Jen Y Insights

02/02/2023

Sharing this update that I've written on the Intentional Generations page

17/01/2023

I had a conversation this week with a 27 year old builder experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. After a few minutes it was clear that a counsellor or psychologist was the best support for him, rather than a coach. I reflected: not everyone may know the differences between the various "talking/helping professionals".

It was the same for me. In 2017 when I needed support with my mental health I didn't know where to start or who was best to go to for help. Before Christmas we put out some content on Intentional Generations about the differences between a coach, mentor , counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist vs consultant. [shared below]

It's my belief that when it comes to our growth and wellbeing that it's a "one size fits one" approach. It's important to take the time to decide who to go to for support and to invest your time, energy and resources in. I'll put some useful links in the comments below for people who may be seeking counselling/therapy and also specific links for the construction sector. There's some amazing support available out there - free resources, free phone lines and also some incredible trained professionals!

P.S. If coaching or mentoring is something you've been craving or if you've been thinking of making a change this year - in your career, life or way of being - let's have a chat! I'm dedicating the first quarter of this year to supporting people who're ready for a new chapter, for more confidence and/or are needing support and structure to achieve their goals. I've opened up my calendar for FREE 30 minute no-obligation (genuinely) coaching conversations with people interested in learning about coaching. I'll also put links in the comments below that detail my coaching process and some of the client results I'm sincerely proud of :)

28/12/2022

An end-of-year freebie from our main page, Intentional Generations 👇

04/10/2022

A new podcast episode listen for your ears - sharing in case it's useful to others :)

Our Founder Jen appeared on the Winning in Work podcast and talked about her experiences with mental health distress, the importance of leadership and workplace culture and more. Link to the podcast episode is in the comments below :)

She says: "Always fun to have a great conversation with another dedicated, curious and values-aligned human. Thanks for having me on your Winning in Work podcast, Nikki Pak! My hope is that my vulnerable shares about my experiences with mental health distress early in my career will help whomever needs to hear them."

25/08/2022

✨Elina and I (Jen) are BEYOND EXCITED to announce this: we are hosting a 'Rest and Reset' Retreat in Queenstown from Thursday 10th November - Sunday 13th November 2022. In our hearts is a huge desire to create and host an experience for an intimate group of people who've had a big few years, who've been giving others their all or who are perhaps in a space of change & transition and needing the space to get away, to rest and to figure out their next steps.
We've designed this retreat and group coaching experience with many intentional and also optional elements:
💜 good, nutritious food
✨BEAUTIFUL and peaceful location (Kinloch Wilderness Retreat - about an hour's drive from Queenstown airport)
🧘‍♀️ yoga for all levels of mobility and fitness
🙏meditation
💜 group 'Intentional Life Balance Reset' workshops
😍 sound healing
🚗 transport to and from Queenstown airport included in ticket price
⛰ optional: hike in Glenorchy
💆‍♀️ optional add on: massage
💜 This retreat is a gift from us to those who would normally put their team, their family or their work first. It's for those who are givers, leaders and/or changemakers. We're doing this first retreat, as so many people are struggling and as it's a pilot, at a low cost - we've done our market research and most other retreats in the area are decently more expensive.
Early bird pricing is available until Monday 12th September. There are limited spaces available, so if this sounds like a ticket needs your name on it (or someone you care about), please do save your spot soon 🙂
Please don't hesitate to DM or reach out to me via email if you'd like any more information or have any questions - we're here to help and ensure you have a restful, nurturing and valuable experience 🙂
Arohanui (big love),
Jen Young and Elina Lim

11/05/2022

Kia ora team! I'm visiting Wellington and Auckland in June and July. Please do reach out if you've been curious about working together in 2022 - I'd love to chat with you :)

Arohanui,
Jen Y

10/05/2022

This is absolutely WONDERFUL to see Multiethnic Young Leaders NZ! The launch of the Rangatahi Leadership Opportunities Database is a win for making youth leadership development more accessible. This is definitely worth sharing with all of the young people you know AND if you know of opportunities for youth to contribute them to this database :)

I 100% believe in the power of these opportunities to improve and change young peoples' lives - I've seen it and I've also had the privilege to experience many. I've been privileged to attend and be supported to attend many youth leadership development programmes, including Spirit of Adventure Trust (Spirit of New Zealand), Outward Bound Trust of New Zealand, District 9940 RYLA, RYLA Oceania and now am part of The Coaching Fellowship's 6 month programme. So many people are also deserving of these opportunities and I'm happy to speak about my experiences, give back and/or create connections to lift other young leaders up :)

Feeling a sense of connection, support, hope and purpose are all critical elements for improving our rangatahi's wellbeing and mental health. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this database evolves!

19/04/2022

So excited to be able to publicly announce this - my work from the last 4+ years is being awarded and internationally recognised (cries with happiness). A HUGE thank you to everyone's support over the last few years - it started with Jen Y Insights and evolved into Intentional Generations 🥰💜

09/03/2022

Sharing in case this post helps others 💜

14/02/2022

This is a post for my fellow single ladies 💃. There's a lot of "Happy Valentine's Day" posts out today. For those that are loved up, for those that are happily single, for those that are single-and-ready-to-mingle and to those that are missing someone: the team and I (Jen) send you all love and kindness 😘.
We often talk about treating others with kindness, but how do we do that for ourselves? On a day that's marketed to be all about couples, I know many single people find today difficult to navigate.
For the last few years when I've been single on V-Day I have a tradition of taking myself out on at least one "Jen Date" during the day and often doing a Galentine's evening with girlfriends. Part of the day may or may not involve hoping to find a dog 🐶 to cuddle... Does anyone else do this (asking for a friend)?
This year, having recently moved to a new town and being recently single I've been continuing elements of this tradition. I cared for my body this morning by doing some yoga outside, then took myself out for breakfast and later explored a beautiful rose garden. Taking the time to read and do some writing were also a part of the morning 🙂.
A few years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of taking myself out on dates. What I've learned is that I don't want to wait for someone to treat me the way I desire to be treated - I do this for myself first. If someone lovely comes along in future and does something nice for me, that's a beautiful bonus.
It's so easy to buy into societal narratives of what life "should" be like for us at different ages, what we "should" be doing and achieving. It's exhausting (especially for females), unhelpful and only allows for limited ideas of what a "successful life" looks like. It takes courage to do things differently. So, with everything that's going on in the world, I really hope we can start learning to be kinder to ourselves. Okay, TED talk over haha
Friends: what is something nice you could do for yourself today?

11/01/2022

Happy New Year! 🥳 Do you need MOTIVATION or GUIDANCE (or a sign!) for how to begin 2022? This is it, friends! ✨

The free 2022 planning resource is available now through our sister brand, Intentional Generations! And it all started with us here at Jen Y Insights!

18/11/2021

An important update 💜

I can feel my heart beating faster and a bit of cold sweat coming on as I write this. The vulnerability is real.
The self care works normally - it keeps me resilient for longer, it helps me to stop and pause when I need to, it stops me spiralling into burnout BUT it's not a magic pill when an extended break is needed. I've recently come to the realisation, with the help of some caring friends, that I need to have an extended pause before life forces me to pause.

In Dr Jo Dispenza's book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself he talks about the nature of change: 'Change as a Choice, Instead of a Reaction'

"It seems that human nature is such that we balk at changing until things get really bad and we're so uncomfortable that we can no longer go on with business as usual. ...We wait for crisis, trauma, loss, disease, and tragedy before we get down to looking at who we are, what we are doing, how we are living, what we are feeling, and what we believe or know, in order to embrace true change. Often it takes a worst-case scenario for us to begin making changes that support our health, relationships, career, family, and future. My message is: Why wait?

We can learn and change in a state of pain and suffering, or we can evolve in a state of joy and inspiration. Most embrace the former. To go with the latter we just have to make up our minds that change will probably entail a bit of discomfort, some inconvenience, a break from a predictable routine, and a period of not knowing."

Now, I'm choosing a wise move of pausing before a big life event forces me to pause. For the next 4-5 months I'm going to be investing time and energy into recalibrating my life: taking my own medicine. I'm tentatively calling this: "The Intentional Rest and Growth Project".

I've detailed more and also my process of coming to the decision to enter into a season of rest and growth in this blog: https://www.intentionalgenerations.com/blog/taking-my-own-medicine

My last working day for 2021 is next Tuesday 23rd November. I am stopping working for 2 months and taking my own medicine: allowing myself to enter into a season of rest, recovery and reflection. In early January 2022 I'll be moving down to the South Island for 4-5 months and doing a combination of remote work and part time in-person work once I'm settled in Feb/March.

All clients will have full access to the Intentional Generations resource library of support while I’m away and our wonderful team Megan & Gemma will be booking in all catchups and work while I’m away. A HUGE thank you to all clients, friends and supporters for all of the aroha, support and cheerleading over the last 4+ years. I owe it to myself now and to all current and future clients to take the time to put myself and my wellbeing first.

If you would like to connect over coffee while I'm away or would like to book in support for February 2022 onwards, please contact amazing team members at hello@intentionalgenerations.com