Transactional Analysis (TA) is helpful in personal development

written by Anne Brookes, Canalside Life Coach

Watch my YouTube video: Improve Communication with TA and please SUBSCRIBE - thanks :)

TA improves communication:

Communication Strategies 📞 🗣️ Practical tips using TA to improve communication; adopting active listening, "I" statements

Example: Avoid "Parent" language that criticizes or belittles

Personal Growth: TA can help you achieve self-awareness and personal development 🪜

Healthy Relationships: TA can strengthen relationships with family, friends, and colleagues

Life Scripts in TA ✍

Life Scripts: These have an impact on our choices and behaviour

Example: Someone with a "Loser" script might sabotage their own success

Identify your Life Script: TA has tools for recognizing and understanding your own script 🆔

"Re-scripting": Changing Your Script to rewrite limiting life scripts and adopt empowering beliefs

Understanding the PAC model in TA:

The Three modes of operation or Egos: Parent, Adult, and Child ego states

🟨 Parent Ego State - behaviours, beliefs, values, desires, identities, thoughts and feelings taken on (not always wittingly)from parents or parent figures

🟩 Adult Ego State - behaviours, thoughts and feelings which are direct responses to the here and now

🟦 Child Ego State - behaviours, beliefs, values, deisres, identities, thoughts and feelings developed in and replayed from childhood

Transactional Patterns in TA:

Complementary Transactions: complementary transactions maintain the status quo

Example: A teacher (Parent) asks a student (Child) a question, and the student (Child) answers (Child)

Crossed Transactions: 😕 create confusion and conflict

Example: A manager (Parent) asks an employee (Adult) a question, but the employee (Child) responds with sarcasm (Child)

Ulterior Transactions: Uncover hidden agendas and manipulative communication patterns

Example: Someone offers a compliment (Parent) but expects something in return (Child)

I am qualified and certified in Advanced Coaching – with Processes for Personal & Professional Transformation (NLP School), including TA and Re-scripting

Book your complimentary introduction call today

Try some DIY 🛠️🪚Life Coaching on my YouTube channel @canalsidelifecoach and PLEASE subscribe! Thank you 😄

Prefer to read? Buy your Ebook DIY Life Coaching using my 4P Framework

Free Sample 📗 📢 Brilliant Bargain at just over £9 this month

Working from home or running a business at home with deadlines to meet: how to stay well (physically and mentally)

Make time for yourself when you have a busy schedule

written by Anne Brookes, Canalside Life Coach

🟡 try to have at least one day or two half days when you do something FUN and relaxing in a very different way from the business activities. You need to recharge the batteries

🔋

🟦 have a clear mandate that your health is the number one priority – if you are ill or tired mentally, you will have diminishing returns on concentration, focus and energy – you must invest in yourself first

🥇

Techniques for combating loneliness and that feeling of doing it all alone

🔴 use co-working spaces one day a week/fortnight/month, however it fits your calendar. Find one that suits your style – it needs to be welcoming, with like-minded people who will be positive and respectful of your need to balance work with in-person connections.

Then wait for friendships to begin to flourish as you share highs and lows of everyday life

🎁

🟩 co-work ONLINE with a “buddy” – put a shoutout on LinkedIn or your prefered platform - there are many people in the same situation.

A "coffee chat" online first establishes that you feel comfortable and can agree parameters about how you use your time together - best to be upfront about possible interuptions or whether you like music in the background....really basic ground rules so that there are no disappointments.

As an example - have a quick chat about how you are for 10 minutes. Then have bursts of concentrated work for the rhythm of time that works for you on that day, as well as agreed slots of time to check in with each other

Have a break and have a drink

🫖 ☕ 🍹

then it's back to focused work when refreshed - and often this is a useful discipline to learn - your buddy will keep you from being distracted.

After your session time, feed back to each other and share the reality. You may feel frustrated, the other person could have cracked a problem and that gives you a boost – sharing the pains and the gains helps it become less negative and personal if you've had a bad day!

Unleash the positive impact of

🟡 getting outside for light and air! Wherever you are, and if you can, engage with green space/nature in some way

🔺🔻 microbreaks – getting up from a desk and physically moving

Resources

✴️ My YouTube playlist Coping skills for well-being: https://www.youtube.com/@canalsidelifecoach/playlists

My Guide to Dealing with stress

📖 Read this article on 7 types of rest

▶️ Watch my 1 minute video Balancing Life and Work on my YouTube channel - please subscribe, thank you :) 🌹

🔴 Use Pomodoro as a time management technique

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Microbreak resource: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breakthru-immersive-microbreaks

I contributed to an article "Wellbeing tips for small business owners and lone workers"

Published: 04 June 2025 on the BGWM website

Frothy pink July

At last the honeysuckle

grapples through the tree

Reaching skyward

beside the frothy pink of

the flowering almond

Chicks are chirping on the rooftops

watching the parent sparrows below

nipping at seeds in the feeder

To and fro

to and fro

to and fro

Do you have flowers in your life? in a pot by the sink? in a window box? on a balcony? in a garden? in a park? in a painting? on a screensaver? as your mobile wallpaper? in your mind when you close your eyes? the scent in the summer beguiles us along with the bees...

Reflect, boost the positives and achieve your outcomes