Coaching has been used for many years to help support those learning a new skill or behaviour so that they are able to reach a personal or professional goal. You may be more familiar with it in the world of sport, business or perhaps in the form of life coaching. However, one you may be less familiar with is health and wellness coaching which has recently found its way to the UK off the back of being a ‘must have’ in the States.
With many of us living in environments that are preventing us from being the greatest we can be in both our bodies and our minds, and with continuous pressure to work longer hours, eat on the go, move less and do things faster the impact on our health is apparent: higher disease numbers, increased stress levels and more unhappy people.
Fortunately a shift is taking place and more people than ever have woken up to the fact that over half of what affects our health is a choice of lifestyle, which means we all have the ability within us to make the changes we need to ensure good health.
However, even though we are in a very powerful position to help prevent many of the illnesses that occur in us today, it is so often easier said than done. Like many people you may be dealing with internal and external pressures, temptations and influences that often cloud what we know is good for our health and well-being. Self-respect, self-punishment, fear and peer pressure are just a few examples that cause us to doubt ourselves, and we easily lose sight of the knowledge we all have that has the capacity to improve our overall health and wellness.
This is where a coach comes to the rescue. As your ally, a health and wellness coach is not only there to support you with the lifestyle, behavioural, emotional or physical changes you may want to make, but also with the challenges you may face along the way. They will ensure you become accountable for what you want to do and stick to the path that you have set so that you don’t fall at the first hurdle and go back to the ways that may be putting your health at risk. Your expertly trained coach will help you to discover and adjust your behaviours, motivations or barriers so that you can start to improve your health and even prevent future health risks.
Health and wellness coaching is suitable for everyone. For those looking to maintain a good level of health, those looking to overcome illness or are in recovery and those who are keen to prevent poor health occurring in later life.
So if you are looking to take control of your health then perhaps exploring the option of getting your own health and wellness coach could be the first step you need to take.
