Kathyshawcoaching

"Choose to be optimistic. It feels better."
- 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘪 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘢

This month, the action for happiness theme is 'Optimistic October', which is all about actions to help you focus on what really matters 🧡

Kick off the month by writing down three things you can look forward to this month.

I'll start 👇

Warmer weather! We've had a few lovely spring days, and I cannot wait for more of them ☀️

Keep an eye on my posts and stories this month for ways you can have an Optimistic October.

𝗪𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 🧡

Before we begin something unfamiliar, our minds are incredibly good at imagining everything that could go wrong.

We convince ourselves we won't know what to do.

That we'll feel uncomfortable.

That we're not ready.

Yet time and time again, life shows us something different.

We learn.
We adjust.
We become more confident.
What once felt overwhelming gradually becomes normal.

Sometimes we simply need to take the first step, trust ourselves, and discover that we were capable all along 💚

👉 What's one small step you could take this week?

If you’re moving into Q4 exhausted, stretched thin, or feeling like you lost yourself somewhere along the way, you’re exactly who my free webinar is for 🧡

Join me for: High-Functioning Burnout: When you’re coping on the outside but exhausted on the inside.

Monday 28 September
12.00 - 1.00 pm NZT
Online on Zoom

We’ll cover:
🔸 The hallmark signs of high-functioning burnout
🔸 Why pushing through makes symptoms worse
🔸 How your nervous system reacts to prolonged stress
🔸 What genuine recovery looks like
🔸 The small sustainable steps that actually help

This session is ideal for:
🔸 Nurses
🔸 Teachers
🔸 Caregivers
🔸 Helpers
🔸 Leaders
🔸 Or anyone who gives more than they receive

To register, head to the events page - free to attend, you just need a complimentary ticket.

Kathy 💛

PS - If you've got friends, family or colleagues who would benefit, please feel free to forward this to them.

Confidence doesn't usually come before we act 💛

I was reminded of this while listening to Alison Mau speak at the Waikato Wahine Symposium last month.

She talked about how confidence is built through small acts of courage.

And I think this is something we often get backwards.

We tell ourselves we'll take the opportunity when we feel more confident 😊

We'll have the difficult conversation when we're ready.

We'll make the change when we know exactly what we're doing.

But my experience, both personally and through my coaching and supervision work, is that confidence often grows because we take action.

Whether you're stepping into a new leadership role, having a difficult conversation, changing careers, or navigating a major life transition, the fear before you begin can be far greater than the reality you experience 🧡

You don't need to feel completely ready.

Sometimes you simply need to take the first step and discover that you're more capable than you thought.

👉 What small act of courage could you take this week?

Burnout is quiet.
It creeps in slowly.
It hides behind competence.

And it often goes unnoticed until you’re running on empty 🫗

If this feels like you, I invite you to 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 - High-Functioning Burnout: When You're Coping on the Outside but EXHAUSTED on the Inside.

📅 Monday 28 September
⏰ 12.00 pm - 1.00 pm NZT
📍 Online

Supportive. Practical. Judgment-free.

I'll pop the link in the comments to get your free ticket 🧡

Kathy

PS - If you've got friends, family or colleagues who would benefit, please feel free to forward this to them.

When was the last time you were curious about your own life?

Travel has reminded me how naturally curious we become when everything around us is unfamiliar 🧡

We notice more.
We slow down.
We experience things rather than simply moving through them.

👉 But we don't need to travel halfway around the world to do this.

Curiosity encourages us to notice rather than judge, to observe rather than rush, and to appreciate what may have become hidden beneath the busyness of everyday life.

So here's my question for you ⬇️

What could you slow down and notice this week (or even tonight)?

Stepping away from work during my time in Vietnam has reminded me of something I often talk about with my coaching and supervision clients.

Creating distance doesn't mean we care less about our work 🧡

In fact, it can allow us to reconnect with why we chose it in the first place.

When we give ourselves permission to step outside our usual routines, our perspective changes.

Problems that once felt overwhelming can seem more manageable, new ideas begin to emerge naturally, and our energy slowly starts to return 😍

Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts that travel offers us - not simply a change of scenery, but a change of perspective.

And you don't necessarily need a plane ticket to find it.

Sometimes a walk, a quiet coffee, an afternoon away from your usual routine, or simply putting your phone down can create enough space to see things differently.

👉 What could you step away from this week, even for a little while?

📸 Sydney

One of the things I love about travel is how it naturally makes us pay attention 🧡

When everything is new, we notice the architecture, the sounds of the streets, the smells of the food and the small moments that might otherwise pass us by.

But back home, familiarity can cause us to stop noticing.

We eat while checking emails.
We listen to someone while already planning our response.
We walk while looking at our phones.
We finish one task and immediately think about the next.

Life becomes something we move through rather than something we fully experience.

Perhaps being present has very little to do with where we are and much more to do with 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

👉 This week, try leaving your phone in your pocket for ten minutes and simply notice the world around you.

You may discover that the world hasn't changed at all.

You've simply changed the way you're experiencing it.

📸 Photo from a previous trip to Japan.

A few more Vietnam pics to show you all what I’m up to. The food of course is a highlight and the sights we’ve seen so far after a week here.