RESOURCE Top Ten Work/Life Balance Tips

1) Remember to value yourself and your time.

2) Treat yourself as you would treat a best friend.

3) Saying ‘no’ to a request that you do not really want to fulfil is effectively saying yes to you!

4) People will not think any worse of you because you said ‘no’.

5) Consider the activities that you enjoy and make time for them – you will find that you will work more efficiently as a result, as well as being happier!

6) Try to create clearly defined goals, in all areas of life.

7) Create weekly and daily ‘to do’ lists.

8) Set up a prioritisation system so that the ‘important’ tasks are done, not just the ‘urgent’ ones - like emails/phone calls etc.

9) Be realistic as to how much time a task will take and how much time you have available to do it!

10) Try to do the less enjoyable tasks early on in the day – then you don’t have to think about them again!

If you would like to be in touch, my email is info@clairefuller.com

RESOURCE Overcoming Procrastination

Causes of procrastination: 

• Other more ‘urgent’ issues ‘calling you’ such as the internet or emails; phone calls, other people being around and distracting you and so on 
• Unhappy – what can you do to become happier? 
• Anxious – what are you worrying about? 
• Feeling incapable – trust in your abilities far more 
• Perfectionist – feel you can’t do the job perfectly so won’t do it at all 
• Bored – extra reason to do the job you are putting off! 

How to overcome procrastination: 

• Make some space – working in a clutter-free environment will be more inspiring for you 
• Set realistic timescales – remember how long things really take 
• Decide to do your best – and know that your best IS good enough! 
• Begin the task – just a small step initially and find out how good that feels! 
• Take another step – set yourself a time limit – say 30 minutes initially? 
• If you come across a difficulty – ask for help (sooner rather than later) 
• Plan a reward for when the task is complete

If you would like to be in touch, my email is info@clairefuller.com

RESOURCE Productivity Pointers

1. Start the day with the most important task of the day 

2. Stop putting it off (!) 

3. Tell yourself to go back to it if you find yourself wandering away from it to ‘easier’ tasks such as emails 

4. Plan for the next day, the evening before 

5. Set your priorities first thing 

6. Keep assessing your priorities throughout the day 

7. Screen your calls – interruptions waste a lot of your time – you can call back ‘unimportant’ calls as a batch task rather than speaking to people every now and then, as they occur – this isn’t best use of your time 

8. Remember your values and what motivates you and use this to keep a sense of momentum throughout the day 

9. Eat healthily; foods which keeps you sustained rather than those which soon leave you feeling empty and lethargic 

ALWAYS: Keep on top of your emotional fitness – always think positive thoughts and work hard to continually reject the negative ones.

If you would like to be in touch, my email is info@clairefuller.com

RESOURCE Create your own 'Feel Good File'

Whenever you are feeling a little under par or lacking in confidence, use this information to immediately give yourself a boost. If you spend some time thinking about your good friends, fun activities, reasons to be happy in general, you will soon begin to feel a whole lot better! 

Activities that make me feel happy… 



Friends or colleagues that inspire me and make me feel good… 




Songs that uplift me… 




Recent achievements… 




Favourite positive affirmations…

If you would like to be in touch, my email is info@clairefuller.com

About Claire

I am a very conscientious and caring person. My first career was in nursing, at the age of 18 and I have been coaching since 2003.

I have been passionate about helping busy and often exhausted individuals to overcome any anxiety or stress they may have, for many years. 

By sharing easy to follow strategies this then leads to a calmer, more focused and happier life.  Then, as a direct result of this, motivation increases and so does productivity.

I am by nature a very positive and upbeat person.  I have learnt how this behaviour is beneficial for me and my health, as well as for those around me, so even on the days when I may not feel like it, I choose this attitude.

I am extremely focused and hard-working; I love challenges and good humour.  I love connecting with like-minded people and working together to create an improved and stress-free world, one person or one organisation at a time.

When we work to remove stress and anxiety we all begin to feel much more real and this is my aim.  For everyone to live a ‘real’ life, happy, fulfilled and successful – in whatever way you define successful.

Keeping stress levels low is crucial to me too, both in my business and in my personal life…

I have two adult children and a husband along with two dogs and a home to organise.  I have friends and family that I like to see as much as I can and I also enjoy playing the piano, reading many books (often at the same time!), walking in the local area and ensuring I set aside time for ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’ all the time.

I believe that:

• We are CAPABLE of so much more than we think we are
• We need to change and grow so that we keep ALIVE
• We need to keep our mind in check CONSTANTLY, to prevent negativity taking over
• We are too close to our own situation; thus we will always benefit from a NEW PERSPECTIVE
• We can do whatever we want to do as long as we take the ACTION required

My Background

I started my coaching business in 2002 and I developed it into full time in 2003.  Since 2003 I have coached hundreds of people, enabling them to reduce their stress, find more hours in the day, start, develop or grow their business and to become far more in control of their business and life.

Before Coaching I ran my own part-time music business, teaching piano to adults and children for over 10 years.  Prior to this I worked as a Computer Programmer (in the ’80s!) for a large national company as part of their Support Team.

I completed an Introductory Counselling course in 2001, and I progressed on from that to pursue Life Coaching as a career in 2002.

I found Life Coaching to be much more positively focused than Counselling. I trained with The Coaching Academy, Europe’s leading coaching organisation, and qualified with Distinction. I also took and passed their Executive / Business Coaching qualification.

Most of my work has been via Online Coaching and Telephone Coaching.

At the moment, I am unable to offer my coaching services in person, due to the need to be more available for my unwell and elderly parents, however there are several RESOURCES within this website, along with useful blog posts, to help you if you should be feeling stressed, anxious, or just need to consider a new way of looking at your situation.


If you'd like to email me you can do so easily, via info@clairefuller.com.

Contact Claire Fuller

You can easily contact Claire on info@clairefuller.com

I have successfully helped hundreds of clients since 2003.

However, more recently I have been unable to help others as much as I would like to, due to regular commitments to my unwell, elderly parents, which have sadly arisen.

Therefore, the purpose of this blogspot website is so that I can still share some of the resources that I shared on clairefuller dot com, but which is not live currently.

The areas that I specialise in are as follows:

• Overcoming stress

• Finding more time for the important things in life

• Creating a more beneficial ‘work / life balance’

Hence the topics contained within this site reflect these areas.
I hope you discover something of interest to you and benefit as a result :)

If you would like to contact me, for any comment etc., please do.

Feel Real Webinars

These webinars provide some instant support for YOU.

There are two webinar recordings below. They both run for approx. 15 minutes.

1. Top 5 Ways to Find More Time for YOU
2. 3 Steps to becoming Free from Stress for Life

1. Here is the recording (below) of ‘The Top 5 Ways to find More Time for YOU’. It is 14 minutes long.  I hope you enjoy it and take the steps described, so that you can feel happier and more fulfilled knowing that there IS time for you in your life!  You will be able to implement the steps immediately after watching…

Here is the recording (below) of ‘3 Steps to becoming Free from Stress for Life’. It is just 15 minutes long. I hope you enjoy and benefit from it and again, you will be able to implement the steps straight away.

If you’d like to be in touch, please feel free to email info@clairefuller.com

Thanks for watching!

5 Quick Steps to Boost Wellbeing

It's never too soon or too late, to learn new strategies and to make new decisions about how you would like your life to be.  When you’re constantly on output and always considering the needs of others, it can be difficult to think about YOU and YOUR needs, wishes and desires.

In fact, DO you ever stop for long enough to think about how you would like things to be?! If you don’t usually do this, here are some of the benefits of doing so:

5 Quick Steps to Boost Wellbeing

1. Asking yourself how you would like your life to be …leads to you taking charge and regaining a better sense of control in your life
2. Taking the time to stop and think, is good for you – we all rush around far too much and need to be able to just ‘be’ to recharge and increase our sense of wellbeing
3. Deciding that you will make some changes, however small, is empowering and exciting 
4. Making small changes will often lead to larger changes (if not immediately, then over time) and these are even more exciting!
5. If you tend to be fearful of change then ask yourself ‘What is the worst that could happen?’ and see what comes to you. Often we persuade ourselves that we are better off just as we are, but if you think just a little harder and longer, you will more than likely be able to arrive at some new answers that will boost your life and in turn increase your happiness levels.

So, if not now, WHEN?!

I really hope this helps you to see the value in setting aside some time for you, to ponder and reflect. If you would like to access my RESOURCES, please check the blog posts that begin with RESOURCE as they contain valuable tips and questions to help you.

Here’s to YOU achieving an improved level of wellbeing in the very near future.

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Half a Dozen Happiness Habits

Happiness can often seem elusive.  You may wonder, where is it hiding?  What should I do to find it?  Am I doing something wrong if I’m not happy?

Working with people who want to make the most of their life, when they sum up what they’re really looking for, it is often simply to be happy, fulfilled or content.

I say simply, yet this can be the great difficulty of course… How to be happy?

So, here are 6 Happiness Habits to help you on your way, if you’d like to find more happiness in each and every day:

1. Firstly, we are what we think. So be sure to let go of negative thoughts which are hindering your happiness.  Overwrite them with positive versions of themselves, very often it can mean changing CAN’T into CAN, for example.
2. Keep the space around you clear and free from clutter. When you do this you will be able to think much more effectively and you will feel calm by the lack of clutter distractions around you.
3. Spend more time with the people who help you to feel good about yourself and much less time with those who drain you. It sounds so obvious yet it is so important.  We do not have to spend hours with people who suck the life out of us.  We have to value and take care of our own health and not allow others, to drain our own wellbeing.
4. Include in your busy schedule, time for reflection. Time to think.  We don’t seem to have enough time for this anymore.  There is always something going on which we ‘need’ to reply to, someone demanding our attention, in far too many ways.  Turn your phone off (or to silent) and spend some time just reflecting and asking interesting questions, about yourself, about life, about anything you want.  For example, ‘Where might I like to go on holiday this year?  What could I buy from the supermarket that I don’t usually buy?  Who shall I contact who I haven’t seen lately?’
5. Work out your priorities and values – and live by them much more closely than you may be doing currently. When your life and your values are aligned, everything will run much more smoothly, as you will have created congruency between actions and innate desires.
6. Feel grateful. However good or bad things are right now for you, when you stop to think, there will always be something to feel grateful for.  Something small, something large.  Once you focus on feeling this way it will become more natural for you to do.  Feel grateful, little and often.  Keep a ‘Note’ in your phone or in a journal or diary, so that you can refer to it at any time, especially when you feel lower in mood.

Alongside these habits there is of course eating a good healthy diet (I purchased Tom Kerridge’s ‘Dopamine Diet’ – a recipe book based on ingredients “that are known to facilitate the release of dopamine, the ‘pleasure hormone’”.

And regular exercise, just going for a walk most days helps to boost your mood by releasing endorphins.

I do hope these Happiness Habits help you to feel better today and in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Because You're Worth It

We never know what life is going to throw at us next, but being able to handle all that may come our way is vital for our good health, wellbeing and happiness.

It is not healthy to live in fear, to be afraid ‘in case’ x,y or z happens.  We need to know that we can handle whatever comes our way.

Because you ARE worth it.

So that we may be able to handle anything and everything, we need to be in tune with ourselves and regularly satisfy our innate desires, for example, spend time indulging in favourite hobbies and socialising with people who build us up, as often as possible.

When you create your ‘to do’ list, do you include on it, tasks that are fun, enjoyable, good for you?

Or do you leave those lingering wistfully in your mind, to be carried out only if or when you have completed all of the MUST dos? 

We have to MAKE things change.  We have to step out of our routine and comfort zone so that we can create new results.  Hobbies won’t come knocking on our door saying “it’s time to play today”, instead, days will just pass the same as they always do, unless you increase the priority of fun times so that they become at least equal to work, or sometimes, above work.

The fact is that work and mundane tasks will always be there, something will always need to be done…

…so taking a break to enjoy a different activity for a while is the only way to fit more enjoyment into your life.

The good news is that when you do this, the positive boost that this will bring to your health and wellbeing will be noticeable almost instantly.  We all feel happier when we allow ourselves to do activities which we enjoy.  When we feel happier, we are healthier, more productive and less stressed.

So, put fun times on your to do list without delay and keep uppermost in your mind the benefits of doing this.

If you doubt your worthiness for fun, here are 5 tips to remind yourself that you are worthy of self-love, self-care and regular ‘time out for you’.

1. You are human with innate wishes and desires that need to be fulfilled for optimum health
2. You are entitled to time out, you are not on this planet just to work
3. Your children and family will benefit from seeing you take time out for you – they will see a happier parent/family member afterwards
4. Your work colleagues and business will benefit – you will become more motivated and productive as a result of feeling happier and more fulfilled in your life
5. You will believe in yourself more – knowing that you CAN make time for the activities and people that you love – and that you will never regret doing this, although you may well regret NOT doing it.

Remember, self-care is not selfish, it is vital 

When you keep this in mind, you will find it much easier to enjoy life.  And this is what life is all about, is it not?

What people say

My confidence had been severely reduced and broken by a legal battle and isolation I had felt as a result. I had convinced myself I had accepted and moved on but this programme made me realise I was still letting those events restrict me and many aspects of my life... I am more comfortable in my own skin now; I am thinking forward in terms of my employment and find I am aware of the positives I can offer. Claire's programme has also made me challenge some of my personal insecurities. I highly recommend Claire and the Free from Stress programme especially.

NHS Manager

Before I started working with Claire via her Free from Stress programme I was feeling distraught with my relationship with my husband. It was very damaging to the children and all of us. I wasn't sure whether I could overcome this or not. Now I feel much more in control of my emotions and I am dealing with issues in a much better way. I have learnt not to over-react, wait and see, don't try and fix it. I feel happier and more in control of the situation and much calmer. The whole family is far closer now.

B Taylor, Business Owner

I really like the defined modules so that i only need to consider one area at a time. I feel that the Free from Stress programme is cathartic and beneficial - it's good to have a rant in a safe place! I also like looking back at earlier modules and noticing how I am improving. It helps me to be me and to feel secure in myself.

Nurse

Claire is a warm, understanding coach who gives wonderfully practical advice. I followed her ‘More Hours in the Day’ online programme – the aim of which is to liberate 10 hours a week from your schedule. I admit I was initially sceptical – I didn’t think it was possible to leverage ANY ‘extra’ time, let alone 10 hours! I created an ‘ideal’ work week on paper and, to be honest, it felt like a fantasy. But I was delighted to be proved wrong! Not only have I moved into my ideal work week, I’ve created new boundaries in my work and life, found balance and, best of all, I've actually got more than 10 hours left to play with! I’m amazed at the difference it has made. I now spend more time with family and friends and feel more positive generally. Thanks so much Claire! x

Business owner with not enough time!

I found the Free from Stress programme really made me think about other areas of my life. The questions are not pushy or aggressive, but timely, friendly, I feel that I really know Claire now through our work together. I considered it to be quality time for me and I enjoyed it. I have got clarity around what is important (to me).

Practice Nurse

I made some good decisions with an independent adult, who acted as a 'critical' friend. The biggest changes I made were a sense of decisiveness, a sense of well-being and a feeling of confidence that the decisions that I was making were thought through. This gave me a sense of peace. I also felt that I had gone through a sense of personal renewal, a sense that I could move forward with my life and that I was doing the best for my children and me.

Roger W

I have run my own business for 22 years and have been setting up another venture. I have a busy home life with 2 teenage children. Claire has helped me to develop a time table to manage my weekly affairs more effectively as well as prioritising the various demands that life brings. I feel less stressed balancing work and family life. Claire is amazing, definitely 10/10.

Russell D, Business Owner

I really enjoy working with Claire. She brings a sense of calm and order to my slightly cluttered and at times disorderly mind! She is enthusiastic, challenging and makes one feel a lot more confident about one's abilities. After working together I feel a lot more able to take on the world.

David B, Business Owner

Making small changes helped my confidence and bigger changes followed. I started a new job and my partner and I have bought a lovely new family home and are now talking about marriage and children. I have never been happier than I am today and appreciate what I have so much more than I did before.

E. M, HR manager

I feel more focused and more assertive. I am now coping better with the enormous number of tasks associated with running a business, home and other projects. I don't feel guilty about saying 'no' nor resentful of 'being taken advantage of'. I have more time to pursue things I enjoy doing.

Ben N, Business Owner

I feel a lot more confident and focused. I fell that I can tackle the challenges ahead. I know I can break seemingly impossible projects down into manageable tasks and I know I am on the way to successfully rebuilding a new life for myself.

S Robert, self employed

Claire is a good listener. She's not too hasty to give her thoughts and advice, reflecting carefully upon what she says to you before doing so. She's also decisive though with her thoughts which gives one confidence and she uses an array of good tools in her programmes, activities and approaches to stimulate reflection. Her positive approach makes you feel important, cared for and understood.

Stephen

I loved the openness and positive effect of being able to be completely honest about the issues holding me back. Claire is committed to helping you overcome the things holding you back and giving you practical and effective steps towards success.

Becky M

When I first starting working with Claire, she asked me what my principal concerns were. We focused on these and Claire has helped me think about how to prioritise, think positive and manage my time and the team that I work with. We are continually moving towards a smarter way of working. Claire has also encouraged me to find time for myself and my family outside work which has helped me to gain a better perspective on my concerns at work. I definitely recommend Claire.

Partner in firm of Chartered Surveyors

Finding myself 3/4 of the way through Claire’s More Hours in the Day programme I can honestly say I have made significant changes to the way I work, think and operate. I am more focused, more assertive and getting much, much more done. I know this sounds corny but I’ve found more “me” time too.

Ken N

I finally can see a way to leave the job I hated and try something I have always wanted to. I don’t feel as trapped as I once did or as scared!I have also learnt to try to think more positively and dismiss the horrible things I used to tell myself. You get what you expect and instead of expecting and feeling rubbish, I am trying hard to expect good outcomes and good things. Before coaching I felt unhappy, muddled, trapped and afraid of what the future was holding; I believed that I had no choice as to what I could do, that the outcome was inevitable. Since coaching with Claire I feel much better! I still have my moments but am more able to cope. I feel that I do have choices and that if I don’t like something I can change it, that there is a way and I am in control!!

Solicitor

I have found it enormously valuable to be able to bring up anything I feel is a block to my success, and you have helped me with them all! It’s great that your programmes allow people to explore the things most important to them.

Rebecca, Banbury.

Someone objective to work with who is outside the circle. Goals and targets to reach - a bit of necessary discipline. I feel less stressed, generally more happy and relaxed, fitter than I have been for a long time.

Andrew B

As a result of working with Claire’s programme I have been more able to look forward at the future and make plans. I’ve also been able to prioritise me a little more in my planning and make changes on assertiveness and being positive. I now feel more hopeful, more cheerful and a sense that the future is mine to define…this is developing. The best part of coaching for me has been sharing my thoughts with a neutral party about all aspects of my life. With friends and family I can share only some, not all of those aspects. I found it useful to give someone an entire picture of the personal, the professional and the prosaic.

S. Barker

Claire has been hugely instrumental in helping me make a success of my transition from paid employee to self-employed business owner. She’s very supportive and is truly passionate about helping people to achieve their goals and ambitions. She helps you see the wood through the trees, she thinks laterally to provide an alternative perspective, yet manages to inject her sharp sense of humour and fun without detracting from the seriousness of the matters at hand. I would certainly recommend her.

Self-employed business woman

Claire has established an enviable reputation as a leading coach in the area. Her commitment and dedication to her role is remarkable – but doesn’t stop her being a charming and sociable member of the community.

Business owner

I can completely recommend Claire Fuller. Totally invaluable for businesses like mine where you can give yourself the time needed to focus on what you want from your business and life generally – yes, you can have a life!

Managing Director

Claire is by far the best and most intuitive coach for business and life and has an insight which is second to none. Claire has been instrumental in focusing me to move my business to the next level, at the same time as persuading me that it is possible to run a business as well as having a life. Claire has the ability to bring the most important issues to the fore, even when you don’t know yourself what they are. She is an excellent coach, professional, and an expert in her field. I recommend her wholeheartedly.

Self employed business owner

Working within a tight team the boundary between friend and colleague is often blurred and can lead to potential conflict. Using claire fullers skills as an independent third party provided an ideal solution. Claire proved invaluable in allowing staff to talk freely and openly. She has made the team stronger and management simpler, allowing me to get on with business.

J Young, London, Whitmarsh Holt Young