Staying Connected - Maintaining Relationships Is Key For Your Well-being!

Staying Connected - Maintaining Relationships Is Key For Your Well-being!

Written by Life and Biz Coach Nafije Pristina

Afterthoughts by Career Coach Kathy Shabotynskyj

A good life comes from having integrity. Being curious, chasing inspiration, appreciating the beauty in the world, speaking the truth and most of all, creating and maintaining loving relationships with friends and family.- Jade Wu, PhD, The Savvy Psychologist

My mission in life is to empower individuals to succeed in life and coach them to shine from the inside out in all life aspects; mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Nurturing the relationship within and striving to have great relationships with people in our life is hugely important, and a key indicator of well-being and success.

This blog is about the importance of staying connected and maintaining healthy human relations while we’re in the fight against COVID-19. Thanks to today’s technology, it is possible for us to stay connected and respect social distancing and mask-wearing. This is a temporary sacrifice that we all need to embody, for the sake of stopping the virus and overcoming the new challenges arising from the pandemic and economic instability.

The importance of having a community and staying connected is crucial during the pandemic. Research on social science from newtimes shows that we are social beings and we need human connection for survival. Human relations are important for the overall well-being of an individual and this fact cannot be ignored. Before the pandemic and today the rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems coincide with the decline of close human relationships. Talking to a close friend or relative helps in releasing mental as well as physical stress.

According to Gary Zukav, spiritual teacher and the author of four consecutive New York Times best sellers,  “relationships are so important for our self-empowerment.” The truth is that many people feel lonely especially nowadays and they lack connection with others. This is becoming even more challenging, due to the pandemic’s forced isolation.  In my personal and professional life, I see a lack of social connections is taking a toll on many people. Some of my clients are struggling to find that balance. It is very important for all of us to find ways to stay safe in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus plus find ways to continue social interaction and supporting one another.

Of course, in person connections are best, but if you live in a place where the virus is very active, then virtual connections via video or phone will work. The World Economic Forum offers five suggestions to help you stay (virtually) social and make the best of isolation during Corona virus:

1.      Keep to a routine

2.    Do an online course

3.      Enjoy the sunshine and exercise

4.      Throw your own film festival

5.      Dress up and go digi-dining

In an effort to nurture my well-being and continue connecting with other shining stars, I'll share some things that I am doing to stay connected with my community and the benefits I’m experiencing as a result:

I continue to offer virtual one-on-one coaching and online training. I continue co-coaching with like minded successful coaches. A pandemic didn’t stop me from starting a virtual group group coaching platform with Career Coach Kathy. I’m also facilitating a book club, devoted to self-empowerment books that feeds my need for learning and sharing knowledge with others. Personally, a weekly zoom call with my family, spread out across the USA & Europe, is adding joy and other benefits for me and the entire family.

Benefits of maintaining your community and connections.

Number one, it helps cultivate rapport with loved ones and helps us create lasting and inspiring relationships. We need other people to remind us that we're all in this together. While we continue counting our blessings and making progress on our goals, shining stars succeed when they connect with others. Having like minded people around during good times and in challenging times, is essential. We help one another press on and encourage each other to make progress on goals while overcoming challenges.

Number two, spending time with people who support you, is very beneficial for your well-being and it helps you stay empowered when you face challenges - and this pandemic surely is a challenge on many fronts.

Number three, when you share time with other like minded people you learn new things,  celebrate your daily progress, and you are encouraged to set new goals for yourself and create more success in life.

Number four, staying connected from the inside out, helps you stay positive and, in turn, you’ll shine fully in all aspects of your life.

In addition to staying connected with loved ones and your community, here are some additional tips for self- care to help you make the most of your time and energy during the pandemic.

●        Eat healthy foods

●        Keep physically active

●        Try uplifting reading and reflection

●        Work mindfully

●        Take breaks during the day

●        Add a daily gratitude practice

There’s so much to be grateful for in our life. Let’s remember the wisdom from the above quote: A good life comes from having integrity, being curious, chasing inspiration, appreciating the beauty in the world, speaking truth and most of all, creating and maintaining loving relationships.

If you would enjoy chasing your inspiration and creating new connections, I invite you to enroll in the Shining Stars Connect Coaching Circle. You can improve your well-being and ensure momentum on creating a more successful life.

Career Coach Kathy Shabotynskyj’s Afterthoughts

Across the world, the corona virus is impacting each and every person. All daily activities are now different. School, work, birthdays, vacations, seeing friends and family, basically everything is forever impacted by the 2020 pandemic. As strong and mentally tough as I believe myself to be, my circumstances are challenging too, and I am doing more self-care and other endeavors to thrive, (and stay off the ledge.) Getting involved in the Coaching Circle is my new initiative, and without it, I would be super isolated and lonely.

 

Co-facilitating the Coaching Circle is a new weekly practice that inspires me, connects me and helps me focus on my “why” and it is bringing my dreams closer to reality. Speaking of dreams, I say it timidly but often, my dream is to become America’s Favorite Career Coach. My personal intention with the Coaching Circle is to focus on that one dream and work to make it happen. And my why is that no one should have a bad job, and everyone needs to know how to find a GOOD job. Coaching job seekers to find a GOOD job is my passion.

 

Forgive me for veering off our topic, Staying Connected and Maintaining Virtual Relationships. Nafije shares how collaboration and connection is empowering. What I’ve noticed in each week’s circle is the power released among the participants. I feel the collective charge; a group-energy that physically and emotionally is uplifting. Consider each participant in the circle as a battery cell with a full charge (empowered) and add them up in a series, that is a great deal of power.  This one hour of potent inspiration, motivation and connection is a great outlet for our well-being. The circle’s energy is truly powerful.

 

Two good pals of mine also joined the Circle and we’ve all found benefits. I will conclude this blog with a testimonial of the benefits of staying connected through the Coaching Circle from my friend and a Nurse Practitioner, Terri Pinder:

"Shining Stars' Coaching Circle is outstanding. I love the structure from the beginning

to the end. The most powerful part for me was the goal setting activity! In just 4 minutes I was able to define my goals for the week with such clarity. This circle is giving me more focused energy to tackle things that I have put on hold due to anxiety with everything that is going on due to Covid 19. Thank you for providing me with the tools, so I can now focus on just that one next thing I can do and I feel confident that I'm going to do all the things on my list in the next few hours!"

-Theresa Pinder, Health Coach and Owner, Intentionally Well (Palm City, FL)

For more Info about our Shining Stars Coaching Circle visit https://www.shiningstarsconnect.com/bookings-checkout/shining-stars-coaching-circle

For more Info about our book club request to join our private 4SLifeSuccess group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4SLifeSuccess

To Learn more about the authors:

Contact Nafije@ShiningStarsConnect.com to learn about her 4S Success to help you shine fully and become a leader in life.

Contact Kathy@MyCareerTeam.com to learn about improving your Job searching-Interviewing skills and get the job/career you want.