After breaking her back in 2008, Gillian Fowler found solace in the great outdoors.
Her recovery was long, painful and at times frustrating – particularly as she’d once been very physically active.
But, as she regained her ability to exercise, her general wellbeing improved.
And now she wants to share the power of the outdoors with others, helping them overcome adversity with nature.
“As a kid it was always ‘go for walks or even just sit outside and enjoy being in nature’,” she said.
“That’s something that’s always been with me, but after my accident I needed it more.
“I found it helped me find some peace when it was very traumatic and trying, with lots of surgeries over a number of years.
“It took me six years to get back hillwalking, honestly you couldn’t get the smile off my face, I felt reconnected.”
‘Nature is grounding’: How Gillian is helping others
The north-east life coach has started up Usana Mindset to help people who’ve experienced life-changing events that has knocked their confidence that may even lead to anxiety, stress and other mental health challenges.
Gillian carries out both group and individual sessions, giving them the scope to explore their feelings while out in nature.
She said: “If it’s a one-to-one, there will be a lot more in-depth, personal information shared probably even beforehand.
“With group sessions, it’s very much a change in dynamic, picking up on what people are saying and we all walk through our situations and it’s just lovely.
“Someone who is struggling with something in their mind, by the time they get back to the starting point they just know exactly what to do and have more inner peace.”
Gillian believes this sense of fulfilment comes from taking clients away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, helping them be present in the moment.
She explained:Â “Nature is very grounding, it takes you away from the busyness of life.
“We’re not looking at our phones, our texts and emails, the noise of an office, nature is just so calming.
“The fresh air, the sounds, the colours and just being away from ‘ping, ping, ping’ on our phones is wonderful.
“Even if someone says ‘I just want to go out and have a chat in general’ there’s always something that’ll come up [that’s bothering them].”
‘Break those cycles’
Gillian’s coaching sessions are aimed at those enduring the likes of anxiety, stress, low self-esteem and life-changing events.
She provides her clients with tools to move forward with a more positive mindset.
“I’m a neuro-linguistic practitioner, that helps me to look at the patterns and habits we’re using,” she said.
“Sometimes we think ‘I don’t understand, something’s going out of control in my mind’ so you can break those cycles, peel away layers to understand what’s going on here.
“There are so many tools and techniques that can help – it could be a visualisation technique, meditation, journaling.”
Because of the range of methods that can be used, Gillian finds her Usana Mindset clients leave her feeling much better than when they arrived.
She added:Â “By the end, whether it’s the walk or the ongoing coaching, they know exactly how to help themselves move forward.
“You’ve unblocked that path and learned the techniques.
“The good thing is they don’t need to rely on me or anyone else – how empowering is that?”
Gillian’s Usana Mindset sessions don’t have to take place outdoors.
She also offers Zoom meetings and caters to individual needs as required.
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