Health Coaching and Behavioral Health are terms that are finding their way into corporations, insurance companies, neighborhoods and schools. With all the advances in the medical world, and thousands of healthy habits websites and apps to choose from, what does a 'coach' do that makes a difference in the confusing world of how-to?
This article will disclose parts of my average working day. In addition, it will expose a behind-the-scenes view of 6 real-life client cases. These, I hope, will inspire you, the reader, to join the ever growing community of those taking the driver's seat in personal health, and being very creative in the process.
Morning Cup of Coffee time: Google is a wonderful (and potentially distracting) place. The morning cup of coffee, a 30 minute slot before interacting with anything else, is time to open up the Google reader to catch up on industry news. 30 minutes is the limit! Twitter and Facebook are skimmed and the day begins. (For those of you unfamiliar with Google reader, this can be set up on your computer or laptop to ensure that news feeds of your choice are gathered for you in one place every day). Longer articles are bookmarked for reading at another time. I might 'like' or re-tweet, but the process is brisk and, quite frankly, something I enjoy as a warm up to the day.
Why the 'Cup of Coffee' time? A good health coach, in my view, is one who is informed of the latest trends, who reads news feeds from reliable sources, who is open minded and flexible. I read inspirational quotations, discussions on the politics of Obamacare, statistics of the implications of the rise of obesity in the US, book reviews, news feeds on women's health issues, an article about a new technique in natural healing, tips and tricks, humor, and also the not-so-good side of our sedentary and consumerism ways. Information is key.
Client time*: Dr. Roberts, the head of Cardiology of our local hospital, was first this morning. Long hours, a nurturing yet draining feeling towards all his many clients, a very religious man with 3 young children - he was suffering from fatigue, lack of quality family time, weight gain, and low concentration in the afternoons. Goal review included re-forming the Wednesday evening Bible study group he had dropped due to work; remembering to drink enough water during the day to improve concentration - bringing a big bottle of water to work every day; booking every Saturday at the community pool to take his kids and get exercise at the same time (doubling up); getting an iPod to listen to beloved jazz tunes while taking an evening walk near a pretty golf course near his home (doubling up again); and tackling the late cafeteria gigantic lunches by remembering to bring a snack for late morning and not let lunch slip to something like 4pm.
Christian, a late teenager, was next. His Mom, so very preoccupied with his seeming lack of interest in anything at all, had sent him over to me. Christian, being in a life transition of his own, had poor energy, poor motivation and a habit to stay up very late at night. We did not have too much to work with, yet it became clear early on that Christian was a highly intelligent young man of (very) few words. In the end of one of our sessions, he borrowed some very advanced books on nutrition and exercise from me. I later discovered he had read these in record time and started to stock the pantry in a new way, borrowed a neighbor's bike, and applied for a summer internship - all with little discussion, yet operating from a new place of knowing.
Sally, who I knew well, was next. A night nurse at the emergency ward who worked every other night and had 2 small children - it does not get much more tricky than that! She had the goal of losing 25 pounds, yet all of her fellow nurse colleagues brought food into their common room at work every night - pastries, sweets, sausages. She felt she'd have to roam the hospital halls just to keep away from the temptation. Her eating and sleeping schedule was irregular, to say the least, and the workload could not be predicted. Goals were around keeping the aerobics class she loved, eating as regularly as possible, learning how to set healthy boundaries to say 'no' at work, getting support from her husband and Mom so she could get enough sleep on the in between days.
Lunch time: For me, lunch is a time for my outreach and learning. Midday is the time I can best take advantage to phone colleagues, potential clients, or schedule an online course series. It is a great break to change gear and gather good concentration for the rest of the afternoon.
Client time: Nicole is a successful personal trainer, yet plagued by stress and irritable bowel syndrome. Her image and branding had everything to do with projecting vibrant health, so the extra strain of her situation added to her concerns about not feeling and looking her very best. Goals for her included dietary changes such as not eating re-heated food every day for lunch, admitting that there were parts of her life that indeed were not 'perfect,' working on a new social circle and a much wanted move back home if her husband's career allowed it. I was at the point of recommending the 10 day natural bowel cleanse, but it was not necessary! This was an amazing indication of the mind/body connection - just admitting the real problem and making small changes - the body responded positively right away.
Michael was next. A party going, fun loving, famous British writer of lyrics, had received a warning notice from his doctor - too much partying was taking its toll on his liver. Having ever so much financial freedom due to his success, finding creativity a breeze, 3 active sons and a loving wife, indeed, 'health' was not at the forefront of his lifestyle. We kept a journal, including alcohol intake, to create a mirror image of the crazy party nights, and found videos that showed what a liver actually looks like when fat has accumulated there. Goals included substitutes for the extra drinks, sports that matched his lifestyle such as boating and golf, and continuing the journal (where he demonstrated incredible discipline). A new appreciation for his wife's incredible organic cooking came into the forefront and excess weight began to drop off.
Megan visited towards the end of the day. Her obesity lead her doctor to recommend bariatric surgery, but she wanted to try once more to get her weight under control. She was expecting her first Grandchild and ran a successful business renting holiday homes. This job required physical movement of sorts, yet she felt unable to move around anymore to fulfill her duties. Selected goals were much smaller. We bought a pedometer to count the steps taken each day and increase these with time. She stayed up late at night to watch TV and found it comforting to eat during that time. Dropping extra sweets came next, and eating more healthy food late at night such as melon squares instead of cookies. She prided herself in the steps she had taken.
Last came Julie. A successful psychologist, pregnant in her third month, was suffering terrible morning sickness that had her turning away clients and causing her worry about her poor weight gain. In this case, I was able to admit that this case was best referred to my esteemed colleague and natural health specialist, Barbara. 3 sessions later with diet changes and a special homeopathic cleansing program, Julie was feeling better and appropriate weight gain had set in. Julie had a healthy baby and one just after that. Even though I did not 'help' her myself, we found what was needed and helped to form a happy and healthy family.
End of the Day: Emails, reading the information I had saved from the morning, preparing the next day, taking notes on everyone's challenges and progress.
Inspiration: Everyone is different. Everyone has unique challenges. Everyone who wants to look and feel closer to 'best self' will be creative to find a way. The coaching accountability and support is a catalyst, not a dead end. The variety found in this arena is endless, and each client truly owns his success.
Please feel free to leave your comments about what innovative ideas you have discovered!
* All names have been changed, yet are based on real life stories.
Tatiana is the creator of 'The 3 Step Mind, Body, and Self Care Transformational System' for professionals who want to feel confident, look great, and live custom-designed healthy lifestyles. She brings 8 years of health coaching experience to her programs designed for today's busy adult. Her dynamic approach brings out individual strengths to looking, feeling, and living one's best life. Visit bodyvisionhealthcoaching.com to find out more.
Providing useful self development and improvement articles, hynotherapy and counselling writings and other mind help resources online.
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