I reluctantly agreed to write the Wellbeing Collective blog for the week and then wondered why I had actually agreed to it. Pen (or lap top) to hand, I started to try to jot down some thoughts but nothing was coming to mind. Definitely a different approach needed, but what approach I ask?!
Recently within the Wellbeing Collective we have been having conversations with a focus on “Time to Think’ and I decided that now was a time for me to stop and think about what had stymied my ability to let my thoughts flow rather than find a focus for my writing. I know that with my Introversion ‘I’ MBTI preference, I naturally prefer to ‘think’ before I ‘do’, however I had been pondering the blog for a while and still nothing emerging. A weekend snowy, picturesque walk had not brought inspiration, nor the people out clearly enjoying the weather and making memories. So, it has to be more than just this ‘I’ preference of mine.
Interestingly, a conversation I had just a few days earlier came to mind, the focus of this was internal pressure, the pressure we place upon ourselves including to ‘perform’ or ‘achieve’ something. Sharing thoughts and hoping they will be of interest to people is a daunting prospect to me and clearly some internal pressure was having an influence here- what if people aren’t interested, why would people want to read something I have written, what if they laugh, could I look foolish, will it impact on my role as a consultant? All these thoughts stirring emotional responses within me and seemingly paralysing my thought process. Just recognising what was happening internally helped to begin to unlock the thought process so that I could begin to challenge and explore the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing.
Reflecting, I also realised that traditionally if I was talking with someone else who was facing the issue of being stuck when asked to ‘do’ something, I would probably have been offering what I thought to be helpful ideas for topics rather than consider supporting a person to explore the sense of being stuck. I have moved from this approach with others and now need to further embrace the approach for myself!
Whilst thinking about the issues I found this quote that connected with me.
By taking a different approach I have been able to produce a blog and through doing so have understood a little more about myself and how I interact with others. My sails adjusted and on route to a new destination, hopefully one of many such journeys.
Sharon Outhwaite – Senior Consultant, The Wellbeing Collective.
The Wellbeing Collective Ltd 