Nat McDonald Coaching, Dublin (2025)

08/02/2022

9 years of school rugby came to an end today as CBC bowed out of the Vinnie Murray cup 😢 The lads have been playing for their school since 2003. Only Mattie played this year, it’s a tough sport, a huge amount of training and conditioning required on top of the leaving certificate studies. Not for the faint-hearted … players, or mums watching on 🙈

We are proud of you lads ❤️

17/01/2022

💙 ??!

A long way from feeling like the most depressing day of the year when you are surrounded by and perfect

We’ve been blessed with gorgeous weather today but even if you haven’t …. get outside. Everything feels better when you add fresh air 🌞🌊💨🚶‍♀️💙

03/01/2022

Back at the beginning of December there was an article published on the RTE Lifestyle section titled “The subtle power of swapping resolutions for intentions”.

I thought it was interesting at the time as it was highlighting the subtle difference in mindset between resolutions and intentions or permissions.

“Taking care of ourselves and honouring our needs doesn’t have to be a success vs failure scenario. It can just be something we give ourselves permission to do – and keep doing, even if we have a bad week or life gets in the way sometimes. Setting intentions without the pressure of all-or-nothing targets, allows us to gently adjust the goalposts when we need to.”

Fast-forward five weeks and things definitely did not play out the way we thought they would over Christmas in our house (a few cases of Covid including me, thankfully mild) and I know many others in the same boat. So when I saw this article again today it particularly resonated!

“I am all for a ‘gentle January’ – all about harnessing the impulse for change while respecting that there isn’t a natural resurgence of energy until spring," says psychologist and health coach ”

She suggests the following reflections for new year, or any time, which I think are great… definitely gentle, encouraging us to think about our active health care

1. What nourishes you? Think along the lines of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, use this to form your own self-care toolkit.
2. What have you been putting off? Plan one micro-step that takes you closer to seeing this through to fruition.
3. Are there any pastimes or joyful activities that you have let slip? What would you like to return to?
4. What healthy habits have you forgotten about? Jot down any that you’d like to reclaim.
5. What is your bodymind [a term used to describe the linked body and mind] crying out for? Take nourishing action and see the dividends ripple out beyond you.

… and finishing with this super mantra:

“I lovingly tend to my energy bank - safe in the knowledge that everyone wins.”

Happy New Year ❤️

10/12/2021

“But one day she asked what was best for herself,
Instead of trying to please everyone else,
So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees…”

Not sure who to credit this gorgeous image and poem to - swipe to read the beautiful words in full - but it’s resonating.

Where do you go to make some time for yourself?

(Originally appeared on my Facebook feed posted by a lady named Alice Kwiatkowski.)

23/11/2021

The wonderful sound of the sea… a quick video taken by my husband at 4pm today on Cappagh Beach, Co. Kerry.

What is it about getting out into nature that makes us feel so good? Sure the evenings are getting shorter, but here’s a quick reminder about why it’s so beneficial to get outside every day:

“Exposure to nature has many benefits, including better sleep, reduced inflammation, improved immune function, and, key among them, a better state of mental well-being, including stress reduction, the ability to stay focused, and the experience of awe.

There are physical benefits as well, including exposure to cleaner air and beneficial secondary plant compounds (phytoncides) and health-building microbes, and natural production of vitamin D, an important component of a healthy immune system.

We know that the healing impact of a nature experience does not require a trip to wilderness or complete immersion in nature. In fact, any place that helps you feel connected to nature will do. The sense of connection with nature can be passive or active. A passive experience is subconscious. It is one of soft fascination, the kind of thing that happens when the mind wanders and you notice the air on your skin, birds calling, and the shape of trees against the sky. An active experience is a conscious interface with some aspect of nature. For example, an “oh, wow” moment when looking at something beautiful, or becoming observant, engaged with the workings of nature—like the way buds open or pollinators interact with a flower.” (Source: futurity.org)

18/11/2021

Here’s an interesting book you might consider for Christmas.

“In Fact - An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland at 100” by .ie

My husband bought it with the lads in mind because after the last 2 years of doom and gloom every time you tune into the media it’s easy to start feeling that we’re all f #%!*d!!

Using some simple and effective visual data presentation techniques this book goes through 14 areas related to our quality of life and well-being and shows factually how far Ireland has come in the past 100 years.

Asides from all the facts, one thing that I found interesting is that author, who trained as a psychologist, also takes time to address our in inbuilt bias to pay attention to more negative things rather than positive news. Leading us to believe that things are generally getting worse rather than the reality.

Not that it’s all sunshine and roses … there is also chapters entitled ‘Room to Improve” to keep things balanced and “Continuing Our Progress” to highlight why we as a nation we should stop doubting ourselves or putting ourselves down.

“While there is still more to be done, In Fact illustrates that Ireland, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than you might think.”

11/11/2021

I haven’t been posting here as often as I was a few months ago.

It’s not that I developed a sudden dislike for IG and it’s ever changing algorithms (although I’m 100% sure there are more effective ways to market my business - .shilling has a lot to offer on that topic at the moment if it strikes a cord)

It’s actually something much more positive … an idea of where I’d like to focus the business next … I first had the idea a year ago, sidelined it for various reasons, but just lately it’s really been capturing my attention again. So I’ve been off exploring that and as a result posting less often.

It’s interesting how ideas develop isn’t it? I see it in discussions with clients and now with myself. I get that some people are just hugely drawn to an idea, a vision, a goal - and have clarity right from the get go - but often it’s not like that.

I just read an old Psychology Today article suggesting there are 5 or 6 stages, and that the lightbulb moment often doesn’t come til near the end…

1. You identify that an opportunity for an idea exists.

2. You turn the idea over and over in your head, trying out different possibilities and doing research to try to expand on them. This stage relies a lot on what’s worked for you in the past.

3. Frustration! You wrestle with the idea for days or weeks before you finally get exasperated with it and push it onto the back burner of your mind. (I definitely did this a year ago!)

4. You move into an incubation stage -
you’re not consciously working on the idea, but your unconscious is, trying out different associations or idea combinations. Your unconscious deems most of these combinations useless, but once in a while it will happen on something promising.

5. Illumination!💡💡💡- the unconscious happens upon something good, it pushes the idea out to the conscious mind.

6. Verification - Once you get the idea, it’s still just a seed—it needs to be evaluated, developed, and refined…which may again push you back to the earlier stages.

As for my little idea that started me down this rabbit hole … I think it’s at stage 6… but you’ll just have to wait and see! 😆🥰

02/11/2021

🙄I’m too old/too young to try that
🙄I don’t have enough time
🙄I can’t make enough money doing what I love
🙄I’m not smart enough, or I don’t know enough

etc etc etc 🤯

These types of “limiting beliefs” are totally normal & may be THE MOST COMMON THINGS that hold us back from achieving what we’re capable of.

Can they be fully overcome? With difficulty, as beliefs often have deep, emotional roots. But as coach I have seen how a process that raises awareness of limiting beliefs and widens your perspective can be really effective in loosening the grip these beliefs have on us.

The process goes like this:

1. Identify limiting beliefs

The first step to managing your limiting beliefs is in identifying what they are. Keep in mind that they might not be at all obvious. Journalling or talking with others can help.

2. Challenge your own beliefs. Once identified, raise questions like . Is this belief really true? . What are the supporting facts? . Did I always think this way? If not, what has changed? • What would it be like to think the opposites to my belief? • How would I think about this belief if I were someone else (your best friend, an entrepreneur, a doctor etc.)?

3. Recognise the potentially damaging consequences of continuing to hold the belief. What is this belief preventing?

4. Choose something new to believe in. Sounds obvious but this doesn’t necessarily need to be the opposite of your limiting belief, rather something fact-based and more positive that you can refocus on. For example, “My experience and contacts will be a real advantage in starting xyz…” as compared to “I’m too old to start xyz…”

5. Take action and start implementing things that support your new belief. This bit is critical! So from the example above you might take a first step of reaching out to a few contacts and then build from there.

You can try this process yourself. If you work with a coach (like me!) you’ll almost certainly be touching on it in some shape or form. It’s definitely an area where an impartial, outside perspective can be extremely helpful ❤️

DM me to learn more - I have 8 free discovery slots available this month.

30/10/2021

Words matter. What words form part of your story?

Words like “I can’t …” or “I should/shouldn’t …” or “I’m always…” are often indicators of our BELIEFS. A lot of the time we are not even aware of these beliefs, yet they impact how we think, make decisions and behave in really significant ways.

Many beliefs evolve over time as a form of self protection, and may trace right back to our childhood, heavily influenced by our family. They are also shaped by our experiences, by our social circle and by society as a whole.

Beliefs can be helpful but they can also prove to very unhelpful when we look to make changes in our lives. They are often what keeps us stuck in our comfort zone.

My biggie at the moment - “I need to know more before I start”. I’m thinking about evolving my coaching work into a new area which I believe has a lot of potential… and straight away four or five unhelpful beliefs have surfaced before I’ve done anything 🤦‍♀️🙇‍♀️🤷‍♀️

So knowing about the concept of “limiting beliefs” definitely doesn’t stop you having them!

Better news - we can all learn techniques that allow to be more aware of & skeptical about our beliefs. I’ll highlight some of these through the week.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend ❤️

27/10/2021

Last week when posted this I literally

Hats off to any ladies over 35 that can get out of the house without a 20 minute search for at least one of these items.

Prolonged by the fact that you forget what you’re looking for at about the 10 minute mark 🤪😆🥰❤️

22/10/2021

Earlier this week, as part of the Laya “Let’s Talk Mental Health in the Workplace 2021” conference, I enjoyed listening to Loretta Dignam, founder of The Menopause Hub , in conversation with Tracy Murphy, a senior director at Kellogg. The discussion centered on the impact of menopause in the workplace and need for openness towards hormonal health. Both women generously shared their stories, and it was inspiring to hear about the types of initiatives underway in this area in Kellogg and many other organisations.

When you consider the findings of a 2021 employee survey undertaken by the Menopause Hub you can see how important this whole topic is to business:

❗️77% women surveyed had / have moderate to severe menopause symptoms.
❗️Of these women reporting symptoms, 22% have missed 3+ days from work ‘due to their symptoms’ with 85% not feeling they could tell their employer the real reason for time off work.
❗️So impactful were their symptoms that 43% have considered giving up work because of their symptoms with 97% saying there should be menopause training for Management / HR and a workplace policy in place.

The session I was in was focused on strategies relevant to the HR Community, but as the discussion unfolded Loretta shared that there is a high percentage of women who remain unaware of how peri-menopause (typically experienced between 40 & early 50s) and menopause may impact our lives.

One of the challenges is that the experience can be so different for each woman. Yes we’re generally all aware of the dreaded hot flushes, but there’s a myriad of other potential impacts beyond the physical symptoms, such as “brain fog”, memory loss, anxiety, loss of confidence and depression.

All the more reason to reach out to your GP or specialists clinics if you notice a real change in how you’re feeling. These hormone-related impacts can last years - even decades - so not something to take lightly. As on all areas related to our health, awareness & education is key . The symptom checklist I snapped in this post can be downloaded from The Menopause Hub website (www.themenopausehub.ie)

12/10/2021

“If it matters, you will make the time.”

Is there something you should make time for tomorrow?

01/10/2021

Work - family - parents - EVERYTHING … it’s unusual to find working mums who don’t feel overwhelmed, stressed out and very tired from time to time. Or, a lot of the time.

Overwhelm can be triggered by many different factors: a lot going on, trying to do too much, thinking we should be doing more, comparing ourselves to others, neglecting our own physical & mental well-being, not giving ourselves a chance to recharge, feeling isolated, absorbing a lot of negativity & anxiety from our surroundings, and going through major changes.

As a coach, here’s a few questions I might pose if we were working together to help overcome overwhelm.

🤷What one or two things, if taken off your plate, would have most impact on the level of stress you’re feeling?

This one helps you pinpoint the main sources of overwhelm. Catch yourself if you turn to “well I CAN’T take XYZ off my plate” thinking. There’s always things to explore, I promise.

🤷What’s the best, most valuable use of your time?

This one gets you thinking about priorities, and what you can delegate, outsource or eliminate.

🤷Are you making things bigger or more complicated than they need to be?

A really good one to consider for the perfectionists amongst us. When does “good” become “good enough”?

🤷What do I think will happen if I drop the ball/miss something/am not here for others?

Challenge your beliefs &/assumptions -they may well be the root of what’s keeping you stuck in overwhelm.

These can be effective as self-coaching questions too, bearing in mind that change requires you to commit to action too. So - the final question should always be “What’s the one (small) step I will take now based on these insights?”.

I’ve expanded on these questions & ideas in my latest blog on overwhelm. If you’ve “so much to do and do little time” take a look- the link is in my bio AND it only takes 5 minutes to read! Small changes lead to big changes … ❤️

25/09/2021

My gorgeous purple-blue hydrangea is now a beautiful deep red. Loving the change into Autumn 🍂

21/09/2021

Always choose to focus on what is in your control ❤️

07/09/2021

Things take time. ❤️

(BTW it’s apple season here in Ireland. Apparently they’ve been grown here for at least 3000 years! It can take up to 10 years for apple trees to produce good crops, so enjoy them in their prime 🍎🍎🍎)

01/09/2021

1st September. How did that sneak up so fast?

Last Friday there was an interesting article in the RTE Lifestyle section on the idea of a September reboot… using back-to-school changes to tigger our own revamp of healthy (or not so healthy) habits … sleep, exercise, fresh air etc.

Nothing too startling there but what I thought was valuable was the emphasis on recognising this is still an unusual and really challenging time. The article was highlighting that it can be just as - if not more - useful to move forward steadily with self care rather than attempting a major reboot, which I fully agree with.

Other useful tips from the article that you might consider this month:

❤️ Conduct an inventory of your mindset, limiting beliefs and destructive habits. A lot of us have fallen into the habit of expecting or fearing the worst.

❤️ Be particularly on the lookout for the “shoulds” - make sure any changes you are considering really feels right for you, and aren’t just what you think you ‘should’ be doing.

❤️ Pay attention to your external environment. Especially your sleep and work environments - calm, uncluttered environments have a huge positive impact on our state of mind. This is an interesting one, it seems so “trivial” and yet it’s not. I was working with a lady just before summer who had become completely overwhelmed with her home (and now work) environment. It was amazing the difference some relatively minor changes to her environment made to how she was feeling. I feel this one strongly too this time every year, I suddenly become allergic to clutter and try to do something about it while I have the energy.

❤️ Movement and fresh air are key but do the things that work for you, not others. OK so, no running for me 😉

I’m back taking on new 1-1 coaching clients this month, I work mainly with mums that are juggling careers and the everything else that makes up our busy lives. If September feels like a good time to step back and take stock of what’s working for you I can help!

Feel free to message me or you can book a free call directly through my website - link in bio.

26/08/2021

While we were away our garden turned into a jungle… we have masses of mint, about a metre high.

Mint smoothie for lunch (delicious!)
🍃1 cup (240 ml) coconut water
🍃4½ cup (100 g) fresh spinach, loosely packed
🍃A bunch of mint leaves
🍃4 slices (400 g) pineapple, peeled
🍃1½ cup (200 g) frozen mango chunks (didn’t have any so went for frozen banana instead)
🍃1 scoop protein powder

Any other good suggestions for using mint?

Nat McDonald Coaching