcome, and sometimes detrimental to our health or the relationships around us. What if we could create certainty internally? Reflective Practice: Take a few moments to reflect (and journal) on the following questions: What can you control in your life right now? Is this really true? Is this compensating for a lack of control in other areas of your life? Where can you create certainty (internally)? What do you know about who you are and what you can count on yourself for no matter what? Practice No 3. Keep it simple and don't overload We all have what is called “change capacity”, the ability to manage a maximum number of changes at once- before diminishing returns and negative consequences kick in. It is vital that you know and respects your limits ‒ notice how you are feeling and the quality of your thoughts while you are in a phase of change. How are you sleeping? How quickly are you reacting to situations you wouldn’t otherwise react to? This is a time for boundary setting. Reflective Practice: Take a few moments to reflect (and journal) on the following questions: What can you reduce in your life right now to simplify and create space for transition? What will you say yes to? (What is most important, what will keep you healthy, grounded and at your best? What will “move the needle” on actions you need to take?) What will you say no to? Remember, these don’t have to be no/yes forever. Just for now. Practice No 4. Build Hope Challenging and uncertain times call for vision. We can endure, navigate and overcome anything when we have a clear and compelling vision for the future ‒ something that pulls us forward even when the next steps are uncertain. Reflective Practice: Take a few moments to reflect (and journal) on the following questions: What inspiring vision of the future will be worth the uncertainty and change you are navigating now? How would you describe yourself in this future vision? What do you have? What do you know? How do you feel? When we practice a mindset that embraces change as an opportunity for growth and renewal we reduce our suffering and need for control and certainty. You can build a mindset that strengthens your resiliency and build hope for a bright and joy-filled future. Are you navigating change or a transition in your life? We are here to support you on your journey to finding confidence and clarity. Connect with us at info@centrivity.ca, visit our website or connect with me on LinkedIn. Read more from Erin! Erin Ekman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Erin is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF), and the principal facilitator and leadership consultant with Centrivity Inc. She has worked in coaching and leadership development since 2009 and holds a Professional Co-Active Coach Certification (CPCC) from the Coaches Training Institute. Erin is passionate about developing people and teams as they actively move towards their personal and professional goals, and partnering with organizations that recognize that their people are their greatest asset and pathway to long-term success.

Written by: Dr. Petra Frese , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an ever-present issue in our society. Roughly 6% of Americans have PTSD. You can suffer from it, whether you are a veteran or not. PTSD can affect everyone, and an alarmingly high number of C-suite executives are challenged by it. If you experience panic attacks or anxiety, PTSD could be at the root of it. Many techniques exist to help you handle your anxiety. Here are five practical, body-centered tools to calm your mind in these situations. John felt the unbearable urge to flee the conference room. He was utterly stressed out. He was sweating profusely. His hair was already wet at the temples, and his fresh haircut started looking weird. It seemed as if he could not control his breath; the harder he tried, the faster his breathing became. He was presenting his favorite topic and was about to share his groundbreaking new ideas when he first felt this heatwave running through his body. The large conference room was perfectly cool and air-conditioned, yet John felt like walking through the desert. He did not know what this all was about. He had no idea why this was happening to him. John had prepared his presentation in the usual manner. He was familiar with the content and confident about the new insights he wanted to present to the company's owners as the head of finances. But there he was, experiencing something unexpected and widely scary. He was experiencing something that felt entirely out of his control. As if his body just decided to disobey his internal orders. No matter what he tried. And he tried a lot. John tried to recall positive feelings and situations while continuing with the presentation. He did not want anyone on the executive board to recognize his current devastating situation. Unfortunately, the opposite happened! His mouth and throat were getting drier and drier. John took a huge sip of water, but it didn't help. His voice sounded weak and crackling. His mouth was completely dry . So, finally, John had to pause the presentation . Politely, he asked for a short break and felt another heat wave flushing through his body up into his head. Now even his cheeks were blushing because he felt so embarrassed and weak in front of the executive committee. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest. He felt every heartbeat like a huge drum beating inside of his body. Panic Attacks are unfortunately very common among C-suite executives Why should this story be relevant to you as a successful and experienced business person? The situation that John was experiencing that particular morning is not unique. Unfortunately, situations like these happen all too often. John experienced a panic attack. An alarmingly high number of C-suite executives suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Later he went to see a doctor, and after a long road of tests and trials and more tests, including a spect scan of his brain, he was diagnosed with PTSD . Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder does not only happen to people who served in the military or as a firefighter or police officers, or others. PTSD can manifest in everyone's brain after experiencing traumatic events. About 6% of Americans suffer from PTSD at one point in their lives. PTSD can happen to you, whether you are one of the roughly 18 million American veterans or not. Oftentimes, we do not think that we suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Oftentimes, we believe we have processed traumatic events that have happened to us properly, and we do not connect the dots. PTSD can cause not only major health issues, but it can also cause enormous problems in your relationships and your career. It may lead to underperformance at work; it can also be why your promotion or salary raise does not happen even though you give your very best. The list of PTSD symptoms is long Some signs of PTSD are: sleep problems anxiety panic attacks digestive issues mood instability abnormal temperature regulation changes in appetite relationship issues sexual dysfunction These are just some symptoms that might indicate PTSD. It is not a complete list, nor does it diagnose PTSD when you experience some of these symptoms . Please see your doctor if you suffer from one or more of these signs. Causes for PTSD symptoms can be any type of trauma like losing a loved one, e.g., losing a child, going through a divorce, verbal and/or physical abuse, accidents, natural catastrophes, constant high pressure at the workplace, or addiction, just to name a few. Practical tools to ease a panic attack How can you cope with feelings like anxiety or overwhelm? Here are 5 practical tools to ease some of the symptoms: 1. Pause! Remind yourself to pause for a moment. Hit that imaginary pause button and slow down the rat race in your head so you can shift from feeling overwhelmed to analytical thinking. Take back control of your thoughts. 2. Breathe! Inhale and exhale consciously. Count while you are inhaling and exhale twice as long. That ratio is important. When you breathe out twice as long as you breathe in, you are calming your limbic system. You support your nervous system to activate the para-sympathetic circuit. 3. Stimulate both sides of your brain! Take something in your hand that you can toss between your hands, for example, a pack of tissues, a small water bottle, a pen, or even an apple. Toss the thing back and forth from one hand to the other at least 30 times at the center of your body while keeping your elbows pressed to your sides. This balances your brain's hemispheres, and you can better access your analytical thinking. Ideally, stand up straight for this exercise and put your feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. 4. Move your body! Whatever is possible in that particular situation, move your body. Get the energy flowing. Dance. Shake the energy off. Walk. Simply, just move. 5. Suck on an ice cube! The coolness of the ice calms your sympathetic nervous system and shifts to para-sympathetic activity. Healing from PTSD Long-term effects after trauma can show up in many different forms and may occur when you least expect them. The symptoms can heavily overrun you and surprise you so suddenly that you cannot even see the possible connection to trauma from your past. Your brain forces you to face the ugly reality and to deal with, treat and finally heal from long-suppressed emotions that are not serving you anymore. Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace and take some time to rest. Restoring your energy is essential. With restored energy and proper trauma work, you can tackle so much more, and climbing up the career ladder will be much easier and faster. Get the help you need and apply the tools that you have at hand to take back and remain in control. Please reach out to me . I see people struggling with this all the time in my practice, and I am happy to help you overcome this struggle. It is so beautiful to see this happen. You can make a bigger impact and lead the meaningful, successful, and fulfilled life that you desire. You deserve it, and the people around you do too. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin or visit my website for more info! Dr. Petra Frese, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Petra Frese, a scientist turned success coach and spiritual healer, is an expert in brain health science and peak mental performance. After her multiple Near-Death Experiences, which dramatically widened her horizon and views on life, she integrated her spiritual insights into her science-based coaching practice. She became a healer and dedicates her life to assisting others to heal from trauma, accessing their full brainpower, and living in alignment with their soul’s purpose. Petra is a double-board certified hypnotherapist and neuroencoding specialist. She is the founder of Peak Mind Academy and Lehigh Valley Hypnosis LLC, serving clients around the globe. She is also the award-winning author of two bestselling books and among her most recent accolades are the Crea Global Award 2022, the Quality Business Award 2022, the 2022 Best of Allentown Award, the Brainz500 Award 2021 and the Excellence in Hypnosis Award 2020. Petra was born in Germany, then lived in Switzerland where she founded her first company and served as a firefighter before she moved to the USA. Her motto: “Science plus Wisdom is LOVE.”

Written by: Sam Rehan, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Let me introduce you to an organisation that prioritises wellness for its employees. This organisation understands that business success can often be attributed to staff members’ well-being and motivation: a relationship referred to as 'employee engagement. However, one particular department in the company measures higher employee engagement when compared to a similar department. There is also a noticeable contrast in staff turnover and employee sickness, and the marked difference has come to the attention of the senior leadership... When it comes to employee wellness, we often think of keeping a good work/life balance, exercising and getting enough sleep. But as social animals, humans also thrive on their connections with one another. The human brain is wired to relate to those around it, so much so that we physically reflect back on their expressions and movements. We may feel an urge to yawn when we observe someone yawning or want to smile and chuckle when someone laughs for a long time. The urge to reflect back is triggered by specialised brain cells (mirror neurons) that mimic the actions and emotions of others. While these instincts help us to learn, understand, and bond (for example, by laughing with each other), they can also be our undoing when the witnessed behaviour is stress-related. In short—you can catch stress. Imagine a scenario where a department head fails to take regular breaks and only pays lip service to workplace well-being initiatives rather than taking part. This leader is restless, easily distracted and unable to focus. They have trouble being present in the moment, and they appear nervous and irritable. When this leader is demanding an update, their unrelaxed behaviour can quickly be contagious to employees, who can then mimic these behaviours. Now the stress is spreading. This second-hand stress can be very harmful to employee health and the productivity of the workplace. Researchers have long known about the infectious nature of stress. The stress contagion effect, as it’s known, can run rampant in work settings. Mirror neurons enable us to experience other people's emotional moods and absorb others' mental strain, anxiety and tension. It gets worse... The more empathetic workers are, the more susceptible they may be. Research has even suggested that when people watched nervous speakers talk, their heart rates went up—part of the body’s stress-induced fight-or-flight response. Employees are hugely impacted by how their leaders behave. Successful leaders cultivate a healthier workplace by making sure that they are constantly caring for themselves. Regular breaks allow them to step back and evaluate and identify the details. Thriving leaders have and use a toolkit of well-being techniques and relaxation methods to calm and turn off the false danger signal associated with stress. As a leader, be aware of your own triggers; work smart to ease stress in ways that suit you. Perhaps due to the perceived pressures of ‘setting a positive example, some leaders do not talk openly about their struggles. But this can perpetuate the problem. Consider speaking to your teams about your stress and your personal strategies for handling it. When a leader speaks out about their personal challenges, it can cause a huge shift in their followers’ understanding. Leaders who are vulnerable adopt a mindset that can help them see things from other people's perspectives. This can start a ripple effect to bring about a much happier, healthier workplace. One immediate step that leaders can take to reduce their own stress... Move your muscles. Under stress, your heartbeat speeds up and you breathe faster in order to get more oxygen. The body is designed in this way to equip itself for emergency action—for example, to either fight or flee. To help combat your stress, you can do something that uses this extra boost of energy supplies. Any physical activity, like a quick stroll, helps your body burn that stress energy. One executive shared with me that she locks her office door and does a short burst of fast dancing to one song. Another manager I worked with chose to expel stress energy by using boxing moves while seated in his parked car. One immediate step that leaders can take is to support others with stress (as well as themselves)... Use a genuine smile. Smiling with your eyes as well as your mouth (called a Duchenne smile) can help lift your mood, calm you down, and strengthen your connections with other people. Do you flash a fake smile at work? Research suggests that it may have unexpected consequences, such as worsening your mood. Smiling just for the sake of looking polite can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal and is not great for organisations. When people are shown photographs of subjects with fake vs. genuine smiles and asked to spot the false and the true, they normally get around 60% right. Research has shown that when workers smile through deeper efforts, by cultivating pleasant thoughts and memories, their moods improve, and their productivity increases. With a genuine smile, your brain starts to feel more positive emotions. It shows you’re relaxed and comfortable, which aids relationships and communication. You radiate confidence and warmth, and others are more comfortable approaching and engaging with you. In addition, when you smile at someone, they tend to smile back—as we mentioned earlier, our brain cells (neurons) pick up and mimic the body language and facial expressions of those around us. By smiling, you can activate the neurons of others and get them smiling too, and they will start feeling more positive and receptive around you. The more this happens, the more positive experiences you’ll have with your co-workers and peers. As a leader, make your own well-being a genuine daily concern and prioritise your self-care habits. Watch how this tangibly supports your employees' health—or instead, watch them leave. My productivity tip: Surround yourself with images of people smiling and laughing as a reminder of the power of mirror neurons. Be aware of your behaviour and let your team catch the contagion of smiling instead of stress. Some extracts are taken from the author's book, Laugh More: Soar in Your Health, Career and Relationships (Sam Rehan, 2020). Sam is a Wellness Professional and a highly experienced workplace trainer. Sam has shared her smile and supportive strengthening techniques with humans in over 44 locations worldwide. Sam works with individuals, employees and leaders to access more well-being easily, FAST with sustainable results. Her aim is for everyone to have a positive experience. She teaches you to Be well. Work Well. Lead Well SamRehan.com Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sam! Sam Rehan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sam Rehan is a high-impact well-being motivator, wellness professional, author and speaker with an exceptional track record. Sam has been a corporate trainer for 21 years and has over 30+ years of expertise working in everything from corporate training and management to health, science, and scientific research, to holistic therapies and cognitive coaching. Sam’s motto is: Be Well. Work Well. Lead Well. She currently helps teams and individuals in high-pressure environments to reduce anxiety, accelerate thinking, and integrate sustainable self-care techniques into their lives. Sam’s gentle, nurturing, yet highly transformative methods are all backed by real science with a focus on long-term success. She not only teaches these methods to her clients but lives and models them in her own life as well. At age 50, Sam continues to teach happy aging and improved wellness with her trademark approach, utilising the lightness of laughter, powerful relaxation techniques, and her magnetic energy and enthusiasm – all of which are on clear display in her breakthrough book, Laugh More: Soar In Your Health, Career and Relationships. References: DimitroffSJ,Kardan O,Necka EA,DecetyJ,Berman MG,Norman GJ.Physiologicaldynamicsofstresscontagion.SciRep.2017;7(1):6168.Published2017Jul2

Written by: JL Keez , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Eating disorders… mental illnesses steeped in misery and mystery; born from individual stories. High school for me was a confusion, a ‘longing to be included’ and, ultimately a time where sensibility was completely over ruled by the many fears I had learnt regarding this thing called life. Desperate to find belonging and experience friendship, somewhere deep inside I must have decided that re-defining the self was the only path to choose. At 15 years of age I took myself from being a top athlete to a barely there rendition over a short space of a few months. No one asked “Why?” At twenty-four, anorexia nervosa described my position. Chronic fatigue, migraines, OCD, depersonalisation and suicidal depression joined me on my fated quest. With friendship still a longing guide, I asked myself, “Why?” Unbeknown to me, this answer was still fourteen years away. Eating disorder numbers have risen a staggering 4.4%, from 3.4% to 7.8% in recent times. 5-10% of those experiencing anorexia nervosa will die within 10 years of developing the illness; 18-20% will die after 20 years. The highest rate of deaths due to a mental illness is that of anorexia nervosa. However, it appears little is still understood as to their development. Hence, solutions for recovery, remain somewhat elusive. Where then do we turn when we ask, “How do I heal from this?” My lived experience tells me that turning to someone who has suffered and conquered this life before us is indeed the gift we must give ourselves for recovery to be achieved and maintained. Being one of those valuable resources, may I suggest 3 crucial areas be undertaken in conjunction with each other. I sincerely wish I had the following information available to me at twenty-four ‒ so many wasted years would have been saved. Area 1: Psychology Behind all illnesses lies the psychology supporting the development. Psychology is divided into the following components: Thoughts Behaviours Emotions Physical symptoms Each of these critical areas requires exploration. We need to acknowledge the thoughts running the script of the eating disorder, evaluating each for truth/validity. Examining particular behaviours adopted and attached to the eating disorder require assessing; what are each telling us about why we are doing this action. Emotions are an eye-opener. Dialoguing with each to hear what they wish for us to understand about why this life has emerged is recovery real estate! The physical symptoms demonstrate how you are carrying this illness. Each symptom will have information to share. Additionally, psychology asks us to explore our wants and needs; are they being met? Wants are those aspects of life that bring joy; are they missing? Needs are those basic requirements for human life that support us – love and belonging, shelter, freedom, survival and power. (By power I mean empowerment, not stand over tactics power.) Beliefs and values held are further sources of discovery. Are you living according to someone else’s beliefs and values? Where incongruence to the soul exists, there is bound to be a disturbance within. The body is trying to communicate this discord; listen. In combination, each of the above will provide the clues, they answer the ‘why’ AND from here solutions are born. Then there is the big psychological one! RELATIONSHIP(S)… The relationship(s) we encounter throughout life have the opportunity to enhance or impact our growth and development. Where relationship(s) have delivered fear into your life, and you have taken that fear on as real, this will definitely be contributing to the eating disorder outcome. Exploring all relationships, past, present and with the self must be integrated into the recovery program. Healing some, releasing some, redefining some may be compulsory. From my experience, this was the area of psychology that required a hammer and chisel to extricate holds that weighed heavily upon the illnesses I manifested as a result. Area 2: Understanding This Is Not About Food Food, of course, becomes a central focus when experiencing an eating disorder. But this is a symptom only. This is a reflection of how the psychology is being played out. The pattern of food intake reflects the inner dialogue influencing our decisions. In recovery, establishing a healthy connection to food is important. Understanding that food is the very ‘thing’ that will actually heal our ailing body must be addressed with healthy eating patterns being introduced. Do understand, that as this area becomes a healing focus, the re-introduction of food will trigger the psychological component. This is in fact a great outcome! We learn a lot about what is driving the eating disorder in this way – YAY! There are different methods undertaken to assist the establishment of normal eating patterns. This area of recovery deserves our full attention. I outline this in my online program Anorexia Unlocked Nutrition. My program is comprehensive and highlights the method called ‘The Rule of 3’s’. I discovered this idea in the book, “Nutrition Counselling in the Treatment of Eating Disorders” by Marcia Herrin and Maria Larkin, and found it to be the most beneficial guide for clients. This approach: outlines the suggestion of consuming 3 meals and 3 snacks at designated times throughout the day. The size of each will vary over time. At first, the quantities may be smaller than what is considered a normal sized meal with small snacks. As you heal, the meal sizes will normalise and snacks be in proportion to your day’s intake. Eventually, snacks may be a thing of the past! assists in normalising food intake, not only for recovery, but as a basis for ongoing eating practices for life. assists in re-establishing the recognition and appropriate response to appetite and fullness signals. is an effective method for long-term weight restoration and management. provides opportunity for your bodies metabolism to start to function as it was designed to so you will experience continued energy without the need to binge. encourages variety, maximising the range of nutrients supplied. As the psychology heals, food will become our friend again, to be embraced, indulged in and simply enjoyed! Area 3: Exercise This area of recovery can be tricky. Eating disorders are often characterised by excessive exercise. Where adopted in this manner, it is a symptom of the psychology carried. Exercise is tremendously important for health. In recovery this needs to be tempered to an appropriate level – just the right amount to support the evolving healthy life, but not to the ‘over-doing it’ extent that it mitigates progress. The type of exercise is crucial. Depending upon the severity of the eating disorder, all exercise may need to cease as the psychological process begins. Understanding and healing the ‘why’s’ behind what is happening may initially take precedence. This of course, will challenge, which is good as it quickly highlights what is driving the condition. Where weight is so low that exercise is not advised, ceasing must take priority. As recovery unfolds exercise is appropriately incorporated. Meditation and yoga are wonderful early additions. Meditation calms the mind. The gentle practise of yoga keeps the body flexible, encouraging healthy exercise practices. Pilates is another fabulous form of exercise to be considered. When the body strengthens, where food intake is normalising, and the psychological is finding peace, alternate exercise can be introduced. The type will depend upon the individual. Walking, gym routines, sports, dance ‒ the list goes on. The priority of recovery is to return the body to optimum health, to a normal life where excess or deprivation no longer rule. Exercise requires monitoring. The process of recovery is about rediscovering the wonder of the self which became buried beneath the rubble we allowed to swallow us up due to the fears lining the rubble. In believing the untruths told to me regarding life and how it works, I completely null and voided me! In recovery I gradually understood what I had done, and why. Exploring the script of my thoughts, acknowledging the behaviours chosen, understanding the messages of the emotions carried and through communing with the physical symptoms, I was able to reclaim the self I left behind at age 15. Wants and needs, beliefs and values received a long awaited overhaul! Relationship(s) were my greatest challenge. Identifying those which damaged meant painfully realising truths I wish did not exist. However, exploring and healing this area was to be the turning point required that eventually found me release the many illnesses I endured. Food became a nurturing and nourishing friend, the once top athlete and trophy winning netball player attended the gym once more. Walking was fun again. Meditation and yoga fitted in there somewhere! Eating disorder recovery is an individual undertaking. The story behind the development must first be acknowledged, allowing the psychology, the why, to be known and understood. As the psychology is explored, food patterns are normalised. When the body is able to sustain appropriate exercise, this crucial element may be added. This article is not prescriptive. The purpose is to open the discussion for consideration. To understand this complicated area of mental illness may I encourage visiting my website where my story lines the programs, insights are genuine, and guides comprehensive. Recovery is possible… our story holds the clues, and solutions… understanding forms the basis to know how to explore, assess and design individualised pathways toward this deserved outcome. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from JL! JL Keez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J.L Keez survived a nine-year struggle with anorexia nervosa. She endured years of mental illness, including suicidal depression, OCD and depersonalisation. Today, she is the Director of JL Keez Anorexia Unlocked, a passionate speaker, author and Thought Leader in her field. In her role as a Reality Therapy Coach and influential teacher she empowers others to heal their lives through delivering the understanding required to do so.

Written by: Nicki Brown, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What does inner peace look like to you? You might visualize yourself standing on a beach with the waves washing over your toes, or cross-legged on a mountaintop. But while the outer conditions can create the inner state, we know that life is unpredictable, and in my experience rarely offers such opportunities to be serenely surrounded in a peaceful place, so I’ve had to learn to create it—even amongst chaos. I know chaos all too well. I choose it—not consciously of course, but I’ve struggled with taking on too much and people-pleasing, and I recently uncovered an unconscious and insidious belief that I need to “struggle” to feel worthy of my accomplishments. All my beliefs aside, my reality is: I am a highly sensitive parent to a strong-willed and neurodivergent 5-year-old daughter, and a 13-month-old son who has never slept through the night, never stops moving and grabs everything in sight that is not a toy—that is when he isn’t stuck to me like Velcro. Oh, and did I mention we had an anxious, high-energy Australian shepherd puppy that just turned a year old? I’m painfully familiar with constantly competing needs, volatile energy, incessantly loud noise, and never-ending mess. Underslept, overwhelmed and overstimulated was my near-constant state for the better part of a year. Add to that the stresses of COVID, rising prices, lower wages (thanks to maternity leave) and all of the everyday stressors, and you might understand why I joke that I lived in a constant state of chaos. But here’s the thing, it wasn’t just a “joke” because beneath that there was a belief that this was true. And every time I joked that I lived in constant chaos I was reinforcing not only that belief but that reality. Not only had I chosen these circumstances based on the decisions I’d made, but I kept choosing to see life as chaos. So how do you create peace when you feel like that? We live in a world that’s always on, meaning we’re always connected, yet paradoxically disconnected—disconnected from ourselves, from each other and nature. And it’s no wonder when there are so many demands, options, and opinions to keep us distracted. The mental health crisis has been at an all-time high since COVID, and many of us were already overworked, overburdened, overwhelmed, stressed out and burnt out, then we turn on the news and more often than not we see and hear all the other bad things happening in the world—wars erupting, people dying, prices rising, and it can get hard not to get sucked into the fear and negativity vortex. Heck, I feel myself becoming activated just writing about it. As a coach, one of the things I hear most often is people searching for inner peace. It’s easy to understand as I have found myself needing and prioritizing this more and more in my life. We may find ourselves pressured for time, with a list of things “to do” longer than the number of hours in a day. It's no wonder when so many of us have found ourselves mentally overstimulated, energetically drained, emotionally overloaded, and/or financially stretched—and for many of us, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So how do you create peace when your outer conditions don’t line up? I’ll admit, at times I felt like the deck was stacked against me and it did not feel possible. I know I need to breathe and meditate. I know that stress wreaks havoc on the body. I know that I need to eat well, exercise and do all I can to lower my stress and protect my mental health…but knowing all that does little to help sometimes. There were times when knowing what to do and struggling to do it just created more stress. There were just more items on the “to-do” list I needed to find time for; more expectations were placed on me, and it all felt too much. I thought I needed to take control, put all the things in order and then I would feel better but trying to control only made everything worse. So often we mistakenly believe that inner peace comes from outer peace, so we try to create inner peace through outer order and control…and then are surprised when we’re stressed and anxious by the whole process because it feels more like trying to zip up an overstuffed suitcase while you’re running late for a flight. Stress activates the fear center of the brain known as the amygdala which signals to the body, "I’m not safe”. When we don’t feel safe or secure, we certainly act in ways that are unlike us. One of the natural tendencies in feeling unsafe in response to everyday stressors is to try to control the things around us. We mistakenly think that if we do, we’ll feel okay again—that our inner sense of “balance” and “okayness” will be restored—but we inevitably just end up creating more stress in ourselves because what we don’t recognize is that instead of trying to control ourselves, we’re trying to control the world around us, and we all know how well that turns out right? We can’t. One of two things happens, you either create the illusion of control which is nothing more than a Band-Aid and serves to conceal the vulnerability, rather than heal it. The other outcome is that things inevitably go wrong, and our cycle of stress continues, or worse heightens. In turbulent or chaotic times in our life or the world, it’s easy to fall into a constant state of stress. We may not even notice that our bodies and our brains are always on high alert, unconsciously looking out for the “danger”. We might not notice how tense our bodies become, we might not notice how disconnected we become from our present moment or the people around us because all our internal resources are being refocused on maintaining our sense of safety. We’re more easily overwhelmed by noise, choices, and competing demands for our time and attention. If you’re a highly sensitive person this experience is even MORE heightened. Before we know it, we find ourselves yelling and lashing out at our children and those we love and then falling into a shame spiral from the guilt. We don’t mean to take it out on those we love. We’re not mad at them, we’re yelling because we were triggered by something unhealed in our childhood, we’re yelling because we’re burnt out, or because this situation is wearing on us…or because life is wearing on us…because we’re stretched and stressed financially…because the world is unpredictable and scary, and people are always divided and we’re always connected yet SO disconnected from ourselves and everyone else because we’ve gotten into a habit of closing our hearts and our minds to keep ourselves feeling “safe”. When I’m stressed, everything seems to happen so fast, so the best approach is to try to slow things down. If we can slow things down, we have a better chance of bringing awareness to how we’re feeling and what’s going on. Here are 5 Steps for Cultivating Daily Inner Peace Generate Presence If we don’t take the time to pull ourselves back to the present moment, it becomes very easy for things to begin to spiral out of control. I find that when things seem to speed up it’s because my brain is either going to the past and or the future. I’m starting to spin out about how this one thing that went wrong turned out in the past or is going to turn out again. At this moment you might realize that you’re triggered. Daily check-ins are my go-to daily practice for generating presence. I set reminders on my phone and when they go off use them to do a quick check-in, like a body scan, or a needs assessment. Check-in with the sensations within your body which often can give us an indication of how we’re doing. Check-in with your stress level and your emotional state — How am I feeling? What do I need? Also, a tried-and-true daily breath and/or meditation practice is another great way to generate awareness, manage emotions and practice presence. Meditation helps us learn to step back and simply witness our egoic inner voice—as some like to call it the monkey mind, as well as learn how to focus the mind. It helps us notice our thoughts and stories. I always say clarity is the catalyst for change — as in first we need awareness, we need to see things and ourselves clearly to know what is working, and what is not and discern our next best option at THIS moment. Ruminating about the past or worrying about the future does nothing to change or help any situation. All it does is create anxiety and spiral into negativity. Don’t resist what’s here it will only keep you trapped in unhelpful patterns. Acceptance and Choice As I said, resistance to what keeps us stuck, so the way out of our stickiness is radical total acceptance— notice what’s going on and then discern: “At this point in my time, what are my choices?”. When you accept that you have no control over your outer world including the people and circumstances in it, it can feel unsettling and might even make us feel unsafe, after all, if we feel like we have no control over what’s happening around us, doesn’t that make us feel powerless or helpless? People often see acceptance as synonymous with “giving up” or surrendering, but the only thing you’re giving up is the illusion of your control. Yes, you are surrendering to what is, but it does not mean that you’re allowing yourself to become powerless or a victim. You take back your power when you realize that you do have control over something—you! As soon as you notice what’s going on around you and accept it as it is, you now have the power to decide at this moment how you will then feel and how you react to it. Move into the next right step for you OR if you need help navigating the next steps, ask your higher power for guidance and/or reach out to a friend, therapist, or life coach. Take Action to Calm Your Nervous System Breathing is one of the best ways to slow things down and begin to regulate your nervous systems—slow breathing (4-7 breaths per minute) can activate the parasympathetic nervous system which creates a relaxation response. Mindful breath can also bring a more calming presence to any moment. Many different breathing techniques can help here. Being out in nature can calm your nervous system. Stress and trauma can get trapped in the body so somatic techniques can also be extremely useful. Many are quick and simple ways to care for ourselves in these moments—some examples might be the butterfly breathing technique or gentle body movement like swaying side to side—imagining stroking water with your hands. Other ways to regulate your nervous system include calming music, yoga, getting out in the sunshine and nature and one of my favourites, “tapping” also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique which has proven to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety. Release Judgement, of Ourselves and Others Maya Angelou famously said, “We do the best with what we know and when we know better, we do better”. Consider that we’re all just doing our best, even when it doesn’t seem that way. Even when you think you know a person and that they’re not being their best…maybe that’s the best they can give or do on this particular day, in this particular circumstance. Give ourselves compassionate self-forgiveness when we mess up. Louise Hay said, “we’re all victims of victims” and I believe this is true, with one caveat—we’re all victims of victims until we realize we develop awareness and realize that we have the power of choice. in stress, we often look for a bad guy, someone to blame. We get offensive, go on the attack, or defensive, feeling the need to defend ourselves. Finding someone to blame won’t change what is now. It will just start a barrage of new inner dialogue/thoughts focused on anger or helplessness, none of which is helpful. For me, cultivating inner peace is about being watchful of the stories I tell myself, not seeing others as villains and myself as a victim. Finding peace and calm in chaotic times is not easy. Remember there is no one size fits all approach, so experiment until you find the techniques that work for you. Just remember the best thing you can do for yourself is to tune in to your needs—mentally, physically, and emotionally and meet those needs and yourself with care and compassion. Bookmark this article and come back to these ideas next time you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed and reach out and get support from friends, family and/or professionals. If you are interested in further guidance and instructional practice in some of these techniques, follow me on socials, sign up for my newsletter or book a complimentary consultation. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nicki! Nicki Brown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nicki is a women’s empowerment coach and the owner of Sunflowers In Sunshowers, a company that focuses on helping women flourish through holistic and transformational life coaching. She is passionate about the work she is doing to help women love themselves wholly and live their life more fully. After experiencing a “quarter life crisis”—she struggled with her identity, life direction and overall life satisfaction—this was her awakening. She began a healing journey of self-discovery and uncovering which led to dismantle her pre-conceived beliefs and re-define not only herself but her vision of “the good life”. This journey eventually led her to realize her calling as a life coach and pursue a certification as a life and health coach. Her mission is to help women heal from their past conditioning and misunderstandings so that they can uncover their authentic selves, step into their power and create their vision of “the good life” too. To date, she has had the privilege of helping women all over the world from London, England to Portland Oregon.

Written by: John Scott, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. This note is the first insight in a four-part goal-setting and attainment series. NASA has a plan to send people to the Moon in 2024. But that is only the intermediate goal. The big prize is getting to Mars: this is big stuff and requires many big and small steps to get there. We likely have other plans: more earthly goals. For example, we could lose some weight, get fit, be more focused, read more, be more diligent in our financial planning, or do some compelling work at work. Knowing where we are going and how to get there skillfully is best. A goal could also be to feel a certain way, like rested, energized, or more motivated. One or two words can help keep everything we want, be aligned and in flow, like being present, disciplined, or courageous. One of my longest-time friends was an exceptional swimmer. When he was 13 or 14, he returned from a swim meet with gold, silver, and two bronze medals. He showed his father the results of his hard work with great pride. His father ripped into him for getting two bronze medals and told my friend he would have to do better to substantiate the money spent on one of the best swim clubs in the country. After World War II, the science of psychology was primarily devoted to curing illness or lack. Taking someone from minus five on a spectrum to zero or "average" is called the weakness focus: what is wrong rather than what is good. I reported to a guy once who would point out things he didn't like about my work. Adding it was a short list, but his feedback had no balance. While I believe he thought these conversations helped, the way he brought them up hurt and certainly was not motivating. And our private thoughts often are not helpful. In the early 1900s, William James, an American Philosopher, began to look in earnest at optimal human functioning. The idea and study of all the stuff to the right of zero, say to plus five, has created the field of positive psychology, which is quite rich with research about thriving. A well-intentioned person might say, "Whatever you do, don't…" How we construct a goal matters to motivation and its attainment. The science of thriving is a much healthier basis for setting and attaining the goals we desire to achieve. Here is a science-based look at goal setting structure: 1. Proximity – How far out in time is the goal to be attained? Shorter-term goals tend to be easier to stay focused on and can be used to support longer-term goals. 2. Specificity – "I want to read eight non-fiction books this year" is more specific than "to read more." Being specific helps our brains "see" or bring in that, which allows us to manifest our intention. 3. Orientation – "I intend to eat a healthy diet" (approach goal) is different than "I want to eat less crappy food" (avoidance goal). Our brains will focus on healthy or crappy, not on "less." Go with approach goals. 4. Purpose – As in the purpose of the goal. Is it about learning, developing a skill, or performance? There are more positive outcomes with a learning goal and more negative effects or risks with performance goals. If we don't hit the target, we may feel like a failure or lacking. *If using performance goals, be aware of the potential negative mental feedback. 5. Duration – A "process" goal is a regular action, like writing three pages daily. These tend to be about creating habits: more effort to sustain. An "end state" goal is a specific task after which nothing is required, like, "I will finish writing the book." If we put our goals through the above filter, we can fine-tune the intent to increase the wording's potency. The other day I was tired. The last part of some amazing chocolate ice cream was in the freezer. I had intended to eat only healthy food that day, but fatigue and desire teamed up and overcame self-regulation, and the next thing I knew, I was rinsing out the empty container. I decided to forgive myself. On a more serious note, we can decide to, and it’s ok to, forgive ourselves for something we haven't done, become, or acquired yet. Of course, beating ourselves up for something not done is a nasty, twisted bit of wiring from which people can suffer. But on the other hand, forgiveness might divert some energy to empower what we want to create more. Beginning now with awareness and learning from wherever we are with whatever level of capacity to move towards our goal is logical, a little kinder, and works better. And a little ice cream along the way is ok. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from John! John Scott, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine John worked in sales and leadership in the financial industry for 30 years. For part of that time, he experienced a great deal of stress and didn't know the way back. As a result, John's health and well-being suffered. Becoming burnt out was the stimulus to wake up with a determination to do his life differently. John began a private journey to understand and overcome the negative stress he was experiencing. He found a formula for sustainable performance he now shares to help people move through common challenges to experience more great and less grind. John has completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, U. of Massachusetts), Foundations of Applied Mindfulness Meditation (U. of Toronto), and the Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP, Flourishing Center, NY). John's adventures include: • Climbing Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro. • Two dog sledding trips to the Canadian Arctic. • Two record-breaking swim crossings Lake Ontario (51km) • The first to swim from Christian Island to Collingwood, in Georgian Bay (32km). John brings his experience in life, learning, and adventure to help people do life and work well through writing, speaking, and coaching.

Written by: Alexandra Elinsky, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As businesses grapple with significant changes to the workforce due to COVID-19, business leaders also find themselves struggling to coach and mentor their employees. A decentralized workforce adds an extra challenge to the talent development process from the executive level down. Businesses must get creative with ways to build cohesion throughout the organization during these times. One way companies are doing so is through individualized executive coaching. An outside coach can develop a specific plan to address an individual's learning style, strengths, and weaknesses. The results of these sessions, both in-person and virtually, dramatically improve the entire organization. Let's take a look at how this happens. Develop your talent Traditional training methods may be suitable for delivering corporate policies and regulations, but tailored executive coaching is the best approach to meet your leaders' personal development needs. Executive coaching allows for actionable steps for each individual based on a series of conversations and assessments with that coach. Throughout the development process, these executives learn to evaluate their hard and soft skills. As your executives develop, they learn new methods and techniques for passing that information to their subordinates. For information on how EmpowerHQ can support your personal development, take a look at our range of services and contact us! Increase company productivity The main goal for developing your leaders and executives is to improve the overall productivity of the organization. You need to hire and develop talented leaders and enable them to make decisions that will enhance systems and processes as they learn from their coaching. Through their coaching, your leaders will learn how to manage their time better, prioritize their efforts in the highest friction areas, and align their actions with areas of the business with the most significant impact. Build trust through transparency An overlooked effect of individual coaching for executives is that it develops trust through all levels of the organization. By communicating with an external executive coach, leaders begin to express their struggles and frustrations openly. This is not done negatively but rather in a constructive way to eliminate tensions before they permeate throughout the company. Building this trust, rapport, and open communication allows your leaders to voice their concerns and make recommendations for improvement. Set realistic goals Executive coaching helps ensure that individual executive goals are aligned to organizational goals. Through regular engagements with various leaders, the executive coaches develop an understanding of potential misalignments. Executive coaches are also in the perfect position to challenge executives on their goals and ensure they are specific and tangible. Many executives can become detached from the rest of the organization if left to pursue their own goals. Still, consistent coaching can challenge their assumptions about what is possible. One way to prevent this is by encouraging your leaders to develop SMART Goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals will be far more beneficial for the company than goals driven by personal ambition and assumptions. Tailor to the individual Executive coaching has apparent benefits for the entire organization. Still, it can also help to retain your top talent. As talent continues to grow, they want to continue their education and progression through various levels of the organization. An executive coach will provide invaluable guidance on how to communicate these goals for career progression. Instead of losing that talent because their career aspirations were unknown, through coaching, that top talent expressed these goals to you and established clear steps to achieve them. Improved judgement As executives face critical challenges daily, you must trust that they will make the right decisions. As we discussed earlier, ensuring that the executive is aligned with organizational goals is one step, but making difficult decisions requires sound judgment. A critical piece of this judgment is listening to the feedback of those around you, synthesizing that information, and asking the right questions to extract any potential unknowns. Executive coaching is a perfect tool for helping your executives improve their decision-making. An executive coach can help leaders identify their own biases or emotional responses that may cloud their judgment. Empower Your Executives The development of your executives pays off the most when you enable them to make decisions without needing validation. Trust that these leaders have embraced the culture you have established, learned from their executive coaching plans, and will make the right decision when they are needed the most. This trust is consistently recognized and spreads throughout the organization as confidence and cohesion build. Related: Individual Resume and Career Coaching Find an Executive Coach Now that you understand the impact of an executive coach on you and your business, the question remains: how to find the right one? There are three key aspects that you should seek out in an executive coach. 1. Experience – Find experienced coaches with organizational psychology, experience developing individual coaching plans, and providing targeted guidance based on various career paths. 2. Delivery Method – COVID-19 forced companies to adapt to virtual delivery methods for all training and communication. Your executive coaches should be well-versed in coaching virtually and keeping everyone engaged while doing so. 3. Values – It's essential to find executive coaches that align with your corporate values. You should expect external coaches to espouse the same values that your internal employees do. Related: What to Know Before Hiring an Executive Coach Now that you have a better understanding of the positive impacts of executive coaching, it’s important to understand that this can extend beyond the executive level. The one-on-one focused training provides tremendous value for a company, but developing a coaching program for all levels of your organization is where companies really find the value. If you’re looking for executive coaching options for you or your team, check out our services page to find the best fit for your needs! Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Alexandra! Alexandra Elinsky, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Elinsky lives to support professionals of all levels from all walks of life to book a call on her calendar, use this link – https://calendly.com/teamempoweryou/60min Dr. Alexandra Elinsky has a Ph.D. in Industrial Organization Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is a trained Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer, and Researcher. Dr. Elinsky is the owner/founder of Empower Human Potential LLC and owns/operates another event planning business that builds confidence and leadership skills in children and teenagers. Dr. Elinsky has 10+ years of professional business and corporate experience and has built both of her businesses from the ground up with nothing short of patience.

Written by: Alejandro J Tornato, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. About four years ago I was living in Salt Lake City, Utah and one beautiful sunny morning I went to the gym for my daily workout. As I finished my hour-long routine, I headed to the bathroom to wash my hands and throw some cold water on my face to cool down a bit; as I looked to my right, on the far end stood an older man, all sweaty like me, with a ponytail and wearing a headband. I noticed that he started to look at me as if he wanted to engage me in conversation, and we did, very casual and superficial, however, at one point he stood up tall, turned to face me, looked directly into my eyes, and proceeded to ask me a question that I will never ever forget. He asked me: “What are you creating today?”. I don’t know what your opinion is but let me share with you that this is the kind of question that we don’t hear often, and this question has been truly engraved in the depth of my heart. It took me a few minutes to give him an answer, but I responded back to him. I told him that what I wanted to create was at least one opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life…because I could see many people living lives of misery, sadness and hopelessness and I wanted to change those feelings for possibilities. This man, whom I had not seen before, for it was the very first time we met, taught me a very important lesson, and opened my eyes to the truth that “Communication” and “Connection” are two completely different things. The beauty of all of this was that his strange and very deep question and my impromptu answer were the vehicles for a great connection. Since that time, I became a real student in the “Art of Connecting”. I truly believe that all of us should be paying attention to the way we communicate our own messages for effective communication is essential for every area of our lives; however, one thing I learned after doing extensive reading and research into this subject was that communication alone is not able to make a significant impact on people’s lives. Connecting is the secret that makes all the difference. Such a great difference that John C. Maxwell, who is considered the top leadership expert globally for the last few years, wrote a whole book on the subject titled: “Everybody Communicates, Few Connect”. In this book, Maxwell points out that “Connecting” is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them. I want you to clearly see that communication alone will not give you influence with people, as connection will indeed. When I compare the two of them side by side, I see that communication is the exchange of information, but connection is the exchange of humanity, and this is certainly the greatest game changer for positive change. A couple of years ago I heard Dr. John Demartini, who is a behavioral scientist say: “The quality of a person’s life is directly related to the quality of the questions you ask”. This statement immediately brought me back to that gym’s bathroom, because that man who asked me that awesome question undoubtedly had a wonderful and meaningful quality of life. I personally love to connect with all kinds of people, especially people I have the privilege to meet for the very first time. As a Professional Speaker not only do I connect one on one, but with audiences when I give presentations. Once you experience the bliss of true connection with people, you will have a desire to keep connecting time after time after time. Victoria Erickson, an author, and columnist wrote the following about connections: “When connections are real, they simply never die. They can be buried or ignored, or walked away from, but never broken. If you have deeply resonated with another person or place, the connection remains despite any distance, time, situation, lack of presence or circumstance. If you are doubtful then just try it, go, and revisit a person or place and see if there is any sense at all of the space between now and then. If it was truly real, you will be instantly swept back into the moment it was before it left, during the same year and place, with the same wonder and hope, comfort, and heartbeat. Real connections live on forever”. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Alejandro! Alejandro J Tornato, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alejandro J Tornato is the Founder and CEO of "Tornato Speaking, Leadership & Coaching LLC", offering Motivational Keynote Speaking, Leadership Coaching and Personal Growth & Development Training. Alejandro is a powerful and dynamic sought-after International Speaker and Coach Certified through the “Maxwell Leadership Organization”. He is also one of the Founding Directors at "Have The Edge", with a mission to provide the most comprehensive coaching and training programs for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Alejandro's teachings and communication style immediately connect with individuals and groups from all backgrounds. Alejandro is the co-author of "Create Terrific Teams", and the host and producer of both "The Alejandro Tornato Show" and "Have The Edge" Podcasts. Alejandro is a Top Mentor on Wisdom, the world's largest audio mentoring platform.

Written by: Anna Frummerin, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In today’s competitive business and career scenarios, your practical skills are what sets you apart and get the attention of your bosses/potential customers. Today, Coaching is quite a popular concept in both corporate and business in terms of improving performance, and here are seven of them I am presenting to you through this article. 1. Building rapport & trust This is extremely important in the context of any type of communication between you and your colleagues/customers so that you can gain & keep their trust. 2. Creating a safe place to open up. People open up and share confidential or sensitive information only when they are comfortable to do so and creating a non-judgmental environment facilitates openness in people. 3. Be in a peak emotional state – Transfer your enthusiasm to achieve results for your client. How you show up in terms of your energy influences the other person. Whether it is a casual conversation, board meeting or a sales presentation, if you are positive, vibrant and empowering, people will feel it and vice-versa. 4. Active listening – show you care for the other person Have you heard the expression – “Leaders speak last”? Rather than speaking all the time and imposing your views on others, the skill of active listening enables you to have the patience and leadership to listen to what everyone else has to say. 5. Powerful questioning – Create breakthroughs for your colleagues and clients One of the most powerful ways a coach helps you to transform your life and your results is through the art of powerful questioning. When you develop this skill, you will be able to form open-ended, empowering questions that will facilitate your staff/customers to think in new ways so that they can have breakthroughs to achieve new results. 6. Accountability & responsibility Most leaders and senior executives set the agenda and create an action plan and after the meeting is over when everyone goes back to their same old routines and habits. The skill of accountability and responsibility enables you to create a sense of ownership in yourself and others in your team so that the action plan is implemented systematically. 7. Celebrate success Every time your team members and (or) clients’ achieve their goals, it is important to acknowledge and reward them so that they feel appreciated and naturally want to do more. Rewards don’t have to be expensive gifts, sometimes it can just be a heartfelt compliment that makes them feel important and recognized. If you like this article and would like to learn more about how I could help you overcome your challenges and shape the life you love, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna! Anna Frummerin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Frummerin is a Leadership & Mindset Coach with a core focus on helping her clients achieve results by enhancing their mindset and improving their communication. As a 4-time cancer survivor, she has discovered through her own life experience what it takes to win in life no matter what the challenges are. She is a Certified NLP Leadership Coach, ICF Certified Executive, Life Coach, and Action Learning Team Coach and has dedicated her life to helping others become the best version of them. She is the founder of A New Approach (ANA) – An online coaching and training company serving clients across the globe. Her mission: Discover the "Hidden Champion" inside and win big at The Game of Life.

Written by: Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I get it. As a busy entrepreneur you have the urge to keep going, doing more and more. There is no safety net of a monthly salary, your results are a direct correlation to what you put into your business, and you’ve probably grown up in a culture (like I have) that you have been told that you have to work hard and hustle your way to success! I know you’re passionate about your business and what you do, but you also probably want to create a great life as well as creating a large income. So how about we drop the guilt of taking time off? This is something that I used to struggle with myself. I felt so guilty for taking time away from the business and not working. Something would always pull at me – that little nagging voice in my head – that made me believe that I had always to be working on it! Luckily for me, I have managed to quiet that voice now, and I would love to share my tips with you. As a time management and energy management coach working with busy business owners, helping them build a business without burnout, I know the importance of being able to take time off guilt-free! I have seen first-hand that you can take time off away from your business, and guess what, it doesn’t come crashing down around you in a ball of flames! In fact, your business is likely to do better as you’re more focused, productive and you haven’t got yourself into a situation where you are so overworked that you end up resenting the business! Adopt these five tips to start enjoying time off as a busy entrepreneur… without the guilt 1. Use a different term to “time off” Language plays a huge part in how we perceive things so if you struggle with the term “time off” then maybe a reframe will help? The term “off” isn’t going to help you if you are already feeling guilty for taking time away from your business is it! One way is to change it to align with the reason that you are taking that time out. For example, I like to see it as a way to recharge my batteries which feels less ‘self-indulgent’ so I don’t have to feel guilty for it! So rather than saying terms like “day off” or “time off”, I use language like “recharge time”. 2. Question what productivity really is Of course, in order to achieve results and the success we want to see in our business, we need to be productive! Success doesn’t create itself! However, we need to question what ‘productive’ means. For me it is about producing amazing results that edge me forward to my ultimate goals – it is NOT about doing everything! When we aim to do everything, of course we are going to feel guilty for taking time away from work! But focus on the main things that need doing (aka the real needle movers) and balance that out with time away from work. When we operate and think like that, we can drop some of that guilt! 3. Schedule it in Procrastination often sets in simply because you need a break! It is not because you’re lazy, addicted to social media or lack motivation or passion! Beat procrastination by planning in downtime so you take your breaks and recharge those batteries before your mind or body force you! Plus, at the same time, you can drop the guilt of taking time off because you have scheduled it in! Plan in your recharge time, vacations, socialising and time to relax like you would your meetings and appointments! 4. Working hard does not mean long hours Somehow, we have had it drilled into us that the only way to be successful is to work long hours. But long hours are not the same as working smart. In fact, it could be detrimental as the longer we work, there becomes a decline in our quality (that’s the Law of Diminishing Returns for you!) When you appreciate this and apply it to your day-to-day and work, you can start to drop the guilt about not working 24/7! 5. Be intentional with it! When you finally give yourself a chance to take time away from the business, don’t ruin it by not being present in the moment! If you are not physically working but still thinking about work or worrying, then you might as well not be taking that time off and popping open the laptop and working properly. As a time management and energy management coach, I always advocate this tip but it applies even more so when taking time off guilt free… be intentional! This means, be intentional with your time away from the business. Choose ahead what you want to do, know what really recharges your batteries, be present in the moment and fully enjoy it. It could even be as simple as saying to yourself, ‘right, for the next 20 minutes, I am shutting off my phone, grabbing a coffee and quietly sitting and reading for a bit’. Our attention goes to where we direct it, so be intentional with everything you do, including your time off! Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Alice! Alice Dartnell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alice Dartnell is a time management and energy management coach, trainer, speaker, and author, who is passionate about empowering people to create a life by design, not by default! Known as an expert in time management and energy management, Alice doesn’t teach time management in the traditional sense. Instead, she focuses on the importance of energy management and mindset as the way to improve time management. Alice believes that time management actually isn’t about managing time! Instead, it is about managing you, other people, your tasks and most importantly, your energy! She works with individuals on a 121 basis, as well as through programmes, workshops, and courses. Additionally, she delivers training to org

Written by: Dr. Christine Sopa, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Over the years, I have spoken to hundreds of successful leaders all who are leading the best way they know how. They were taught the “trade” of leadership by mentors, colleagues, old bosses and by simply watching how others around them lead. Most of them lead with their head, their logic. They have taken courses on leadership, read books, and listened to podcasts all which tell them what a “good leader” is made of and what they do. Where do these leaders falter? Many of them are not letting their intuition guide them…their gut. Many have not even defined the type of leader they want to be. They don’t have time. They are too busy “leading.” As leaders, we sometimes are so focused on the “doing” that we forget to focus on the “being.” What we do as a leader is important, no doubt. We need the skills and knowledge to perform our jobs and lead successfully. “Being” requires a different skill set. Being entails an awareness of your emotions, your behaviors, your reactions, your self-talk, and how you are expending your precious energy daily. All this combined equals your energy footprint. And I don’t mean how “green” you are environmental-wise…I mean when I interact with you, what kind of energy do I pick up from you? What kind of energy are you leaving behind when you interact with people? What is Your Leadership Energy Footprint? Many think that if we DO the things that a good leader does, we will BE a good leader. When in reality, the opposite is true. When you are being the leader you want to be (putting out the energy that is truly YOU), you then communicate better, show more empathy, express your emotions in more healthy ways, are more self-aware of your own behaviors and the behaviors and reactions of those around you. Leaders who focus on their “being” end up “doing” what good leaders do. We have been conditioned with the wrong formula. If I want to be a good leader and I follow the formula I have been taught, I believe that if I DO what good leaders do, then I will HAVE what good leaders have, then I will BE a good leader. The problem with this formula is that it is backwards. The Right Formula The truth and the formula that works every time, no matter what is not DO-HAVE-BE, but BE-DO-HAVE. If I am BEING the type of leader that is in most alignment with who I am and the type of leader I personally resonate with, then I will begin DOING the things that type of leader does naturally, and then I will HAVE what that type of leader has (more pay, amazing direct reports, a great company to work for, etc.). It is really that simple. Being is not as hard as we think it is. Stop using your brain to try and “be.” Just be still and trust what comes naturally. It does not need to make sense logically all the time. If you always follow your logic, then you are simply being the type of leader that everyone else is being. How boring! Remember, being is more about where you choose to place your attention. Where is Your Attention Focused? Where we place our attention is what drives our behaviors. Our subconscious brain responds to what we are putting our attention on because that is how it reads what we “want.” It does not know the difference between what is good or bad, what we want or don’t want, what we like or don’t like…it only can be read where our attention is focused. We can learn to shift our attention in the moment. If you are experiencing a situation or even feelings that you do not want, pay attention to what your attention is focused on. Gently shift your attention(your thoughts, actions, feelings) to that which you DO want. Of course, the key here is actually knowing what you want. This may sound simple, but most leaders cannot specifically define what they actually want. Take the time to define, on paper, what type of leader you want to be. How does that leader act? How do they treat others? What do they know about the business? What is their network like? How do they communicate? How will it feel to be that type of leader? (you need to go deeper than “good” or “happy” here). Once you have defined what type of leader you want to be, go out and BE that leader. Trust your gut. Trust your feelings. Our world needs leaders who are willing to transform the way they are leading. Our current world demands it. Step up and BE the leader YOU want to be and watch everything else you want fall into place. Change your leadership energy footprint! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Christine Sopa, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Christine Sopa is an Industrial Organizational Psychologist and leader in self-awareness, shifting mindset, and leadership development. A life threatening illness inspired her to use her own life experiences to help transform the lives of others. She uses the idea of tapping into the whole person (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) to help people overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, personal and professional life changes, and loss of power (self-worth). She is the CEO of The Wayfarer Group, LLC, an international consulting and executive coaching firm she has ran for 20 years. Her mission: Live the life you were born to live.

Written by: Brooke Summer Adams, Senior Level Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Being a coach for the first time can be an incredible experience but also a stressful and very much uncomfortable one. As much as it’s easy to enjoy and get excited about the prospect of changing lives for a living, getting paid generously to do so and living a life on your own terms – the process to make this happen can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to learn how to coach, how to find clients and how to set up a successful business and online presence… but you also have the added stress of stepping outside your comfort zone. Getting seen and showing up online, sharing your vision with friends, family and even strangers, doubting your abilities, staying on top of business as an entrepreneur for the first time while still maintaining normal life, endless learning, endless action taking, the urge to be perfect and fighting the desire to procrastinate are all common obstacles a first-time coach can expect to face – often, all at the same time. While the journey to being the coach you dream of is a beautiful one, it’s also at times – undeniably overwhelming. Brooke Summer Adams – an Internationally Accredited Transformation Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, International Speaker, Trainer and Writer and Yahoo Finances’ Top 10 Female LifeCoach of 2021 – who helps first-time coaches transform themselves so they feel ready to transform others…is here today to share the top-tips she uses with her 1-2-1clients to release the overwhelm of being a first-time coach. Trust the process This may sound crazy, but stop focusing on the results you’re seeking. When you focus solely on the goals, you’re wanting to achieve and the end results of your efforts, you become very short-sighted. Not only that, but by placing your focus on what you’re working TOWARDS, you emphasise the awareness that you are not PRESENTLY there. Instead, focus on the process. The small steps you’re taking each and every day. By focusing on the process, you’ll be keenly aware of each little bit of progress you make, the small successes in the day and the ways in which you are moving forward. By keeping your focus on where you presently are, you emphasise the momentum you’re creating, you emphasise you’re awareness of all that HAS been done, over all that HASN’T. By doing this, you prevent feeling the overwhelm that’s triggered by the perception of still having lots to do and being far away from where you want to be. Trust the process. You can have everything you want, but not overnight. Not having everything achieved yet always comes before having it achieved. Not knowing something always comes before knowing something. Be where you are. You’ll get to where you want to be, but in order to get there, you have to take it one day at a time. Stop worrying about how it looks Something that can make even the simplest of tasks overwhelming is worrying about what other people think or striving for perfection. Posting on social media can be done in less than 10 minutes. However, those 10 minutes can quickly turn into 60 when you keep changing your fonts and colours over and over again to get it to look perfect or overanalysing your words with the concern of how they’ll be interpreted. Let go of the idea of doing things perfectly. Striving for perfection will only make things take longer than they need to and even once finally complete – you’ll still find something that could have been done “better”. Your momentum and success will come from taking action, the quicker you take action, the quicker you’ll build that momentum and success. Release the concern for what everyone else will think about the action you take. As a first-time coach you can almost guarantee that your intentions for doing what you’re doing is to change YOUR life and make an impact on the world. Therefore, what anyone else thinks is irrelevant. Follow your intentions, if you’re showing up to help others and not to please others- don’t worry about pleasing others, focus on making impact. One step at a time Huge tasks that take ages to complete can easily get overwhelming. However, small manageable steps that can be completed in a small amount time are easy to get done. If you have “create website” or a similarly large task on your to-do list, break it down into the individual steps- “get a domain”, “create paragraph 1 of about me copy”, “create paragraph 2 of about me copy” and so on. What used to be “create website”, sat on your to-do list for months without being ticked-off, overwhelming you due to the amount involved in its completion… now becomes small steps that can be ticked off each and every day. The perception of seeing a task as small and manageable not only prevents overwhelm but also procrastination. By breaking down your actions in this way, you’ll find yourself taking consistent action without getting overwhelmed – and this will become addictive. Your visual of fast and easy ticks off your to-do list will build momentum. Therefore you’ll start to feel on top of your journey and proud of the movement you’re making by focusing on all that HAS been done – rather than being overwhelmed by all that’s STILL to be done. Get a coach Getting yourself a coach will make this journey so much easier. A coach will be able to help keep you focused on all the progress that you are making, rather than all you still need to do – preventing overwhelm. A coach will be able to hold you accountable to the steps you plan on taking, keeping you on top of the journey - preventing overwhelm. A coach will be able to shift your mindset around perfectionism and help you release the fear of what other people think – so you can get on with taking consistent action and building momentum- preventing overwhelm. Brooke specifically works with first-time coaches on their journeys of becoming the coach they want to be and creating the vision they hold. You can connect with Brooke using any of the links below. People can connect with me via Email, Facebook, Instagram, or my Website. Wherever you go, you’ll find helpful training and info on all things transformation. Read more from Brooke! Brooke Summer Adams, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brooke Summer Adams is internationally accredited in Transformational Coaching, certified to a master-level in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a graduate of Psychology with a 1st Class Honors Degree (BS.c), a Yahoo Finance Top 10 Female Life-Coach of 2021, a Brainz 500 Global Award Winner of 2021, a Workshop Facilitator at the worlds 1 Coaching Academy and an international Speaker, Trainer, and Writer. After overcoming chronic stress, low self-esteem and body dysmorphia, Brooke was inspired to take to University to study Psychology, become an Internationally Accredited Transformation Coach and NLP Master Practitioner and set up her own online coaching business. After several successful years in business transforming over 100 women into the best versions of themselves, being recognised as a Yahoo Finance Top 10 Female Life Coach and becoming an International Speaker and Trainer, Brooke then moved into the field of transforming first time coaches ‒ so they feel ready to transform others. This experience, on top her qualifications, allows her to transform first time coaches into the version of them who has what it takes to create their vision, by helping them build unshakeable self belief and confidence, overcome fear and take aligned action.