I have a restlessness. It's a feeling, a buzzing in my chest. It tells me 'I should be doing something, making myself useful, reading, planning, working harder, checking emails'. Restlessness is sneaky because it can convince me that I need it. Without it, I would be lazy and underachieve. Life would be boring.

Restlessness has a damaging side. A force which drives, pushes, makes it difficult to pause. It encourages us to look constantly for the next thing, and we risk missing out on going deeper in a relationship or a project. It gets frustrated with people because it seems as if they can't keep up.

Understanding how restlessness works has been transformational for me. I've learnt to notice it, see how I behave when it shows up and choose not to be persuaded by it. I help others see it in themselves so they can understand its impact. People I coach describe it as pulling them in multiple directions, it leads to frustration when their team don’t respond quick enough and it makes it difficult to stop and appreciate achievements. It feels exhausting because restlessness is like being pulled by multiple tentacles.

Noticing is always the first step.

I felt it on Saturday. It was raining. The boys were happy playing. Restlessness reared its head. There were things to be done. I needed to make myself useful.

Instead, I decided to sit and get creative, make a picture. Creativity is usually pushed aside by my restlessness. I wanted something to remind me of restlessness and that I need to be careful of it. So that I make time to recharge, daydream, do nothing, play.

Having restlessness in your driving seat will lead to stress, to overwhelm, to flicking between projects, subjects. It will stop you focusing and staying present to the situation in front of you. Restlessness is hard for others you are with because they don't know if you will stick around or if you're just waiting for the next shiny thing!

There is a restlessness for change which we all feel right now, we need to look at why we want it, and the conditions we need to make it happen. I think Restless is going to be in my life for a while, and that's ok. I'm grateful that I can see when she shows up, and then I get to make a choice about whether I want her to take the driving seat or not!

Sally Powell is a professional leadership coach, passionate about creating space for teams and individuals to think and act differently.