You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

October 20, 2025

It was 19:25. The event doors were due to open in five minutes, so I did a quick phone check. First up? A video of my daughter whizzing her dolls around on a makeshift cardboard roundabout, the kind of everyday magic only kids can create, with a little help from Grandma of course.

Then I saw the five-message sequence. One word stood out, flashing like a siren: A&E. Every parent’s worst nightmare. Jenson had come off his scooter and split his chin open. He was already back home by the time I read it, chin glued, sore but playing computer games. Absolutely fine. In my absence, people stepped in and stepped up. A friend’s parent scooped him up and brought him home. Grandma held the fort. My husband did the A&E run. And me? I hadn’t asked for any of it. If I’d been present, I probably wouldn’t have even thought to.

Why Don’t We Ask for Help?

Whether it’s parenting or professional life, when things go sideways we often default to hyper-responsibility “just push through.” We forget to ask the simplest question: “Who can help with this?” This isn’t just a mindset issue, it’s more often than not a nervous system response. Under stress, our executive function narrows, and we stop seeing options. Our support radar switches off.

I see this all the time in my coaching practice. Clients arrive feeling stuck or uncertain, but they’ve been carrying that weight for months, sometimes even years, because asking for support didn’t occur to them or feel like an option.

It’s time to normalise support, not as a last resort, but as a success strategy.

What the Research Says About Support (and Why It Works)

Here’s why asking for support through coaching isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it’s an evidence-based strategy for your version of success:

1. Performance and Goal Attainment

  • Coaching improves goal attainment by an average of 70%. Grant, 2014; Theeboom et al., 2014

2. Confidence and Self-Efficacy

  • Coaching increases self-confidence by up to 50%, one of the strongest outcomes in multiple meta-analyses. Theeboom et al., 2014

3. Resilience and Wellbeing

  • Coachees report 20–30% higher wellbeing, less stress and improved coping. Jones et al., 2016; Greif, 2017

4. Career & Employability

  • Coaching increases employment rates and annual earnings. Mathematica, 2023

5. Organisational Impact

  • Coaching has a measurable effect size (d = 0.36) on workplace performance, equal to or better than traditional training. Bozer & Jones, 2023

And What About My Clients?

Here’s what those who’ve worked with me say after completing their post-coaching evaluation:

  • 100% said it was a good investment in their career
  • 100% would recommend it to others
  • An average 24-49% pay rise reported six months after completing the Career Design Mastermind

I’m sharing this absolutely to highlight the power of coaching, and to remind you: you don’t have to do this alone. There is support. It works. It creates change. And it’s available to you.

Reflective Journal Prompts

  • ☕ Where am I trying to carry something alone that I don’t need to?
  • ☕ What stops me from asking for support?
  • ☕ What is one thing you could ask for support with today?

Whether you’re in a season of stretch, searching for what’s next, or simply tired of holding it all together alone. Remember: support is not weakness, it’s wisdom.

Keep opening up,
Hannah

P.S. When you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can support you:

P.P.S. 🎤 Now booking keynotes, workshops, and events for 2026. Let’s change the conversation where you work.

Posted in Blog and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,