My frustration journal

Purpose

The purpose of this activity is to record negative thinking patterns so that the coachee can analyse why he or she has felt negative at certain times. This then provides the information required for the coachee to turn the negative thinking around.

Resources

This will take approximately 15 “30 minutes. You will need pens and paper.

Notes to the coach

This is a good exercise for the coachee to do during the coaching programme and specifically as he or she tries to implement the action plan. It is fundamentally a reflection tool that helps the coachee recognize negative thinking patterns and identify where these patterns are coming from and the impact they have upon his or her feelings.

Instructions

Ask the coachee to sit quietly next time he or she feels depressed or angry and to let the mind wander. Once relaxed or calmed down, the coachee needs to ask him- or herself ˜Why am I so angry? , ˜What is really going on? . The coachee needs to mentally review what is frustrating him or her and to identify whether it is fear, insecurity, regret , guilt or another emotion.

Ask the coachee to keep a journal of negative feelings, including recording the analysis of what led to the coachee feeling the way he or she did. When you review this within the coaching session, look at patterns or underlying messages that are affecting the coachee s behaviour or attitude to his or her work. Discuss how these can be altered or controlled.