What is a Health and Life Coach anyway?
Let’s start by talking about what it isn’t, shall we?
As Certified Holistic Health and Life Coach, I do not diagnose, treat or prescribe. Coaching doesn’t take the place of a Physician, Dietician/Nutritionist, Counselor/Therapist or Personal Trainer. Instead, a coach offers skills based on training that complements those professionals (and many others).
Coaching is not about telling you what you should eat, do, think or feel. Your coach helps you get clear on what you REALLY want and what action steps are necessary to get there. The focus is on making small habit changes daily that build on each other and become behaviors.
“We are what we REPEATEDLY DO. Success is not an action but a HABIT” – Aristotle
Who benefits from coaching and why?
Do you, or someone you know struggle with maintaining proper nutrition—i.e. eating energy giving foods on a balanced plate? Getting the appropriate amount of exercise or even knowing what that looks like? At a crossroads with your health, personal life or career? Feel like you have tried everything and nothing has worked, at least not long-term? Feel stuck or stagnant?
Answering yes to any of these questions means you might benefit from a Coach!
An investment in yourself
Now that we’ve talked about the “what”, let’s move on to WHY. Why would you invest in yourself in this manner? Well, as I just mentioned it’s an investment in YOU, which benefits your family, friends, co-workers, the cashier at the grocery store…I’m not joking, the ripple effect is not to be underestimated.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing to do anything to get it? Or maybe you have been in an unhealthy pattern for such a long time that you know something has to change. You see, most people know what they need to do, but they aren’t sure exactly how to do it. Or maybe they have an idea, but moving from inaction to being in action has them paralyzed with doubt and fear.
This is where a coach can provide the system, support, and accountability to set you up for success. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t need to be heard, supported, and held accountable?
What do the experts say?
In a NY Times article by Amitha Kalaichandran M.D., she says that “In medical training, we learn a lot about the body, and how to prevent and treat disease, but little about how we can motivate a patient to change old habits or even stick with a treatment plan.”
Luke Iorio, a Next Avenue contributor featured in Forbes shares that “Life coaching is meant to propel forward action, showing clients how to increase their self-awareness, clarify goals, raise their confidence and commitment, and identify paths forward.”
That’s great, but how do I know if it’s right for me?
- You have to be ready to make a change in some facet of your life—on the importance scale, it needs to be at least an 8 on a scale of 1-10. The desire to change MUST outweigh the desire to stay the same.
- You have to be willing to reach out—most coaches are happy to have a complimentary call to see if they can serve you—and to see if there is a mutual “fit”. If not, they can refer you to someone that is a better match.
- You have to believe that this investment in, and commitment to yourself, will lead to something that can change your life!
Whether you decide to get a coach this very second or not at all, find people who will believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself—the ones that lift you up and inspire you to never stop moving forward.
How will you know what you can do if you never try to do it?
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure
—Paulo Coelho
Jennifer Viverette is a Certified Holistic Health and Life Coach. A Lincoln County resident since 2008, who loves the tight-knit community. Married for 21 years, with 3 cool kids, she loves to run, hike, and read. After spending over 20 years in Human Resources, Jennifer now enjoys helping people reach their goals in a different capacity. You can contact her at healthcoachjenv@gmail.com
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