If you're thinking about hiring a health coach, you might be wondering what a health coach actually is and the benefits of working with one.
There are so many reasons more and more people are opting to work with a health coach. Here are six important ones to consider:
1. It's so much more than food and exercise
True health and wellness is about so much more than the food you eat and how you move your body—though these things are important too! Many people already have ideas about the areas in their life they might like to work on, but health coaches go beyond the “what” (such as wanting to cook more at home) and help explore the “why” (what are the barriers to cooking more at home? Feeling like there’s not enough time? Not feeling confident with your cooking skills or trying new foods? Feelings of stress and overwhelm?) Health coaches can help you explore and identify these barriers so you can work together to formulate a plan for how to work around them.
2. They're your personal accountability partner
One of the greatest benefits to hiring a health coach is having your own personal accountability partner who provides the tools and support needed to break old habits and negative patterns and replace them with new habits and healthy alternatives.
Research shows that social support makes people more likely to stick with behavioral changes. So, when someone knows they have a weekly check in they're more likely to follow through with the goals they’ve committed to. And if those goals aren't met, it creates an opportunity to dive into the why in a supportive and compassionate way.
3. Your program is unique to you and your goals
Every person and their wellness goals are unique to them. No wellness plan is ever the same. Health coaches provide programs focused on setting your unique health-related goals and creating a personalized action plan to achieve them. In return, you experience deep and lasting transformation at the behavior, belief and identity levels.
4. They look at the big picture
Many things contribute to an individual’s health and happiness. In addition to nutrition and lifestyle measures, health coaches consider the way you work, look at your home routines, personal relationships, and employment satisfaction, as well as emotional and spiritual health, which can shape an individual’s sense of well-being.
5. They can help be your navigator
Health coaches give you the knowledge, tools, support and accountability you need to fully make a lifestyle change that sticks. For example, my habit change coaching methodology leverages a series of modalities similar to neurological restructuring on an identity level, so habits aren’t just something you do—they actually become who you are.
Plus, if you feel confused about what to eat, or whether or not coffee or dairy is good for you, a health coach can guide you based on your unique body. There is no one global answer for these questions, but a health coach can help you navigate what is right for you.
6. They help you learn how to help yourself
After navigating your way to one of your goals, you’ll learn what works best to motivate you to create true and lasting habit change. When you know what your ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is, you can apply these techniques toward other areas of your life where you wish to create new habits. Follow through then becomes automatic so the habits that create our best life become non-negotiables. In other words, working with a health coach helps to build your sense of self-efficacy.
If you think working with a health coach may sound like a good fit for you, contact me today for a FREE 45-minute health strategy session.