I’m so busy!
There isn’t enough time to do everything!
I’m so sad – I miss my loved one(s).
I’m overspending!
Can you sense your clients’ stress during the Christmas Season through expressed sentiments like these? The reality is that for some clients, Christmastime is not “the most wonderful season of all.” And it’s not unusual for coaching clients to convey feelings of anxiousness, sadness, or difficulty focusing on their dreams and goals during the month of December.
Thankfully, as your clients’ coach, you have the tools to help them through the challenges of the Christmas Season.
4 Ways You Can Help Clients Through the Christmas Season
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Yet, despite all the anticipation this beautiful season represents, aspects of it can be difficult for our clients.
Even if some of your clients aren’t feeling the joy of the Christmas Season, they can still live in the light of the Lord’s hope, peace, joy, and love!
Here are four ways you can help your clients through the Christmas Season:
1. Listen
In addition to feeling stressed, some coaching clients are grieving during the Christmas Season. They may be grieving lost loved ones and missed dreams of what could have been.
The International Coaching Federation states that a great coach does 70 percent of the listening and only 30 percent of the talking. And the first step in assisting your clients is to engage in active listening.
Active listening actively means being fully present, not judging their feelings, or trying to “fix” them as you allow them to “empty out.”
2. Encourage
Your clients probably already feel bad about not feeling joyous this time of year, their goals stalling, or not completing their coaching homework. A good coach will never shame a client for their feelings or pressure them into compliance.
Instead, use this time to encourage your clients! Remind them that they are the ones who set the pace for their goals and that you trust the Lord is leading them. Reassure them that it’s okay to re-evaluate their values and goals, and it’s also okay to adjust them!
3. Review Values
When clients express anxiousness during the Christmas Season, it’s an excellent time to have them review their values with you. This review gives them a chance to brainstorm stress-reducing strategies that align with their values.
Below are a few topics to discuss with your client regarding values. For example, which does your client value more:
· Putting time into preparing special holiday meals, or do they prefer to simplify and spend that time in other ways?
· Spending time at social gatherings or more quiet time at home?
· Having Christmas décor up or keeping their home feeling less cluttered with less décor?
4. Set Stress-Reducing Strategies Aligning With Values
Once your client has re-evaluated their values for December, you can help them through the Christmas Season by assisting them in setting strategies and boundaries that align with their values. Examples can include:
· Creating a way to honor missed loved one(s).
· Helping others in need.
· Deciding how much time will be spent cooking and baking, if any.
· Deciding how much money they will spend on gift-giving.
· Setting limits on how many extra events they will attend and how long they will stay.
One of the most wonderful aspects of being a Christian Life Coach is that you are free to invite the Lord into the coaching process with your clients. Through His Holy Spirit, you have the joy of helping your clients thoroughly enjoy the Christmas Season!
Reach out to us at the Center for Christian Coaching to learn more about how to become a Christian Life Coach!