Let’s BE Real: When Healthy Coping Falls Short + Career Development Can’t

Written By Barbara Ellen Leicht

🌱 Because we all need some Real Talk 🌱

~ every now + again ~

Here to stay authentic with all of you! 

💗 It’s no surprise if you’ve followed along, that I am a trauma survivor turned thriver. Even if that weren’t the case … the below would be true for so many. Because, #life

I’m sharing behind-the-scenes about the 🌱 amazing weekend 🌱 my husband Dan Leicht and I had this past Saturday + Sunday. It truly was:

• ending work early on Friday

• picking-it-back-up for Career Development Saturday morning

• and Shop Local supporting in the afternoon (after a power nap)

• with a fun + comforting family dinner to follow

• before a surprise winery roadtrip ahead of the Super Bowl

~ so amazing 💗 but wait for it ~

✨ Pssst …

I had a • very • tough time Friday!!! (Understatement.) Instead of a Friyay, it was a Fri-noway. What went down??

• overwhelm

• trauma triggers

• emotional drain + physical pain and fatigue

• too many decisions + things going wrong

• some tricky miscommunications

Cue: no amount of healthy coping to alleviate … with a busy career development filled Saturday ahead. And isn’t that so hard??

✨ Especially when our healthy coping doesn’t seem to be enough …

I’ve career coached on this many times. Part of my Mindset Career Coach practice is to help individuals unearth • a lot • of healthy coping mechanisms. 

✨ Alongside that is understanding sometimes, they fall short. What do I recommend when this happens??

• listen to you

• respect what your mind + body tell you

• use an emergency action plan as needed

• know this is telling you to make a change and/or it’s helping you build additional healthy coping strategies

• rest and/or cry

Friday after 2pm hurt. 

💗 And the recovery was imperfect

But I’m v grateful for at least 5 things:

1. Listening to me

2. Learning to create space + rest

3. Communicating needs to my husband 

4. His empathetic + nurturing support 

5. Resiliency in recovery 

I got through better than in the past and …

💗 We did create an exceptional weekend. This picture is actually from 2 weekends ago! But you can view last weekend pics here + here.

~ progress ✨ is possible ~

🌱 TLDR: it’s okay to struggle + I wish you excellent healthy coping too 🌱

Barbara Ellen Leicht

Mindset Career Coach Barbara Ellen Leicht, MSEd (she/her) has 10+ years’ expertise as a Career Advisor + Coach, Facilitator, and Program Manager. She is a successful career pivoter herself, who transforms invisible disabilities into superpowers and empowers diverse professionals within various industries. Barbara specializes in: career pivots + career development as well as corporate trainings + small business growth. With her MS in Inclusive Adolescent Education (MSEd) from Nazareth University and studies at NYU and Teachers College Columbia University, Barbara leverages a very unique, person-centered, strengths-based, inclusive approach. She works with individuals + businesses by customizing strategies to career goals, values, learning, and communication styles.

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