F. Kadar
Sr Engineering Manager, Cloudera
“The sessions with my coach Vibha were helpful in many ways. For our first session, after sharing my concerns and goals, she encouraged me to make use of a few mindful tools to help with stress relief. I was feeling overwhelmed with coursework and life responsibilities. The mindful techniques that were most helpful were taking self-compassion breaks and mindful breathing at the end of my day. Taking time to take self-compassion breaks allowed me to be more focused throughout my day. Using mindful breathing (body scanning) at the end of my day allowed me to sleep better and not constantly process thoughts that once kept me from sleeping well. I was able to get better rest at night, which was helpful and relaxing.
During our second session, I was able to share that the tools that were provided in the last session were very helpful. I appreciated the mindful breathing mostly. I can say that this experience with my coach has allowed me to reflect on past courses and the lessons previously learned on self-care. I do practice self-care in general. However, while feeling overwhelmed with coursework this semester, I was not doing it as often as usual. Research indicates that it is important for counsellors to apply self-care techniques and maintain they're well being (Evans & Ward, 2019). Additional research also explains that school counsellors are responsible to practice wellness and monitor their emotional well being so that they can be effective in their work (American School Counseling Association, 2016). I really enjoyed this experience. My take away from these sessions is to remember to always be mindful of continuing to practice self-care because it is extremely important."
