Neuro Linguistic Programming and Life Coaching
October 01, 2018
There are moments in life when we wonder why we haven’t been able to achieve our true potential or can’t derive the very restraints that are bogging us down. This is true for even for people in leadership positions. However, there are certain special techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that can be implemented to understand our perceptions of ourselves and the world to polish them for the better.
The neurological process (neuro), language (linguistic) and patterns of behavior (programming) obtained through life experiences are inter-linked and this combination can be altered to achieve specific goals. ‘Neuro’ involves the accumulation of information with the help of our vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell; ‘Linguistic’ refers to the manner in which we understand the information by giving it structure through the use of language; and ‘Programming’ is our interpretation and perception of the world and how it affects our daily actions, choices, and behaviors.
NLP practitioners, therefore, break down the mental barriers we subconsciously build for ourselves through the power of language. This is the reason why it is viewed as one of the more useful approaches in modern psychology. It assists in developing stress management, feelings of empathy, communication skills, and resolving destructive relationship patterns. It fundamentally shapes our perceptions of the world that in turn adapts our behavior suited to the goals and dreams we want to achieve. NLP coaches furthermore would steer their clients away from the shores and outside their comfort zones in order to break their mental barriers. This allows them to be opportunists and develop a meaningful and satisfying life.
Life coaching and NLP
Feelings are communicated in different ways by different people, most of which are communicated subconsciously via volume, tone, facial expressions, body languages and choice of words. NLP practitioners go through extensive training to comprehend and recognize these obscure clues of the subconsciousness to understand clients’ feelings. They can decipher the restrictions that are self-imposed and then embark on the road to enlightenment.
Hopelessness, worthlessness, and helplessness are the three most common self-imposed and self-limiting beliefs. The encompassing web of constant negative thinking causes a person’s downfall, where these feelings continue to grow to feed on the negativity. Thoughts like, “I’m not good enough”, and “Others are far better than me” dampen the positivity out of any experiences and extinguish the fire of accomplishment.
NLP coaches, therefore, ask certain critical questions to derive the reason for these very beliefs.
- Why do you believe you do not deserve happiness or success?
- Why do you think you are unable to succeed?
- What are the things preventing you from fulfilling your dreams?
The answers to these queries help churn out feelings that are hidden deep within a person which is the cause of these limiting beliefs. An NLP coach would then start exploring and challenging the limitations that the person has set for himself/herself with the goal and hope to eradicate the client’s negative perspectives and outlook.
In conclusion
Life coaching has today become integral to the life of any individual, and more so for those troubled by their own negative feelings. They may have various suffocating thoughts affecting their life that they can’t get rid of. These methods are, in a way, support systems involving experienced coaches and modern psychology and can play a vital part in alleviating a person’s beliefs and in turn enhance their overall mental health.