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Break through the performance and wellbeing barrier through mindful coaching

Following Kate Mathers’ previous blog on ‘Mindfulness at the heart of coaching’, she now explores how mindfulness and coaching can increase performance and wellbeing in organisations.

“The Australian workforce is overwhelmed by high stress levels…
65% of employees report ‘moderate to high stress levels’
41% of employees have psychological distress levels considered to be ‘at risk’”
(University of Wollongong in partnership with WHAA: Workplace Health Association Australia, 2015).

Wellbeing is increasingly becoming a business imperative as auditors review various risks to their employees and ascertain that the employee’s mental health and wellbeing provides the greatest risk to their business. There are sobering statistics on workplace stress levels worldwide, and Australia is no different. From the above statistics alone, it is clear to see why our coaches’ coaching clients increasingly present as highly stressed individuals.

SO HOW DOES MINDFULNESS TRAINING HELP?

At IECL, we believe that any training that increases our coaches’ self-awareness, and ability to coach for self-awareness, will enhance their coaching for wellbeing and performance. The same is true of any training that improves self-regulation of emotional behaviour and increases resilience. Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) fulfils both of these criteria. Indeed, mindfulness training is one of the most effective trainings worldwide for increasing levels of emotional intelligence.

As well as an awareness of the neuroscience behind stress and emotional self-regulation, and the significance of ‘approach’ behaviour towards the unpleasant, the concepts of self-compassion and self-kindness are also taught and explored in MBSR. At IECL we see it as ideal if a coach has a personal understanding and practice of this material in order to coach others in ways that will enhance their own personal wellbeing.

The subjects of inter-personal mindfulness and compassion are also introduced and explored in the latter weeks of the MBSR program. Compassion and interpersonal mindfulness help to build trust and intimacy with the client, so that the client can open up about what’s really important to them. Liz Hall, in her book Mindful Coaching, reports how Boyatzis and colleagues (2010) carried out research into how coaching counterparts react to ‘compassionate’ and ‘critical’ coaching approaches and the results showed that when coaches use a compassionate approach to explore clients’…‘desired positive visions’, the clients were more likely to learn and make behavioural changes. The study also revealed that in the brains of those coached by compassionate coaches, a week or so later the parts of their brain associated with visioning, a critical process for motivating learning and behavioural change, were ‘lit up’ or activated.

IECL’s Coaching Effectiveness Survey data shows that ‘increased wellbeing’ is the third most important and common benefit that counterparts receive from IECL coaching. From our recent coach Alumni conversations where we started an online discussion on ‘Wellbeing as a core element in IECL coaching’ our coaches have been sharing strategies to foster wellbeing for counterparts and their own personal mindfulness practice has been one of the items most often shared. There is an understanding that they need to walk their talk and be trained and educated in wellbeing strategies and both mindfulness and mindful self-compassion are evidence-based in this regard.

Does this ring true for you and your practice?

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News

How To Decide How Much Home Insurance Cover You Need?

The last decade has witnessed quite a few natural disasters causing harm to not just human life, but also property. With an increase in these unpredictable natural disasters, the monetary value of such events is said to exceed billions of dollars. As reported by PolicyBazaar, a World Bank estimate suggests nearly one-third of India’s districts are hazard prone. Further, the National Disaster Management Authority of India reports that 60% of the land in India is prone to earthquakes and 8% to cyclones. Despite such high risk figures, home insurance is still an undervalued general insurance product.

But if you are covered by a home insurance plan, you can safeguard yourself against financial losses due to natural calamities as well as accidents that result in damage to your home.

A home insurance policy generally covers two basic features—coverage for structure and coverage for contents. As the name suggests, structure cover compensates for the repairs that are required for the construction of your home. On the other hand, the content cover compensates for the cost of the contents that are damaged. These contents include appliances, jewelry, and even artefacts that are declared at the time of purchase.

Now that you know what is covered by a home insurance plan, how do you decide on the quantum of insurance cover? This article aims to tackle this burning question helping you opt for sufficient insurance cover.

  • Cost of rebuilding the house

The first thing to keep in mind when deciding upon the quantum of home insurance coverage is the cost of reconstruction. It can be arrived at by determining at what amount you would sell your home. There are several other factors that are at play in this process, some of which are: the built-up area of the house, construction cost, cost of materials used, style of home, number of rooms, etc. *

  • Cost of personal assets

Most home insurance plans include personal asset coverage in their policy scope. However, there is a cap on the amount of coverage that is available. This is generally in the range of 50% to 70%. Thus, when determining the sum assured, you need to list down the different assets that need to be included as a part of your home insurance policy. This way you can avail sufficient insurance cover for not just the structure of your home, but also the contents within it. Further, there are policies that compensate either the actual cash value of these damaged goods or provide a replacement cost. Depending on the type of policy, the home insurance quotes differ. *

  • Cost of alternate accommodation

Another handy feature in a home insurance cover is the facility for alternate accommodation. Such an alternate accommodation cover provides compensation till your damaged home is repaired, thereby eliminating financial worry for the cost of staying at a different location meanwhile. When shortlisting a home insurance plan, it is essential to keep this coverage in mind as it will help avoid any financial hiccups in case of an unfortunate accident. *

  • Liability coverage

A home insurance plan not only covers the damages to your own house, but also the liability that may become payable to a third person for damages. A fire at your home damaging the property of your neighbor is an example where liability coverage comes in handy. Hence, it must also form a part of your policy scope and be considered when determining the scope of your policy. *

* Standard T&C Apply 

With these different features of a home insurance plan, you can decide on how much coverage your policy must provide for and accordingly buy one. Moreover, at the time of purchasing the plan you can compute the premium with the help of a nifty tool called the home insurance calculator and choose the plan that suits your budget. Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.

 

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News

How Does It Benefit by Opting for Easy Instalments on Your Health Insurance Premium?

We live in a time of uncertainties where it has become more important than ever to take care of our health. It has equally become more important to have health insurance, so you are not financially burdened in case of a sudden medical crisis. Like with any other insurance, you need to pay premiums to get your health insurance covered.

For most people, paying a health insurance premium annually can be difficult, as the insurer deducts an enormous sum from their account at once. The availability of health insurance premiums on EMIs avoids the stress of paying hefty premiums. Here you pay a pre-decided amount every month towards your medical policy.

Benefits of purchasing your health insurance on EMIs

The primary aim of making the EMI option available towards health insurance is to make it more affordable and easier to access for all. Here are some benefits of health insurance that you from choosing monthly instalments –

  • Ability to choose a higher premium amount

When you are paying your insurance premium annually, there is a limit in funds that you can pay at once. With the option of an EMI, this is made flexible as paying monthly a fractional amount is easier for most buyers. When you purchase a health cover, you can use a health insurance premium calculator to get an estimate of the premium amount you need to pay to avail your desired coverage. If you cannot afford your desired coverage as annually the premium amount seems too much to pay at once, you can simply pay in monthly instalments. Paying premiums every month is much easier in the pockets of most people than paying a hefty amount of lump sum. *

  • Increase in health-related issues

Today’s generation is living the most convenient life than ever before, leading to unhealthy lifestyle problems, and eating habits. These have directly affected people’s health conditions and led to an increase in critical illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure, and even some forms of cancer. When you are paying your EMIs of health insurance regularly, if you are ever diagnosed with any lifestyle-related conditions, your insurance will cover the hospitalisation expenses. *

  • Enables easy health cover for dependents

If you are the breadwinner of your family, cover the health of yourself as well as your family members, as health issues can place a financial burden. However, paying an annual premium for yourself along with your dependents can lead to a sudden deduction of huge funds from your account. Easy instalments you can buy health insurance and secure your and the health of your loved ones with ease.  *

  • Convenient to buy health insurance at an older age

While one can be diagnosed with a health condition anytime, chances are the more you age, the more your health is likely to deteriorate. Hence, the premiums of health insurance increase as you get older. It may be difficult for some people to pay such a huge premium for themselves or their family members. To ensure that people do not compromise on their health insurance, monthly instalments make it easier to buy and keep the health policies of older people. *

* Standard T&C Apply

Insurance is the subject of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.

 

 

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BusinessNews

5 Compelling Reasons Why Your Business Needs SEO

As many consumers shift online, even traditional businesses now realize the benefits of incorporating SEO as part of their marketing campaigns. If you haven’t incorporated it, you are missing out on the many benefits it offers to businesses, which could be why your competitors are always ahead of you. Below are some of the reasons your business needs SEO.

It Enhances Visibility and Ranking

Sometimes, a business website is what a potential customer comes into contact with. That means it has great potential for generating leads and sales.

Many people turn to the google search bar whenever they are looking for something. If you don’t have a website or its ranking in the last pages where no one is likely to go, you will lose. When you take your SEO campaign seriously, your site will rank high, and potential customers will identify your site and want to do business with you.

It Builds Trust and Credibility

Trust and credibility are very crucial for the success of any business. When you incorporate proper SEO practices, your site will rank higher. Consumers believe that search results appearing on the first pages are credible and are more likely to do business with you.

It Is a Long-Term Strategy

SEO will benefit your business for years to come. It is not a marketing strategy that will be of use for some time and then lose relevance. That means the effort you make today will pay off for several days to come. However, it’s good to understand that SEO is ever-evolving, and you’ll need to make updates regularly to keep up with the trends. However, keeping up with the updates can be overwhelming, especially when you are not very good at SEO. Luckily, you can hire a Dallas SEO company to take care of all your SEO needs.

It Creates a Good User Experience

Every SEO marketer wants better visibility and ranking of their site. This cannot be possible without a good user experience since search engines reward sites that provide a better user experience and may penalize those that don’t. A good user experience will not only help your site to rank higher but will also increase your conversion rates. It does this by encouraging consumers to remain on your site longer, get the information they need, and even go ahead to make purchases. Consumers get frustrated with sites with poor user experience and leave them very quickly.

It Helps You Understand the Consumer

Understanding the needs of your consumers greatly helps in decision-making, such as which options to push. It also helps you overcome assumptions that are not real but your own prejudices. Using SEO is one of the surest ways to understand your consumers’ intent and needs. It helps you understand your customers through several ways, such as search query data, analytics data, and SERP analysis.

SEO is one of the most viable and effective marketing campaigns every business should embrace. From enhancing visibility and ranking to building trust and credibility, the benefits of SEO cannot be ignored. Some of these benefits cannot be provided by other marketing campaigns.

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News

Top 10 Benefits Of Green Buildings In India

The construction industry has grown by leaps and bounds during recent times, in ways both good and bad. This rapid evolution of the construction sector has seen a simultaneous increase in environmental concerns, necessitating the need to have proper solutions to mitigate such concerns. One key solution which has gained prominence is the emergence of green buildings worldwide, including in India.

What is a Green Building?

A Green building is designed and constructed in an environmentally friendly manner including, making efficient use of natural resources like energy, water; use of non-toxic and sustainable materials, reusing/ recycling materials, and so on.

With home loan at affordable home loan interest rates and a home loan EMI calculator easily available, a borrower can easily buy sustainable green homes.

Top 10 Benefits of Green Buildings in India

  1. Reduced pollution and wastage of resources

The key aim of having green buildings in place is to address the adverse impact on the environment, mainly related to growing levels of pollution and depletion of natural resources. Green buildings help in a significant reduction in pollution levels, greenhouse gas emissions, and wastage of natural resources, resulting in less strain on our ecosystem.

  1. Reduction in building construction and maintenance cost

The construction of green buildings also provides considerable economies of scale. By opting for environmentally sustainable design solutions, project management, recycling, and reusing materials in sustainable, and related cost-effective strategies, there is a considerable reduction in construction cost. For instance, passive cooling and natural lighting could considerably cut down operational costs.

  1. Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is another key goal of green buildings. By adapting innovative environmentally friendly technology and construction methods, like solar photovoltaic systems, there are tremendous benefits to inefficient energy utilization and reduction in overall operational costs.

  1. Water efficiency

Efficient management of natural resources is the key to the construction of a green building, as they advocate for savings in water by using alternative techniques like rainwater harvesting, water treatment facilities for recycling water. With water scarcity glaring at us with a bleak future, these eco-friendly measures would at least ensure a consistent supply of clean water for future generations.

  1. Enhanced market value

Environmentally conscious consumers in India are on the rise, who are on the lookout for a sustainable lifestyle. Green buildings hold immense market value for potential buyers, thereby increasing their marketability.

  1. Workplace Efficiency

Green and well-ventilated office spaces have been seen to bring about a significant increase in employee focus, cognitive function, and decision-making attributes. The calming effect brought about by green buildings is also seen to improve overall employee well-being, boosting workplace productivity, thus benefiting the organization.

  1. Long-lasting

A green home lasts longer than a regular constructed home. An eco-friendly home is developed after carefully planning and adopting eco-friendly designing and construction techniques. As such, they turn out to be more durable and long-lasting, giving long-term cost benefits to the owner.

  1. Holistic lifestyle

Living in a green building entails the buyer to adopt a holistic lifestyle which shows us to care for our ecosystem. It also improves our overall quality of life, positively impacts our overall well-being.

  1. Holistic fool-proof investment

Green buildings ensure foolproof potential investments for their owners. With stringent regulations coming into force to mitigate the adverse impact on the environment, green buildings are more adaptable to such policy changes.

  1. Affordable Home Loans

With green initiatives growing in popularity, borrowers can easily avail of home loans at affordable home loan interest rates for purchasing green homes.

Conclusion

Green buildings are thus seen to be slowly making inroads everywhere, right from residential structures to corporate facilities. Sustainable architecture is slowly becoming the norm, as a means to preserve our delicate ecosystem, develop thriving communities, promote economic development, and reduce carbon footprint. For more details on green building home loans, visit Tata Capital’s website.

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