The Teenage Mind
By Mairead Moriarty
My work as a Holistic Wellbeing Coach takes me to schools around Ireland. I receive a warm welcome from staff and students of boys, girls, and co-educational post-primary and primary schools.
As part of my work, I gather feedback data from students. In the post-primary sphere, I am always in awe of the maturity of students who truly want to be better human beings.
Conversely, there are recurring themes where young people find so much at fault within themselves. Everything from their physical bodies, their emotional reaction to life, even their lack of belief about their future. Some of this is part of being a teenage, for sure, but there's a deeper level of personal judgement that's prevalent today.
It's a combination of the unrealistic expectations and messages the world is pushing onto these evolving young people. Life is far more complicated now for teenagers than ever before.
The pressure some of these young students put themselves under, as they struggle to cope with life, makes me work even harder to give them that life-line that says:
"Accept where you are right now. Draw a line under the past. Choose one small positive step today that will improve your life experience. Add another small step tomorrow. Identify your best qualities that make you unique. Find the pathway that allows all those extraordinary qualities to shine. Build the life you want slowly and be patient with any setbacks. It's not a race but a journey and you've got this!"
My bespoke workshops focus on everything from Stressbusting to confidence-building to decision-making to relationships. The motivational talks are unique, relatable, fun, and engaging designed to capture the students' imaginations and minds.
I lead discussions and coach students as they:
Understand themselves better.
Identify where they have power in their lives.
Develop compassion for others.
Make quality decisions about the future.
Figure out what small actions they can take today to move them closer to a life of meaning and purpose.
In addition, as part of each workshop, I teach Meditation, allowing students to find peace and calm in their hectic lives. From boys and girls of 18 down to primary kids, meditation is one of the best-loved aspects of each workshop. It is a quiet moment when a student's mind and body become one. Students can fully connect with themselves without distraction while enjoying a deep 'conscious relaxation.' It's an invaluable tool for anyone to have going through life.
I always say I love my job and indeed I do. I get to work with these wonderful young people as they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. I believe that I give them encouragement, hope, and guidance that will help them find the right path, source the grit within to keep going, and maintain an open heart that allows them to connect fully and enjoy the journey.
Learning how to do life better is at the heart of ROOLA Wellbeing.
For school or individual one-on-one coaching, drop me a message: emailroola@gmail.com or call on 0868596409.