5 Free Coaching Exercises to Help Your Clients Relax & Recharge This Summer!

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Summer is a time for relaxing and recharging our batteries. But whether it's a "staycation", a trip to the family cabin on the lake or a trip somewhere exotic our clients often find it difficult to make this transition. And sometimes people put so many expectations on the "holidays" that they end up disappointed.

Over the summer, most (non-tourism based!) businesses move to a slower pace. We go on vacations, take longer lunches, enjoy longer evenings, long weekends and lazy Sundays—and these all give people an opportunity to slow down, reflect and enjoy life a little more.

In fact, did you know that National Relaxation Day falls on the 15th August each year? I like that!

Now, while people are in this slower space it's a great time to not only recharge their batteries—but also to help them reflect on their needs, how they take care of themselves and explore life balance. And this is a great way to help you stay connected to your existing clients and also reach out to potential new clients through a newsletter or social media posts.

So, how will you help your clients—and potential clients—relax and recharge their batteries? How will you help them have their best summer ever? Use these free coaching tools in session with clients, as homework and with prospective clients too!

Here are 5 FREE Coaching Exercises to Help Clients Relax

1) Free Wheel of Life Template

Here are a few ideas:

Ask your clients to score their CURRENT satisfaction levels with each area. Then, for each segment:
- Ask your clients to score what they would LIKE those scores to be for the (rest of their) summer holidays.
  OR
- Ask them to describe how they would like each area to look like as they head back-to-work and school in September.
Ask your clients to score how RELAXED and at ease they feel in each area of their life.

And then:

Coach your clients around the results (there are questions you can ask on page 2 of this tool).
Finally, ask them to choose ONE area to focus on, and identify ONE action to get started.

For more ideas and everything else you might need to know about this powerful coaching tool read: The Complete Guide to The Wheel of Life!

Best Summer Ever Coaching Worksheet — Click for the Best Summer Ever Coaching Exercise

2) Seasonal Free "10 Things For Your Best Summer Ever" Worksheet

Get your clients to make a list of what would make this their best summer ever. If rest and relaxation is important to your client, you could remind them that sometimes not doing things can be a great way to find calm.

Then ask them to pick 1-3 actions to move them forwards.

It sounds simple—but it's powerful too!

3) Free Effects of STRESS & Warning Signs! Mini-Poster

Ask your client how many of the stress "warning signs" or symptoms they are currently experiencing.

Then ask them questions like:

How they would LIKE to feel over the holidays/summer?
How could they use the season to slow down?
What could they do differently?
What ideas do they have for what they could do differently once they return to work in September?
Lastly, if there was just ONE thing that needed to change, what would it be?

Free Blank Wheel Coaching Tool with 8 Colourful segments as a Coaching Exercise — Blank Wheel

4) Our Free Blank Coaching Wheel

Simply ask your clients to label each of the 8 areas with something that would 'recharge their batteries' this summer.

Then ask them to identify an action for each one—or an action for the 3 areas they're most excited about.

For more ideas check out our Tools Clinic Video on How to use the Coaching Wheel.

Identify Tolerations Free Coaching Exercise

5) Our Free "Tolerations" Clear Your Mind Coaching Exercise!

This exercise asks your clients to list out what they're tolerating in their lives. These "Tolerations" drain us of energy and can sometimes suck the life right out of us.

Step one is to identify these tolerations (and often just identifying them is enough to get things moving).

Next, help your clients create a plan—and take action on some of these things, freeing up energy for a clean slate in the fall!

Ideas include working on:

One toleration a week
Their top 3 tolerations to get cleared up before the summer ends
Picking the one toleration that would have the biggest positive impact and work on that

Love Coaching Tools & Exercises? Learn more about what coaching tools are, when to use them and how they can help in our Complete Guide to Coaching Tools here >>

If you liked this article with free coaching exercises to relax and recharge over the summer, you may also like:

Your Summer Relaxation Quotes Challenge!
Our Balance & Self-Care Toolkit! With more great coaching exercises for both you and your clients.
Easy 3 Step Calming Meditation for You (and to use with your clients!)

Contributing Author:

Emma-Louise Elsey has been coaching since 2003 and is the Founder of The Coaching Tools Company and Fierce Kindness.com. She's passionate about coaching and personal development. Originally a project and relationship manager for Fortune 500 companies she combined her love of coaching, creativity and systems to create over 100 brandable coaching tools, forms and exercises including 30+ completely free coaching tools. She now serves coaches and the coaching world through her exclusive newsletter for coaches, Coaches Helping Coaches Facebook Group and many other great tools for coaches, plus resources and ideas for your coaching toolbox. The Coaching Tools Company is an official ICF Business Solutions Partner.

Learn more about Emma-Louise & see all their articles here >>

Categories: Balance & Self-Care, Coaching Exercises, Coaching Ideas & Inspiration, Coaching Tools for Workshops, Homework Ideas

2 Comments

Darlene May 26, 2018

Could these also be used to offer summer workshops? Any suggestions on how to set up and run summer workshops would be most helpful.

- Emma-Louise May 28, 2018
  
  Hi Darlene,
  Thank-you for your comment. So, to answer your question:
  * The Wheel of Life could certainly be used in a workshop - https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/how-to-run-a-workshop-using-the-wheel-of-life-in-under-an-hour/ You could help them have a summer goal to have their lives more in balance.
  * The 10 Things for your Best Summer Ever - actually came out of a workshop I ran on stress and life balance - and was part of the workshop wrap-up. I believe the Wheel of Life was central to that workshop.
  * The Tolerations Exercise could be part of the workshop - what are you tolerating in life? What will you do about it?
  * The Energy Zappers Exercise could also be a good fit in this workshop: https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/products/my-energy-zappers/
  * And What Makes My Heart Sing for a positive uplift - and something to make room for in life: https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/products/what-makes-my-heart-sing/
  * The Stress Poster is a good talking point - you can ask attendees which signs they experience. What they could do differently.
  
  In terms of setting up and running a workshop - you might find the first article about using the Wheel of Life in a workshop helpful. You could just build that out.
  
  I hope that helps/gives you some ideas 🙂 Warmly, Emma-Louise

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