Our Take: Mindful connections: Coaching for digital well-being

ICF Thought Leadership Futurist Researcher Genevieve Feliú, PhD, introduces the series examining the link between digital well-being and coaching’s influence on shaping a holistic future.

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What’s your take?

Human at Heart: Coaching for the Age of Digital Overload

In the “Mindful Connections: Coaching for Digital Well-Being” series, the future of digital well-being is centered on being human in a technical world. This series invites coaches to reflect on how to help others manage the pressures of constant connectivity with mindful engagement so that technology becomes a tool for enrichment rather than a source of distraction.

In a technology-saturated world, digital well-being is more than an occasional digital detox or managing screen time. Looking to the future, digital well-being becomes crucial for crafting a sense of harmony between our digital and physical lives in a hyperconnected world. In this future, we will craft intentional digital lives filled with purpose, creativity, and meaningful connections. With a unique ability to influence personal transformation, coaches can be active guides in this journey, helping others create a personally enriching digital life.

The “Future of coaching: Digital well-being in a hyperconnected world” describes how a hyperconnected, immersive, and intelligent internet is innovating at such an overwhelming pace that it creates feelings of digital ill-being and loneliness. Yet, a solution is within reach: the next-generation internet. This redesigned human-centered digital space will be built on autonomy, privacy, and accessibility for all people. Yet, how do we bridge this gap to construct this healthy, human-centered digital life? What if the future of coaching integrated digital well-being as an essential core competency for this human-centered future? Principles shared by digital ethicists reveal important insights to guide a human-centered technological future. Building on these insights and research, coaches could customize a digital well-being ecosystem framework to guide their clients toward a more mindful and balanced digital existence.

Going deeper, “Digital reality in flux: How digital spaces are shaping human interactions” examines how digital platforms, designed to capture our attention, also create a divided sense of identity, reduce our empathy, and distract from meaningful relationships. Digital platforms are catalysts for transformation, offering new ways of connecting, learning, and working that unlock extraordinary potential for personal and collective advancement. At the same time, the pressure to be continually engaged combined with diminishing boundaries between our professional and personal selves emphasizes the urgent need to rethink the digital ecosystem. In these digital spaces, coaching can merge well-being, purpose, and mindfulness for a healthier digital identity.

In “Coaches can help clients redefine their relationship with technology”, Wisdom Weavers offer insights into the mental, physical, and social impacts of our tech-dependent lifestyles. These experts point to an always-on culture and cognitive overload that is interrupting our ability to focus and rest. Through mindful management, coaches can support clients in creating no-tech spaces to foster well-being and regain control over their digital lives.

Recognizing the urgency of the coaching sector embracing digital wellness, the Consciously Digital training program helps coaches apply digital well-being concepts in their practice. This innovative approach emphasizes the critical role coaches play in advocating for digital safety and well-being at a systemic level, extending to schools and organizations. As the first ICF-accredited digital wellness coaching training, Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina’s work integrates traditional coaching with insights from human behavior, positive psychology, and neuroscience to foster holistic digital well-being. These types of emerging coaching practices are reshaping the profession’s approach to navigating the digital landscape.

There is little doubt that our future is digital. We can continue with a technology-focused digital future that will disrupt our identities, relationships, and digital spaces. Or we can choose to design a human-focused digital future that prioritizes autonomy, purpose, and mindfulness to confront the complexities of the digital age. As a coach, you can prepare for this future by blending your expertise with principles of digital well-being to co-create a future that enhances the human experience through technology.

Genevieve Feliú, Ph.D.
22 April 2024

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Mindful Connections: Coaching for Digital Well-Being Creative Team

Genevieve Feliú, PhD, United States

Catherine Galli, MPH, United States

Alicia Hullinger, PhD, United States

Megan McCarthy, Spain

Amy Meverden, PhD, United States

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Thank you to our contributors

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