I love my business coach Irina Benedict. She challenged me recently to connect the dots about how communication fits with mental health. Surely we all have our ideas about how the two are connected, but Irina asked me to put it simply. And, putting things simply is not one of my top skills 😊

It was a great exercise for me to refine my own thoughts on communication. Here is what I discovered:

1. We need to have a healthy relationship with ourself — and with others — to feel fulfilled in life.
2. We need effective communication tools to foster healthy relationships.
3. When we are communicating effectively, our relationships become more wholesome and satisfying. This often leads to a sense of confidence, self-esteem, connection, vitality and optimism. When we are not communicating effectively, our relationships may seem off-balance and unstable. This is often the catalyst to anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, physical health problems and stress.

I heard recently that 80% of GP doctor visits are stress-related, but only 3% of the visits include stress management guidance; AND 75% of GPs admit to feeling as though they do not have adequate training on how to support their patients with stress management tools.

It sounds like going to a GP for stress-related issues is like taking your car to a car wash to get the oil changed.

I had no clue my GP wasn’t the norm. She is wonderful and seems to give me great guidance every time I see her, but this is obviously not what most people are experiencing. If you’re among those  in need of stress management tools and you want to learn effective communication strategies to nurture your relationship with yourself and others, check out my upcoming course schedule below.

Happy Spring!

Amber McAuley