I’m going to start off by getting really real about what’s going on for students these days. Life coaching for students can be immeasurably helpful! The more I get into communities and talk with students of all kinds, from middle school to undergrad, to graduate school and beyond, stress and overwhelm seem to be MAJOR themes. The expectations put on students are astronomical ..and seemingly only growing.
As a student, these are some of the major tasks you’re expected to accomplish and stay on top of: doing homework, studying, attending classes, finding and attending internships (or field work), career/future planning, receive high grades (at all times, in all subjects), have a social life, be involved in extracurricular activities, spend time with family, exercise, eat well, etc. all while figuring out what you really want to do with your life. It’s a lot to handle!!
These are just the first few things I could rattle off the top of my head. I know there are NUMEROUS other activities to add to that list. Life coaching for students can feel like the only hour of relief in a whole week!
The desire to be successful and to excel in life can feel like a constant competition. Who can get the furthest, the fastest? We’re all living in it! Often times students spend their days running from one activity to the next without having a spare minute to themselves, from the minute they wake up until the minute their head hits the pillow. It’s no wonder that more students are starting to feel burnt out, anxious and stressed at increasingly younger ages.
Life can be messy, complicated and challenging. There’s usually no direct route to reach our goals and that can feel really scary! Students are often faced with one task or a obstacle after another and having somewhere to go where you can just be yourself is CRUCIAL.
So how can students benefit from life coaching? Glad you asked.
- Reflection – As I mentioned, students are typically running mindlessly from one activity to the next until one day find themselves falling apart at the seams for seemingly no reason! Having somewhere to go on a regular basis allows for time to slow down and regroup. Time for reflection allows for more intentional choices and actions, which leads to happier life in the long run.
- Venting – As a society right now, we don’t put enough value on human connection, on saying how we feel out loud and having someone on the other end to truly listen. Many students tend to ruminate and worry so much. Having somewhere to speak about concerns, worries or even successes can make for more relaxation and calm!
- Find direction – School is a great opportunity to explore different career paths, learn about life and find potential opportunities. However, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle! Some students find making decisions to be really challenging. Students frequently feel overwhelmed by all of the options available or feel that they’ve tried so many things and still can’t find anything that clicks and really feels right. Coaching allows for exploration and guidance to really figure out what matters most and how to get there!
- Make a plan – Part of getting to where we want to be is figuring out how to get there. Though things may not always go 100% according to plan, having something to work on and somewhere to get started from can make all the difference in getting you from point A to point B.
- Take action – Life coaching is an action oriented approach. Having time to process and reflect is extremely valuable but what you do with that information is just as important. Coaching helps you to figure out the concrete details and steps to get where you want to be and then implement those steps to see some progress!
- Accountability – Ever had an experience where you tell yourself you’re going to do something and then you just never follow through? Maybe it’s waking up on the first alarm or eating well throughout your days. Whatever it may be, holding yourself accountable ain’t always easy! Coaching is a great resource to help you establish those goals and then make SURE you truly follow through with them!
- Reliablility – Coaching is a reliable and consistent source for students to go to whenever they need it! Coaching allows for tons of flexibility and support. You can rest assured that you’ll never have to get stuck on your own. It’s nice to know when big assignments are coming or the stress of the end of a semester feels overwhelming, you have someone to reach out to who really gets it!
- Course correction – It’s okay to make mistakes, have set backs or weeks where you can’t do everything you had originally intended, but knowing that you have someone to check in with will help you along the way! We can never plan for all the curveballs life throws at us. Learning to be flexible and resilient will help you as a student, and even more so as a human. There is always room for course correction when things go awry.
If any of these common challenges are resonating with you, seek some support! You really don’t have to go it alone. Learning helpful skills and tools could be exactly what you need to get on track, without all the stress. Life coaching for students can truly be game changing!
If you want to learn more about how I work with students, feel free to sign up for my FREE consultation here or shoot me your questions through my contact form!! I’d love to chat all about life coaching for students.
