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Wellbeing<br />
Advertorial<br />
Make time to nurture your relationships and you'll reap the<br />
benefits, writes Karen Liebenguth<br />
Healthy and supportive relationships help us<br />
to flourish as individuals and as communities.<br />
They are essential for our health and wellbeing,<br />
and yet we often don’t look after the important<br />
relationships in our lives as well as we could.<br />
When our relationships feel difficult, it’s often<br />
because our needs are not met: our need for<br />
understanding, respect, acceptance, recognition,<br />
support, love, trust, and so on.<br />
When someone is not the way we want them to<br />
be, or does not do what we want them to do, we<br />
are quick to react, to judge, to blame, because<br />
deep down we feel upset, disappointed, or even<br />
angry. And when we feel sad and frustrated we<br />
need understanding, love, connection and care.<br />
What truly connects us to others is compassion<br />
We all long for connection and yet it can be<br />
one of the most difficult things to do because<br />
to truly connect with someone, we need to let<br />
our defences down and allow ourselves to be<br />
vulnerable.<br />
How do we nurture our relationships?<br />
n Set aside some quality time.<br />
n When asking someone "how are you?" stop<br />
and listen; be interested in how they really are.<br />
n Smile more at your partner, children, a friend or<br />
colleague (or as many as you like) every day for<br />
a week and notice what happens, how you feel.<br />
n Make time to contact a close friend or family<br />
member you haven’t been in touch with for a<br />
while.<br />
n Notice someone under stress and lend a<br />
listening ear.<br />
Green Space Coaching and Mindfulness<br />
Training offers 1:1 coaching, team building<br />
(MBTI certified) and mindfulness courses for<br />
individuals, and organisations. Karen specialises<br />
in working with clients outdoors, offering<br />
coaching while walking and team-building<br />
workshops, as well as away-days in London’s<br />
green spaces, tapping into the energy of the<br />
outdoors to enhance creativity and insight.<br />
greenspacecoaching.com<br />
Get in touch to book a FREE coaching while<br />
walking taster session in Victoria Park<br />
karen@greenspacecoaching.com 07815 591279<br />
LOVEEAST JULY <strong>2016</strong> 41
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