Why is a space so important for coaching?

The importance of a space

Guest blogger - Maria Newman, founder of Mummy on a Break, gives a deep dive on the importance of space. How it can influence us in so many ways from behavior, feelings, thoughts and communication.

Why is a space so important for coaching? 

 If I asked you to get comfortable so that you felt safe and ready to share your wildest dreams, what would that look like? What clothes would you wear? Which room would you sit in? Would you wrap yourself in a blanket? Would you light a candle? Would you make yourself a cup of tea? 

How about if you were getting ready for a coaching meeting? You’d still need to be comfortable but because it’s a coaching session would that change things? 

You see the space we’re in when we’re going through a formal or personal process, like coaching, is really important. Yet how many of us actually take the time to think about it? To create a space where we can feel safe enough to be open and to be 100% honest.  

We naturally default to a face to face meeting and that’s probably as much thought that goes into it. 

However, one of the great things I have learnt this year is to question the status quo. To ask why a lot more and to not be afraid to be different. 

You see the space we live in, the space we function in, is more important than we often think. It can influence us in so many ways and we don’t even know it. 

 It affects our mood. It affects our behaviour. It affects our thoughts. It affects our feelings. It affects our ability to communicate. 

 As a coach, I want my clients to get the most out of every meeting we have which means paying attention to everything that contributes to a coaching session. This includes your space. 

Let me tell you what I mean. 

Is face to face really best? 

Traditional coaching is usually done face to face, which is great because it’s easier to get a sense of what’s really going on if we’re in the same place. It’s easier to read body language, in person, which can be very telling as opposed to via a screen. But does that always encourage openness?  

As a client, how comfortable can you really be in someone else’s environment? 

Take a minute to think about it. When you go to someone else’s house, out of courtesy, you adhere to their rules, which you may not always be comfortable with. 

So what would make you feel more at ease? Maybe you’d actually like to lie down? Maybe you’d prefer to be wearing your onesie? Maybe you’d prefer to have bare feet. The question is, would you do it? 

Doesn’t it feel more comfortable to be in your own space? Surrounded by your own things. It feels safer to be at home. If you feel safe then are you more likely to be open? 

But where is best? 

Have you considered which room would be best? Would you feel more comfortable in your bedroom? A space that screams of comfort and where you’d surely automatically feel relaxed.  

Or, is that comfy chair in your lounge your preference. The one you enjoy curling up on whilst wrapping a blanket around you. 

It may not even be a room in your house. You may find comfort sitting on the bench in the garden. The one where you do all your thinking. The one where you feel most like you. 

How would it feel to be coached outdoors?

How about escaping? 

But then again, being in the home may give you a feeling of being claustrophobic. Being at home may have many reminders that actually distract you from being truly present during coaching. Finding true neutral ground may be what you are craving the most. 

Then why not go for a walk. We all know the benefits of the outdoors. The positive impact it has on our physical and mental wellbeing. How would it feel to be coached whilst outdoors?  

Space is so much more than what we think it is. It’s important because of the impact it has on us, and we don’t even know it. The space we choose can be the difference between us having a good experience versus a great experience. So next time you have to make a decision about which space is best consider how you want to feel and where is the best space for that to happen. 

Where do you feel most comfortable? 

Maria Newman

Founder of Mummy on a Break. Helping busy working mums with young children who struggle to get out of bed every morning to feel amazing and love life by having purpose, confidence and happiness through my 6 week 1:1 coaching 

Connect with Maria on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. For more content from Maria, read `Who’s really holding you back?’, watch 5 Tips to Help You With Self Care, or sign up for Maria’s free 30 minute online course How to Put Yourself in 5 Easy Steps.