What is coaching exactly?
As the profession of health and wellness coaching grows, I’ve noticed more and more articles online about the benefits of working with a coach. However, I still feel there is a disconnect between reading some of those articles and understanding how working with a coach can make a difference. As such, here are some real examples of my coaching real people.
About 10 year ago I coached a woman who came to me to lose weight. Our discussions revealed that between work, her young kids and other responsibilities, what she really wanted in the moment was time to shave her legs. Together we created a plan to make that happen and once she was able to shave more often – and feel comfortable with herself if it couldn’t happen as often as she liked – she was ready to address other habits to support weight loss.
Another client who was focused on weight loss realized that her circumstances made it difficult to focus on weight loss alone. We uncovered that what she really wanted was for her family to spend quality time with each other instead of the regular arguing. By focusing on time management, stress management and work-life balance she was able to have fun with her family and engage in activities that supported her weight without feeling like she had to choose between going to the gym and spending time with her family.
A client who wanted to quit smoking realized he would only reach that goal by focusing on stress management and communication skills. We focused on those areas and he was able to quit.
A woman trying to incorporate a daily spiritual practice realized that she had been focusing on only yoga and meditation. We discovered that her intense focus was having the opposite effect and identified other ways she could feel spiritually connected to the world around her, without a formal yoga or meditation practice, and that’s what allowed her to return to those practices later on.
Another one of my clients was considering weight loss surgery. She was inactive but determined to lose the required weight to qualify for surgery. We started with a goal of taking 1 flight of stairs down each day. At the end of our coaching relationship, she exclusively took stairs up and down while carrying her work materials, was physically active on a regular basis and had lost enough weight to qualify for surgery - but she decided against it, saying that the changes she made were now part of her lifestyle.
Someone else was focused on the scale, determined to reach a specific number, thinking she would only feel her best when that number appeared. At the end of our coaching, she was focused on her energy, ease of movement, relationships with others and quality of life, realizing that the scale had less to do with her satisfaction than she initially thought.
Those types of conversations are examples of what you might discuss with your personal health and wellness coach and what you may end up experiencing too. Give me a call and let’s talk about how we might work together so that you can live your best.
