Flourishing is a state of well-being that is about connecting with yourself, cultivating and applying your strengths and talents, becoming more self-aware, and living with a deeper sense of purpose - all of which create greater resiliency to the stressors life presents you with.
Flourishing is not something that happens by chance, but rather something that can be cultivated and enhanced through intentional actions and practices.
Some examples of flourishing might include:
Feeling energized and motivated to pursue your goals
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
Feeling connected to others and building positive relationships
Engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet
Practicing mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques
Our daily lives are full of responsibilities, stress, and individual challenges. How well are you able to manage these circumstances? If you would like to work towards flourishing, here are some tips to help:
1. Practice gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to increase your well-being and happiness. It involves appreciating the good things in your life, both big and small. Gratitude journals (writing down things in life you are grateful for) have been found to increase several aspects of flourishing.
2. Pursue meaningful activities
When we volunteer or perform acts of kindness, we experience a “helper’s high” that can boost our mood and increase our sense of well-being. Acts of kindness can help you flourish by providing a sense of social connection, purpose, happiness, and well-being.
3. Self-compassion
Be kind, understanding, and forgiving towards yourself. You can do this by caring for yourself as you would your own child, challenging negative thoughts, and accepting your imperfections.
4. Focus on your strengths and values.
When we use our strengths and live according to our values, we are more likely to experience positive emotions and feel fulfilled. Developing strengths can enhance our confidence, performance, creativity, and growth. It can also help us overcome challenges during times of stress. When faced with a challenging task, think about how you can use one of your strengths to tackle the task and make it more rewarding.
5. Connect with others
Social support is important for our mental health. When we connect with others, we experience a sense of belonging and connection that can help us feel more positive emotions and improve our overall well-being.
6. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can help you reduce stress, improve your focus, enhance your emotional intelligence, increase your self-awareness and self-regulation.
7. Focus on accomplishments
A simple exercise, such as writing down three things that went well every night can increase "learned optimism," which is a term in positive psychology that refers to changing your attitude and thinking towards the positive while challenging negative thoughts and beliefs.
How wellness coaching can help you flourish
A wellness coach takes into consideration your individual circumstances to devise a personalized plan for your growth. Wellness coaching is present & future-oriented and helpful for individuals looking to identify goals for change, overcome challenges, and unlock their potential. Coaching provides an opportunity to learn about positive strategies and engage in activities that lead to a happier, healthier, and increasingly flourishing life.
Wellness coaching can help you flourish by:
1. Increasing your self-awareness and self-compassion
Discovering your strengths, values, and passions can help build a greater sense of identity and guide you to accept yourself as you are.
2. Uncovering your purpose
Purpose, which acts as a compass to guide your actions with greater intentionality by providing meaning and direction, is linked to a greater sense of well-being.
3. Developing strengths
Strengths are the positive qualities that we have or can develop in ourselves. They include skills, abilities, talents, virtues, and character traits.
4. Enhancing your motivation and engagement
Setting meaningful and realistic goals that align with your vision and values can give you more confidence to overcome obstacles and take purposeful action.
5. Reducing your stress and anxiety
Identify the sources and triggers of your stress and anxiety and learn mindfulness tools, relaxation techniques, and coping skills to manage them effectively.
6. Increasing your happiness and satisfaction
Feeling satisfied and happy in life is directly linked to the practice of gratitude, optimism, and forgiveness. Coaching can help identify these areas and support you in reinforcing them within your daily life.
7. Enhancing your relationships and communication
The quality of your social relationships greatly affects your well-being. Coaching can help you improve emotional intelligence and communication skills to build and strengthen your relationships with the people and communities that matter to you.
8. Achieving your goals
The state of flourishing is realized when you feel passionate, internally motivated, and accomplished when striving for your goals. Coaching can help you connect with that motivation and discover creative ways to achieve these goals and celebrate your successes.
Client testimonial
I was feeling like I was ready for the change but overwhelmed with where to begin. I set better boundaries with my family and further determined how my relationship with them affects my overall health and well-being. I took steps towards becoming more active again and eating healthier, and I applied for grad school! I feel great. I feel accomplished and while I still feel like there is work to be done, I am positive about the next steps and confident in my ability to achieve them. My coach really helped me to sift through all the noise and helped me see and focus on what is important, both short and long-term. I am still working towards my self-care and health goals, and I feel like I have the focus to do that now that I have worked towards my next professional goal which had been mentally holding me back till now.