By now you've probably heard oodles of people talking about Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC). Most people associate HWC with weight control, diet, nutrition, exercise, and disease management, and think us coaches are here to tell you the best weight loss strategies for you, the newest exercise regimen to start, or to educate you on the latest and greatest supplement usage.
Although many coaches do indeed specialize in these types of goals, I am not one of those coaches.
First, let me talk a little about HWC, and then we'll take a little walk into my coaching jam and passion: Quality of Life.
What is Health & Wellness Coaching?
Health and Wellness Coaching is a partnership. The client (let's say you) and coach work together through active listening, assessments, poignant questions, and interactive techniques which enable you to get clear on your motivations and values, as well as identify potential roadblocks (and create solutions for those blocks!) along the road to your goals.
Coaching helps you discover and leverage your strengths so you can set and reach attainable goals to optimize your well-being in a way that's tailored to you.
All in all, the goal as a coach is to help empower you to gain agency in your decisions and well-being, not to take you away from the driver's seat of your own life. In other words, we health coaches do not tell you what to do or how to live your life.
News Flash: You are the best expert on you!
As a coach, I am here to help you dig out all those juicy insights and sage bites of wisdom that may have been neglected or forgotten. I help you put yourself back in the driver's seat of your life... and maybe help you figure out which metaphorical snacks to pack and what pit stops to take on the way to your destination.
(If you want to read a little more on coaching, here is a recent article in Forbes by Sarah Hays Coomer going over great information on what to look for in a coach and what the blazes we as coaches actually do!)
So now an intro into my jam:
What is "Quality of Life" Health and Wellness Coaching?
As someone who is very familiar with life sometimes serving barbed wire-wrapped lemons set ablaze and trying to make lemonade or cake or incomprehensible but amusing stories out of those torched lemons (read my bio here to learn more), I understand more than most what it means to seek and prioritize quality of life during incredibly trying and heart breaking circumstances.
I will give you a hint: It changes.
Quality of life (QOL) changes over time, and it is unique to every person and through every transitional circumstance.
Someone overcoming a recent concussion may have a QOL goal to get through a full day without a smashing headache or blurred vision, or have the ability to stay focused during class or work.
For someone with Multiple Sclerosis, a QOL goal may look like finding a mobility exercise where they don't feel like they'll fall over from losing balance.
A person with anxiety may have a QOL goal that helps them communicate effectively with others and not feel nervous or question if what they said was the "right" thing to say during conversation.
And another individual may be feeling dizzy with all the options for health care and are unsure where to put their energy, and their QOL goal would be to create a team they trust and feel respected. Or...
Maybe they're overwhelmed with their overflowing schedule of doctor appointments, PT sessions, chiropractic visits, acupuncture sessions, and work that they can't seem to find one moment of peace to themselves. In this case, maybe QOL looks like setting boundaries for health check-ups and setting up a sacred and safe space at home to heal with laughter, quiet time, music, healthy support systems, or time for creative expression.
Quality of Life health coaching means I get to meet people exactly where they are at -- even in the messy and confusing times -- and help them create goals to increase their life satisfaction with the things they are dealing with directly in the here and now.
How can QOL Health/Wellness Coaching Help You?
As a board-certified health coach focusing on QOL, I help people navigate the hardships and trip-ups of chronic health conditions and anxiety. While holistically guiding clients to their most authentic selves, QOL coaching promotes a fulfilling and thriving life.
Health coaching for QOL can help you in the following ways:
Help you find areas to slow down and evaluate what isn't working and...
See and appreciate what is working!
Create small, clear steps that make goal-achieving less daunting (and dare I say, even fun?!)
Space to acknowledge and feel emotions that may come up during times of transition.
Align you to your values and what's important so you can find more meaning and fulfillment in your day to day life.
Gently challenge patterns of behavior or thoughts that may not be aligning to what you are looking to achieve (and perhaps even acting as a hindrance to your goals!)
Discover and set your boundaries and balance unique to your life!
Guide you to feeling confident in your actions and in your body.
Validate your experience(s).
Generate a health care team with whom you feel safe, heard, validated, and confident in moving forward with your health plans.
Help you befriend your body so you can have clear communication with it and your support system about:
Your needs
Your feelings
Your discomfort
Your accomplishments
Your confusion
Your boundaries
Steps for your healing process.
and your healing potential!
Is QOL Health & Wellness Coaching for You?
Whether you're looking to establish a more stable ground in your health condition; prioritize downtime for rest, play, and joy; or generate a team of providers to help you navigate your condition so you're no longer trying to do it all on your own, QOL coaching can help you make way for you to feel good in your body and thrive in your life!
Want to see if QOL health and wellness coaching is right for you? Schedule your free virtual Curiosity Consult now and get started to feel good in your body.