When Your Cup Is Full: Coping With Career Stress

The last two years left me carrying more stress than I realised and transpersonal coaching has helped me understand why everything finally spilled over

I’ve been having some transpersonal coaching lately – it was new to me too! If you’re not familiar, it’s a specialised form of coaching that takes a holistic, integrative approach and supports deep personal growth and transformation.

My sessions are with my reiki practitioner, Danielle, who is offering pro bono coaching so she can practice her skills and develop her coaching competency. I’ve had two sessions so far, during which I decided to focus on my career. The last two years have been particularly disruptive, and certain experiences have really stayed with me – sitting right at the front of my mind when I really don’t want to care anymore.

In our first session, Danielle introduced me to the idea of the “tolerance cup”. She helped me understand that the reason I “snapped” last year was because my tolerance cup had been overflowing for months and that particular situation simply tipped me over the edge. I reacted in a way that doesn’t usually feel like me.

What followed over the next three months is something I’m still coming to terms with, but I now understand it wasn’t my fault – I was exhausted, frustrated and overwhelmed. My tolerance cup was full.

In sober coaching I often talk about the “evidence cup” – how every positive sober action fills it up until you’ve built this overflowing proof of what you can do. But a tolerance cup works in reverse. The more stress, pressure, resentment or overwhelm builds up, the more likely it is that someone will reach for a drink.

It’s such a powerful way to understand triggers and it’s something I’ll be bringing into my own coaching from now on.

As for the transpersonal coaching itself, I have my final session tomorrow and I’m already looking forward to it. When you find something that genuinely makes your life better, it’s 100% worth the investment. And although Danielle is working with me pro bono, I would absolutely pay. It’s been that transformative.