Bio:

Patricia Bergström is a multilingual Professional Neurolanguage Coach® and Licensed Teacher Trainer with over 26 years of experience guiding learners and educators through transformative change. Her work explores the intersection of language, emotion, identity, and intercultural awareness, informed by professional certifications in mindfulness, emotional intelligence, NLP, and laughing medicine, and grounded in neuroscience. Founder of Effective Learning 4 Life, Patricia holds an MA in TESOL and an MA in Modern Foreign Languages from the University of St Andrews. She serves as Project Officer for Alumni Relations for the UN SDSN Global Schools Programme and co-coaches the IHE micro-credential in Solutionary Teaching and Learning, supporting educators worldwide to create meaningful, sustainable impact.

Session synopsis:

From Wobblies to Grounded: Navigating the Emotional Slumps of Self-Employment

Becoming your own boss is often framed as freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment, yet the emotional and cognitive “wobblies” that accompany self-employment are rarely spoken about. Slumps in motivation, self-doubt, comparison, and identity confusion are common, particularly in the age of social media, where curated success stories distort reality and amplify inner pressure.

In this 60-90 minute experiential workshop, participants will explore the neuro-emotional dynamics behind entrepreneurial slumps and the identity shift from employee to self-directed professional where participants will learn how to recognise, normalise, and navigate these wobblies with greater self-compassion and clarity.
The session offers a safe space to name what is usually hidden, reframe internal narratives, and develop practical tools to remain grounded, resilient, and aligned, even when motivation dips and external validation is absent.