About
Lynette Crane, M.A. (Psychology) Certified Life Coach
“Motivational and inspiring keynote speaker – especially for women
Available for one hour, half-day and full-day presentations on stress
and time solutions and communication and conflict solutions”
These are the kinds of questions my prospective questions often ask:
How long have you been doing what you do, and how did you get to be a stress and time expert?
I was a ballet dancer for years before I went to college to become a college psychology instructor. As a busy ballet dancer, I had observed (and experienced) the devastating effects of stress on energy and on performance. I had recognized that people often didn’t reach their loftiest, most exciting goals because they were debilitated by stressful thinking.
When I started to teach, I decided to develop a college class called “The Psychology of Stress”, for which I researched and wrote the book. The more I studied the field, the more I realized it involved not just simple relaxation procedures but also strategies to create and live a full and satisfying life.
After teaching, and following my own advice for 27 years, I retired, believing I had mastered the topic of stress. After all, my doctors had raved about my low blood pressure and great cholesterol numbers for years.
So it was a huge shock to find that I, a life-long non-smoker, careful eater, and exerciser, nevertheless had a heart attack nine years later. It happened after a three-year period in which I got so involved with caretaking of several older adults as well as moving twice in that period that my health practices slipped. I had fallen into what I now call the “Stress Whirlpool”.
Because it took only three years to undo the results of good health practices for almost thirty years, I realized that this is a topic that can never be put on the shelf, but must be practiced mindfully every day of one’s life. I said to my doctor, “I thought I had built up a stress bank account on which I could draw”. But I now know it’s like a bank account: if you keep on making withdrawals without making any deposits, you’ll soon be in trouble.
When I found out that heart disease is the #1 killer of women over the age of 20, I also realized that American women everywhere need a stress and time management system that they can fit into their harried lives. The paradox is that they often can’t take the time to create more time in which to save their lives. Not only is their health at risk, but many of them report they just aren’t enjoying their lives very much. That seems like such a pity in a such an advanced and affluent country like ours.
To hear my radio talk about my experience, click here.
What does being a ballet dancer have to do with your present business?
As I mentioned, I learned just how much stress impairs performance, and looked for ways to reduce that stress. But there were many positive things that I gained from this early experience.
In ballet, you start training at a very early age, and you learn incredible self discipline. You also learn to give at least 110% to anything you do. My clients benefit because of my extraordinarily well-developed work ethic and commitment to giving them even more than they asked for.
As a performer, I learned to be very expressive, and to convey my passion and enthusiasm to others.
Many people have noted that I display these qualities when speaking about the things I do – “you’re very passionate” is a phrase I hear a lot. So I can bring very positive energy to situations and to the people who are trying to develop tools for change.
And finally, I realized that handling stress is more than just about learning to be serene; it’s about building the secure foundation to reach for the stars!!
Who are your clients exactly?
My clients are women who feel overwhelmed by the fact that they work full-time, often at high stress jobs, and at the same time they are parents, housekeepers, and often caretakers for seniors in their family. They may also have a daily commute. I call them “harried women”.
They know their stress levels are undermining their relationships, their health, and their enjoyment of life, but can’t seem to find time to do anything about it.
And ultimately, they want meaningful lives filled with healthy excitement, or “good stress.”
How are you different from other “stress and time coaches”?
I love to say, “Well, I’ve been to hell and back, and I know the way”.
Most of us have at some time encountered a time management program where we set priorities, declutter, make lists, and cross off completed tasks. That is fine- as far as it goes. The trouble is that it doesn’t get anywhere near the real problems encountered by harried women, who are doing all that and still not finding relief from stress.
My program helps women alter their relationship to time and to those around them in a way that helps them to create “islands of peace” in their daily lives. And it feeds information and support about life changes to women in a way and on a schedule that they can comfortably follow even with their busy schedules.. Some clients call me for their weekly telephone session on their lunch hours, another may call from a coffee shop where she is taking a break from her hectic life!
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
I work best with enthusiastic women who are absolutely determined to reduce stress in their lives, and who believe it is possible to do so. They take responsibility readily for making changes in their lives, but are ready (sometimes with a little urging!) to let go of self-blame. They all know at some level that they can be so much more, but they are being held back by bonds of trivia.
What type of person is this program NOT going to work for?
It’s not going to work well for someone who really just wants a magic wand to make all bad things go away. The program is designed to work with the schedule of overly-busy women, but it does take some time and most of all, a sense of commitment.
What exactly is your program and what does it include?
Here are some of the highlights:
Phase I: Establishing a foundation for stress relief:
The Stress Whirlpool: sleep, diet, exercise; How changes in one affects all the others; Recognizing the difference between distraction and relaxation; Simple steps to take to stop the stress whirlpool; Help with accountability for changes
Phase II: Balancing Your Time Zones: Past, Present and Future
How being in the wrong time zone causes stress and loss of time; When the future sabotages the present, and what to do about it; Building a past that supports you instead of undermining you; Recognizing when you are in the wrong time zone
Achieving the ideal time balance is like going on an extended vacation!
Phase III: Balancing Your Relationships
Learning to “read” other people’s behavior; Understanding when others misunderstand you-and what to do about it; Learning how to easily develop supporters that want to help you succeed; Teaching other people how to treat you-as you want to be treated
Phase IV: Your RO(T)I: (Return on Time Investment) to determine what your time is worth; Are your priorities supporting your values?; Do the returns you get for your time investment support your values?; Time vs. timing: knowing when to take action for maximum return on your time investment.
Phase V: Reach for the Stars: Learning to risk; choosing your network of supporters; Recognizing and removing your barriers, Developing the strength to live your dream
Does this really work?
All of the above principles are well grounded in research and years of use -it’s just that they have not always been available in one place on a schedule and at a pace that is suitable for overly-busy women.
I see women make break- throughs that they hadn’t thought possible through this work.
How will we work together and what does the program entail?
After the initial meeting in which we assess your knowledge of stress-reducing health practices and clarify your values, we meet in a weekly telephone session during which you check in with your activities and progress in the previous week. I then provide you with eye-opening information about how to view your life differently. Finally, I give you a simple, easy-to-follow assignment that won’t take very much time but will start you on the path to changing bad habits to good ones.
During this process, although I provide you with information, we spend a lot of time with me listening to you clarify your own thinking, and recognize just how much wisdom you have to offer yourself about how you want your life to proceed. Then I become your cheer leader!
Do people ever re-up?
After finishing the initial program, clients sometimes return for a “tune-up” or a little support when they encounter a “new” stress challenge. Typically, they find very quickly that they already know how to handle this problem but just need some reassurance and support.
If I’m not sure I’m ready to get started, how can I sample your work at low cost to see if it’s the right solution for me?
I offer the program in three forms: as an individual coaching program, as a group coaching program (no more than four members who have issues in common), or as a series of teleclasses.
Before taking any client, I like to schedule a “get-acquainted” session to determine if I am the right coach for you, and if you are the right client for me.
I am also available to give talks about my topic to a variety of organizations and in a variety of sites. Call me at 612 827-0138 to set one of these up.
Professional Women’s Life Coach | Women Handling Stress | Women With High Stress Jobs | Women’s Life Coach
