Coach Lindsay Nauen goes over what she can do for you as a health and wellness coach in her monthly guest blog.
Is Health and Wellness Coaching for Me?
Have you ever heard someone ask, “I wonder if health and wellness coaching is right for me?” It’s an excellent question, and perhaps you’ve wondered about it yourself. Here are some signals that might indicate you are ready to find out more about the benefits of coaching.
- You feel it’s time to make changes, and you are ready to make a commitment.
When you start a health and wellness journey, you understand there will be changes. You need to be ready for something different in your life and willing to create and follow a plan. There are times when we aren’t ready, and we need to accept that and take care of the issues that need more attention at the moment.
Everyone is different. If going through a divorce or depression means you need to make time for yourself in other ways, that’s great. If those types of events make you realize that committing to a health and wellness program would be beneficial in balancing out your life and adding something positive, then it might be the perfect time for you.
- You are grateful for your support team or want to build one.
It’s difficult to make important changes on our own. We all need help to stay on track. If you are fortunate enough to already have a support team, you are well positioned to reach your goals. You may find that you wish to add even more supportive people to that team. As I mentioned in my book, I believe in having both formal support members (such as your doctor, nutritionist, coach and trainer) and informal members (such as family and friends).
If you don’t have a support team or this is a new idea to you, you may welcome additional ideas on how to create this team of advocates. I found these layers of support to make a world of difference in my own fitness journey. If you are ready to begin your health and wellness journey, your coach can help you assess and develop a beneficial support team.
- You need help with accountability and are willing to get started.
Having the tools to help you learn about good choices for your fitness journey is one side of the coin. The other is implementing what you’ve learned and making progress that delights you. For best results, we need a plan and some way of holding ourselves accountable.
A health and wellness coach can help you create your vision for wellness and a clear picture of the goals you want to achieve and why you want them. With that clarity, you can then learn how to set a plan for achievement and how to monitor your progress. You’ll no longer view accountability as a bad thing (as many of us have in the past), but you’ll be thankful for the guidance and nonjudgmental approach for staying on track and reaching your goals.
- You want to improve your health and wellness and would like more clarity on the benefits.
This can be a difficult step to accomplish on your own. Coaches are trained to ask the right questions to help you develop a wellness vision. This helps to give you a crystal-clear picture of why wellness is important to you and what will motivate you to follow through with your plan.
With a well-developed vision, you will have a solid foundation for successful change. You will own it and have a constant reminder of what you are reaching for and why it’s essential for you and your future happiness.
- You’ve had a change in your situation that is making you reconsider your outlook on fitness.
You may have experienced an event or circumstance that has changed your view on your health or on how to gain the most enjoyment from life. A few examples of this type of event might be:
—Being informed that you have diabetes
—A change in lifestyle, like losing access to your fitness center during COVID
—Learning that you have osteoarthritis or another condition that might affect your routine
—Receiving an invitation for a hiking vacation and knowing you are not ready physically
—Wanting to find a healthy habit to focus on after giving up smoking
—Wanting to keep up with your young grandchildren who bring joy to your life
Any similar insights could be a great incentive to beginning your wellness journey!
If any of these ideas have been spinning in your head, contact Lindsay Nauen to see if you might be ready to start gaining benefits from health and wellness coaching.
Wishing you great success along your journey,
Lindsay
Who is Lindsay Nauen?
Lindsay Nauen is a graduate of the Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training Program. She has been on a fitness journey for the last 14 years, during which she lost over 170 pounds. No Quick Fixes: A Fitness Journey for the Real World is the book she wrote about her experiences and the lessons she learned. For more information about health and wellness coaching, contact her at noquickfixes18@gmail.com or visit her website at https://noquickfixes.me.