January is one of the weirder months of the year. It’s associated with all sorts of expectations, even if you aren’t someone that’s necessarily into new years resolutions. One hand people are ready to get back to a routine after the waves of the fall and early winter holidays have come and gone, and yet, it’s dark and things are a bit slow. Here in Charleston it was in the 70s one week, and now flirting with freezing everyday this week. With Omicron floating around this month and seemingly everyone we knew having covid over New Years, we’ve been laying low the past few weeks and easing into the new year.

And yet in this quieter time, it was suddenly busy when we got a call from a breeder we’ve been talking to, and heard that she has the perfect match puppy for us. Suddenly we’re driving to North Carolina and bringing little Rosie girl home with us. It’s a strange month, and certainly quieter and cozier than I typically want. Yet it also feels like a necessary rest before an exciting year. So I’m choosing to be in this quieter time, with hope for what’s to come.

Here’s some articles published this month in the wellbeing and coaching space that you might check out.

International Coaching Federation Surpasses 50,000 ICF Members Worldwide

The International Coaching Federation has reached two new milestones. It has surpassed 50,000 active members worldwide and in December the highest number of monthly new members was reached. 2,193 individuals joined the ICF in December 2021.

Read the full article from the International Coaching Federation here.

Why people aren’t as picky in love as they think

A quick read arguing that people are less choosey romantically than they report, and what that might mean.

Read the full article on the BBC Worklife here.

The people deciding to ditch their smartphones

In 2012 I lost my iphone, and picked up one of those $30 flip phones for what was meant to be a placeholder while I looked for my phone. I didn’t end up finding my iphone, but realized that I actually loved this cheap flip phone and ended up keeping it for months and was in no rush to get a smartphone again. It was freeing to just be able to text and make phone calls.

This article describes the experiences of people now who have chosen to ditch their smartphones, and what has driven this decision.

Read the full article on the BBC here.

Hedonism is overrated – to make the best of life there must be pain, says this Yale professor

Psychologist Paul Bloom, author of the recently published The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, shares some perspectives from his book. He writes about what we really consider to be a good life, and the role meaning has in that. I recommend checking this article out.

Read the full article on the Guardian here.

10 Happiness Practices a Doctor Prescribes to His Patients

Doctors in the San Francisco Bay Area have started prescribing their patients habits for happiness and health. They are using “old school” paper prescription pads and checking off habits to actually “prescribe” their patients with activities that we know contribute to wellbeing. Prescriptions include things like dance to your favorite song, call an old friend, or go for a walk in a beautiful place. This was a lovely read, I recommend you check it out.

Read the full article in Greater Good Magazine here.

Awe: The ‘little earthquake’ that could free your mind

Awe comes up often in my coaching work with my clients. It’s an emotion many are familiar with, but maybe don’t often consider. Read this article and consider where you experience awe, and how you might more consciously invite it into your week.

Read the full article in Worklife for the BBC here.

Four Ways Nature Can Protect Your Well-Being During a Pandemic

This is a well researched article that pulls on various studies to look at the role nature has in our wellbeing. What’s your relationship with nature right now?

Read the full article in Greater Good Magazine here.

Honoring Leslie Lupinsky

The coaching community lost one of its big leaders late in December, Leslie Lupinsky. Leslie was heavily involved in the Coactive Institute, a leading coach training school, and also the one I studied at. She had a huge impact in the coaching industry and specifically in the lives of thousands of coaches who had the benefit of working with and learning from her.

One favorite memory I have of Leslie was when I was helping out with one of the coaching courses she was leading in Southern California, and we were meeting at the end of one of the days. We were super tired after a full day of training and were meeting to discuss how the day went and the plan for the next day. We decided we were over sitting in chairs, and laid on the carpet with our feet up on our seats. Our conversation started with discussing the course, and transitioned into life chats and rich conversation, all from the conference room floor after the participants left.

CTI put together a lovely blog post honoring Leslie, read the full article here.

Have a great month, and enjoy the hope that springs brings. You can read previous months’ Coaching Industry News Roundup here.