Press Pause with Meg Lyons
The mini 1:1 coaching program for overstretched middle managers who wish there was a pause button to not feel so overwhelmed
Are you a middle manager or freshly promoted into a new leadership role and wondering when exactly your job became a triathlon?
You used to know in your bones that you’re good at your job. You certainly care enough.
But now your days feel like a never-ending treadmill with no off switch.
Managing your diary is like a game of Tetris. The blocks keep coming and you’re about to lose the level.
Your brain hasn’t had a proper moment of quiet since…[looks back wistfully to what feels like another lifetime]!
It’s all begun to feel like too much and it’s starting to eat away at your confidence and your love of your career.
Don’t worry, you're in the right place.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re ricocheting between back-to-back meetings with zero time to think
You’re expected to “be more strategic” but when exactly? Between 9:03 and 9:07?
You’re being asked to do more with less, which would normally be a good challenge but not when you’re so busy you can’t hear yourself think.
You’re being squeezed from both sides - by senior leadership and by your team. You work hard to keep everyone happy, which leaves you being the one who’s not.
Delegating feels like a nice idea but honestly… it’s quicker if you just do it yourself.
You don’t want to always be in reactive mode and firefighting but there's never a calm moment to step back and reassess.
What would it be like to have even one hour in your week to stop and think?
What you want isn’t huge and dramatic.
If you’re anything like my clients, you want to:
> feel like you’re in control of your own life again
> be able to press pause so you can actually think (real thinking, not snatched or scattered fragments)
> trust that you're doing a good job
> enjoy your role instead of feeling chewed alive by it
In short, you want to feel lighter, calmer and ‘you’ again.
You can see that you’re stuck in this too-busy loop, but how do you get out of it?
Imagine if you could:
Start your day feeling grounded instead of braced for impact
Have plenty of time to think and plan in a proactive way
Have a clear picture of what your non-negotiables are, so that it’s obvious what can be delayed, delegated, or deleted.
To remember what it’s like to feel that you have a handle on things.
This may seem like pie in the sky to you at the moment. You’re still stuck in the whirlwind.
Working with me is like pressing pause, having space to regroup, and then proceeding with a clear head and more motivation.
With me as your coach, you’ll find pockets of time to get clear and make smart, practical decisions.
You’ll be surprised how quickly those small, meaningful tweaks add up.
Ready to see if it’s right for you?
I want to stop good-hearted people feeling like they have to log on in the evenings to keep their heads above water. It’s not how humans are meant to function.
You’ve probably already tried:
> Blocking out “focus time” (that mysteriously disappears every week)
> Saying you’ll take lunch… and then not taking lunch
> Setting boundaries… until the next urgent thing lands
> Reading productivity books and then wondering why you can’t implement the advice
> Deciding to delegate and then realising your team are as busy as you
None of it sticks. NOT because you lack discipline or leadership potential but because you’ve had no support to break the cycle.
Introducing the Press Pause
1:1 coaching program
This mini coaching experience is designed specifically for leaders who want their time, energy, and sanity back. If your week feels like a runaway train that left the tracks three stations ago, this is the emergency button you can press so we can get you back on the rails.
Session 1 - Setting Off
You can’t see through the windscreen if it’s covered in leaves. And it’s hard to clear the window when you’re inside the car while trying to drive.
In the first session, I provide that valuable perspective. Reflecting on your situation and the opportunities for positive change that have been invisible to you up until now.
Together, we’ll map out things like ‘what would an ideal work week look like for you’. We’ll set the parameters and then you’ll be ready to explore.
Session 2 - Pitstop
This is our chance to review how your exploration has gone. What did you discover? What worked better than you imagined and what didn’t?
We’ll build on your progress, identify and delete time sucks, and plug energy leaks.
This is where you’ll start to notice larger pockets of time magically opening up, allowing you to have more agency and control of your days.
Session 3 - Clearer roads ahead
By now your day will feel less like a 10-meeting calendar pile-up, and you’ll have more time in your day to think – because you’ve regained control of the wheel.
We’ll look at what will help you maintain the time-expanding habits you’ve put into place, so that you can stay out of overwhelm, regardless of the conditions around you.
How much is it?
The price for this coaching experience that’ll take you from feeling on the edge of burnout to being back in control is £495.
Before we work together, we’ll have a chat to make sure we’ll be a good fit. You can book that call in here:
If you’re happy to go ahead, we’ll then arrange our first call. All meetings are on Zoom with calls either weekly or every two weeks. I’ll be available in between calls to support you on email.
Meg’s Bag of Tools
During our time together, I’ll be listening to what’s going on for you, and helping you see what you need. I have a flexible process that adapts to exactly what’s going to work best for you in that moment. I’ll be dipping into my huge bag of coaching tools as we go.
Here are some of my favourites:
Strategic Calendar Audit
A bird's eye perspective of how you spend your time.
De-Stress Express
Understand the “stress cycle” and how to complete it.
Brain training
Train your brain to notice the windows of opportunities you’d usually miss.
Do Not Disturb
How to structure your work life so your focus time is uninterrupted (by you or anyone else)
Evening Reclamation
Be able to close your laptop and not open it until the next day!
Big Rocks Prioritisation Technique
Get clarity on what’s really important and work out how to get those things done.
Drama Triangle
How to get out of the Drama Triangle through the Empowerment Dynamic.
De-martyrdom
Feel less 'put upon' and back in control of your days.
Hi, I’m Meg
In 2012, I was managing a global team of Learning Consultants in financial services while trying to be the best mum I could to two young kids. I was stuck in a hamster wheel of ‘work, sleep, repeat’. It felt like my soul left my body at the beginning of each working day. That’s when I got my first coach.
That coaching changed my life and I knew it’s what I wanted to do. I trained as a coach with the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), one of the world’s leading coach training organisations.
We all need to know we matter to function well. We need other people to gain perspective and my coaching provides support to learn and grow. I bring compassion, sensitivity, and care to my work. But I also keep things light and playful where possible because a brain that’s having fun is able to change better.
I’ve clocked up more than 2,000 hours of coaching with people just like you: corporate professionals who manage people and who want more from life. I’m certified as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with The International Coach Federation. I’m trained in Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) with CRR Global. I’ve also trained as a career coach with Careershifters, am a licensed Firework Career Coach and teach the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer.
Still have questions?
Of course you do! Any kind of investment that you’re making with your own money is daunting. Especially if you’ve never had this sort of coaching before.
Schedule a call with me by clicking the button below. It’ll take you to my calendar where you can pick a slot that suits you. You’ll then be sent confirmation of our appointment by email. Make sure the time goes into your calendar and I’ll see you there.
The aim of the call is to make sure we’re a good fit and that this is the right next step for you. I won’t force or pressure you - I’ll say whether I think I can help and then you get to decide!
If you’re not sure if you’re ready for a call, drop me an email at meg@meglyons.com, and we can see what might feel like a good first step to explore how I can help.