WHAT IS WELLNESS COACHING AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

WHAT IS WELLNESS COACHING AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?



Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed. In response, corporations have developed wellness programs to, essentially, keep rising insurance rates in check. Some companies even require their employees to pass certain tests to gauge or serve as markers of health, a predicament for some employees with pre-existing or chronic conditions. Wellness coaching is often part of many corporate programs as well, coaching individuals on how to change their health behaviors for good with lasting results.

Coaching started in the corporate sector, so it makes sense that corporations would be the first to embrace wellness coaching as well. Wellness coaching can also help those with health challenges learn new skills to better manage – or move out of – their chronic and/or pre-existing conditions. It is a brand new part of healthcare, with an extremely positive forecast. Wellness coaching has only been around for about 10 years. It is new, but it is here to stay. But what exactly is wellness coaching and why should you care?

Essentially, wellness coaching helps you to build better health habits, and release old habits that no longer serve your highest good. Topics in a coaching session may cover fitness, nutrition, stress and weight management, and mental and emotional health, etc. A wellness coach really gets down in the trenches with you and serves as a source of accountability, motivation, inspiration, encouragement, and walks beside you as your health partner. A wellness coach does not point to a mountain and tell you that if you want to reach the top, you have to climb to the top. A wellness coach will actually go on the trip with you. A wellness coach is like your personal wellness Sherpa. Personalized attention in this day and age is like a breath of fresh air. Add to that someone who cares, knows, and champions your health? That’s a winning formula for success. If you have never worked with a coach, you are in for a real treat, coupled with a new model of wellness that has a proven track record. Bullseye.

A wellness coach bridges the gap between what we know we should be doing in terms of our health and what we are actually doing. So, of course, most of us know that we need to be eating well, and exercising on a regular basis. Yet many of us do neither. Why is that? This is the question wellness coaching addresses through what is known as coaching psychology. Wellness coaches aren’t just shooting in the dark when it comes to helping you change your health habits. Wellness coaching is backed by years of solid science and research in such diverse fields as counseling, non-violent communication, psychology, sociology, etc.

Changing health behaviors for good takes time, it is process. A lot of us don’t realize that. We get so down on ourselves when we don’t change a habit instantly, where, in reality, it is not realistic to change overnight. Change is a process. It is more of a spiral than a straight line and actually there are six steps of change that most people go through and each step is as important as the other step.

One of the steps is contemplation. You are contemplating and thinking about changing and, you think to yourself “Okay, I am gonna start exercising more.” You might start surfing the net, looking up articles on yoga, walking, or running groups, and you might be thinking to yourself “Okay, well, I have researched a lot and I have maybe even tested out a few classes or I bought some exercise videos, but I have not really done anything consistently yet.” You may think you are still in the same place you were before, or that “I am not changing.” But, in reality, you are changing because again, remember, change is a process, there are different stages of change, and each stage of change is just as relevant as the other. Action is important, yes, absolutely. But so are contemplation, preparation, and maintenance. Be proud of yourself, know you’re doing all you can do with what resources and skills you currently have, and remember that change takes time.

The most important thing you can do when changing a health habit or a lifestyle is to stay positive and not get down on yourself when you are trying to lose weight or quit smoking, or change any kind of other health habit that you have that maybe has been following you around for a number of years and — the most important thing is just reach out and stay connected.



“Connection is the currency of wellness.” ~ John Travis.



Most of us change and heal the best in the presence of others. Support from a wellness coach, and or a group or certain individuals are crucial to your journey. Of course there are many people that change on their own, but if you really want to speed up the process of change and be most effective, it is really important to connect with other people. This could actually be the most important thing that you do in terms of your wellness goals, to reach out and connect with others in a group wellness coaching format, or by seeking out a wellness coach. Group wellness coaching is designed to connect with other people that are going through the same exact thing or have similar goals or challenges as you. You would be amazed at how much easier it can be to make changes and reach your health goals with support either from a highly trained wellness coach or through a group wellness coaching series of classes and/or support group.

Whatever your health goals are, you can achieve them and change for good. Whether you are trying to lose weight or quit smoking, or change any kind of other health habit that you have that maybe has been following you around for a number of years, the most important thing is to just reach out, stay connected, stay positive, and keep walking down the path. Reach out to your family, reach out to your friends, and reach out to a group of people with a similar story, or a professional to guide you along your way. Be proactive, creative, keep the faith, and remember that change is on your side. You can find the focus that this will happen for me; it is just a matter of time. Change is inevitable. This is one of the secrets that wellness coaches know. It is inevitable that you will change, because actually, change is the one constant in life. Not only do people change all the time, and that means that you can change as well. Change is the only guarantee in life. But change actually is on your side, and that is a new way to think about it. I hope you realize that your health is really precious, and that you come to value it again or for the first time. I hope you realize that taking care of yourself is really not as hard as many of us think it is. The goal is to reconnect with your body, and step back into your power and your life. You can do this. Wellness coaching can help you along the way.



WELLNESS COACHING IS…

It is the way to bridge the gap between You and YOUR HEALTH GOALS.

Wellness Coaching is about empowering YOU to change your health habits FOR GOOD so you can open up your life again to POSSIBILITY.

When was the last time you felt your life had a sense of POSSIBILITY?

Whatever your health blocks or challenges are, YOU have the power to CHANGE FOR GOOD!

Wellness Coaching is the facilitation of peak physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental health. A coach doesn’t just point to a mountain and tell you to climb it in order to reach the top. They climb it with you. Coaching helps you to build the bridge between your dream or goal and the final result. Coaching helps you to break down the walls of old habits that no longer serve you. A coach is a source of empowerment, motivation, encouragement, inspiration, and education. A coach is your best ally and a source of accountability.



What is Wellness Coaching and How Can it Help Me?

In short, a wellness coach helps you to achieve your health goals.

A lot of us have health goals we are having trouble following through on.

Wellness Coaching:



Helps You Get “Unstuck”
Serves As A Source of Accountability
Helps You Achieve Your Health Goals
Gives You New Skills to Break Old Habits
Empowers, Inspires, Encourages, & Motivates You
Helps You To Stay on Track Even When You Want to Give Up
Helps You To Maximize Your Real Energy & Minimize Your Stress



A wellness coach helps you to follow through – accountability – and also helps you to break down old habits that are in your way and break through to the next level of health.

A wellness coach also helps people who are working with a healthcare practitioner to follow through on what their practitioner has recommended they do in order to get well.

A wellness coach helps you to bridge the gap between your wish or dream for yourself and the final result.

Assist

Listen

Guide

Coach

Inspire

Facilitate

Empower


www.PortlandWellnessCoach.com