What does a Health Coach mean to you?

So… what does “Health Coach’ means to you?

I wonder if you feel like it’s perhaps-

• “someone who will tell me what I can and can’t eat, how many exercise classes I need to go to every week, and then punishes me if I slip up”.

Or maybe you believe a Health Coach is:

• the person that Doctors and other health professionals send very unwell people to, in order to drop large amounts of weight prior to life saving surgery?

Or-

• someone that works with top ranking athletes- to hone and perfect their nutrition and exercise programs?

Whilst each of these descriptions holds an element of truth- “Yikes, I wouldn't want to go to any of those coaches!"

Here’s how the HCI-Health Coach Institute* defines our role:

We define a Health Coach at HCI as: a trained professional who is passionate about healthy living in all areas of life and who wants to empower others to make that commitment to healthy living too. … Health Coaches help their clients set goals to improve their health and wellness, create a plan to achieve their goals, address any negative habits or patterns that might prevent them from following through with their plan, and cultivate healthy habits that will help them thrive in life.

I naturally weave some of my counselling skills and strategies into my coaching work as well as incorporating my aromatherapy knowledge and expertise into most sessions.

1. Create a tailored, completely bespoke Wellness plan just for you-a plan based around your goals, desired outcomes and season in life

No cookie-cutter, one size fits all approach here!

When health and wellness plans are formulated that are meaningful, and reflective of individuals who have co-designed them, client’s are so much more likely to stick to them and strive to achieve what they have set out to do. There’ll be less fall away and more confidence and positivity around success for each client.

The role of a health coach is to support clients in the sometimes frustrating process and to help them figure out the best way for them to do it. They will help you find methods that work for your lifestyle and provide you with the strategies and resources to make these changes stick for the long term.

2. Accountability

They are accountability partners who can help you break down big goals into small steps. Bite sized daily activities and choices that are going to make your goals become reality. Making any lifestyle change, habit change or working to make different choices takes time, and there will inevitably be hard days, days where you might feel discouraged and dispirited. It’s during those days, or moments, that it’s the Health Coaches’ role to hold your vision- remind you of your goals and hold you to account. This accountability certainly isn't about guilt, blame, shame or punishment- rather it’s about getting really curious as to what was/is going on? If something is not going as expected- creating a deep, kind, curiosity and exploring the setbacks from this place is what makes Coaching support so transformative.
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​3. Support you through setbacks

If you’re making some big lifestyle changes, it’s inevitable that a couple of slip-ups could send you back to your comfort zone. The transformation process is never a smooth upward line, however, it’s generally a path full of ups and downs until you slowly start realising what works best for you.

It is common and completely normal for people to feel disappointed with themselves if they find themselves slipping back into old habits, this can lead to doubts and lack of motivation. In reality, we all go through these phases, the people who ultimately achieve their goals are simply the ones that pick themselves up after a fall (or a slip in their habits) and keep on sticking to their plan and commitment to those changes. A health coach is precisely the person that can make that difference, supporting you through those setbacks to guide you to success.

4. Take a holistic approach to your health by honouring the interconnections of the mind and body

The mind and body are interconnected in ways that it is difficult to imagine unless you have specific knowledge or an interest in the topic. For example, did you know the wake/sleep cycle can have repercussions down the chain that can lead to inflammation, hormonal imbalance and weight gain? A health coach will generally have access to and be across much of the latest research into health and wellbeing, in particular some of the less conventional and very compelling studies around practices such as Ayurveda, traditional chinese medicine, reiki, aromatherapy etc., all of which have at their foundation this mind, body, spirit connection and a recognition that when looking to heal one, attention must be paid to all. A health coach is a professional who can help you make the connections between various aspects of your well-being.

5. Looking deeply at your “why”, and - exploring specific barriers

Changing habits and setting goals are important, but they do not happen overnight. A health coach can help you create a plan that is specific to your goals, and set it up in a way that is comfortable and attainable in your time frame, not anyone else's.

Many people already have ideas about the areas in their life that they might like to work on, but health coaches go beyond the “what” (such as wanting to eat at home more) and help explore the “why"; is this important to you? What does this mean to you? Is it Saving money? Eating less processed food? Having Family time?- then diving deeper into that specific why? Why is that important to you? Because ultimately the “why?” must have an emotional core- your “why” MUST be important enough for you to make the changes , to get uncomfortable, to continue when the going gets tough.

What are the barriers to eating more at home? Feeling like there’s not enough time? Not feeling confident with cooking skills or trying new foods? Feelings of stress and overwhelm? Coaches can help you explore and identify these barriers so you can work together to formulate a plan for how to work around them.

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 will always consider the way one’s work and home routines, personal relationships, and employment satisfaction, as well as emotional and spiritual health can shape an individual’s sense of well-being.

If regaining control over your health, upgrading your sense of self worth and gaining some clarity on your life in 2023 is something that you're up for- I’d love you to reach out.

Support to make positive lifestyle changes is one of the key components of my Wellness Pillar in “Radiant” my 1:1 90 day coaching experience.

If you’d like to how to get started with using essential oils in your home, or have have any questions relating to essential oils feel free to either hit the REPLY button or, - reach out to me in DM’s! ​

I love chatting all things low tox.and essential oils!

I can't wait to connect!

Until next time,

Much Love,

Beccy x​
​*I was certified as a Health Coach in January 2017 by Health Coach Institute.