“Coaching—which finds its origin in positive psychology, therapy and sport—is not strictly categorized as a “wellness” activity, and yet it contributes to the wellbeing of those who benefit from it. According to Carsten Schermuly, a professor of business psychology, coaching “improves the health of people, wellbeing and work satisfaction, performance and self-regulation.” Randomized control tests suggest that coaching also has a “small but significant calming, balancing and responsibility-enhancing effect on personality.
And, of course, while it’s a concept most applied to career and professional development, all kinds of health and wellness coaches are on the rise, from sleep to nutritional coaches.”
Yes, health and wellness coaching is starting to receive attention around its role yet it is still not fully understood. Sleep and nutrition are only two elements of wellness that we as coaches, support people to improve. I was delighted to read on to an article in the New York Times that was linked, and in particular, a quote from a Doctor working in paediatrics who wrote:
“Though my clinical training is in paediatric medicine, inspired by what I had read, I recently completed a certificate in health coaching myself. The experience was eye-opening and humbling. I learned new ways of communicating with my patients, specifically ways to encourage them to see their own ability to make lifestyle changes while setting manageable goals. I also learned ways to cheer them on when they reach their goals, without shaming them if they relapse: Both pieces are critical to the process of making sustainable change.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/well/live/new-years-resolutions-health-fitness-coaching.html
I think we should celebrate this acknowledgment of our profession and applaud the GWI and NYT for recognising the importance of our growth!
Check out the GWI’s newly launched Wellness Coaching Initiative here.
NOW AFTER THE EXCITEMENT, BACK TO CALM!
It’s one of those words that can sometimes make us feel chastised. We might associate it with the command to “Calm down”! or even connect it with a non-expression of emotion. Yet somehow we all recognise that without calm, we may be in a place of stress or overwhelm! One of the most common goals of our clients is to deal with life’s pressures so the concept of “calm” becomes very relevant in our conversations with them. Let’s look at a few key points on the topic.
Question 1: What does CALM mean to you?
The reality is it means different things to different people in different situations.
Is calm a state or a skill? It can be both. As a state, we think of feeling a sense of peace and tranquility. We also know that this is not a permanent state (unless we are hiding under a stone or cocooned in a bubble). Calm can be a skill to cultivate – how we relate to life’s difficulties. Now this is one that has relevance to our coaching!
Calm is about finding a place to restore ourselves so we can feel good about life. It does not involve a personality transplant.
First identify what calm means to you:
Is it about being less busy?
Is it about getting rid of anxiety and worry?
Is it simply about stopping your brain from whirring?
Calmness allows a clear head and the ability to cope.
It’s becoming apparent that the opposite of calm can be chronic stress. Which we know is a killer – of life goals, life quality and good health.
Question 2: What is causing your stress? Really.
Here are four possibilities.
- Self doubt
- Self criticism
- Over thinking
- Perfectionism
Try and separate the source from the effects of stress. Get to the root of the problem.
Also be aware that we have come to think of busyness and stress as things to be proud of. They are part of our ego and identity. What would we do if we weren’t so busy? This is a hard one to overcome but with time we can come to understand that being seen a certain way is not as important as enjoying our life on our own terms, not other people’s.
It takes time to change ingrained beliefs. Try and get to the heart of the matter and understand what lies beneath the feeling of overwhelm and anxiety? What is your fear really about?
Question 3: What can you do to create more CALM in your life?
Slow down – you can’t hurry calm!
If we word our goal as to “feel more calm” we will struggle to achieve it. That phrase represents more of a value and perhaps would be included in the “why” part of a vision statement. The question is “how” are we going to achieve. What changes and strategies can we create? Like most things worth working for, it will not be a quick fix.
A few steps might include:
- Identify your stressed habits – become are of how you behave when you are not calm – do you snap at people? Does your voice rise? Become aware.
- Train your mind to become calm – practice mindfulness and the first step is to have a mindful understanding of yourself.
- Is there something you need to heal that is causing you stress? Deep-seated buried emotions such as grief can filter into our every day lives and destroy our sense of calm.
- Is your life balanced? – what gives you joy?
- Reframe – at times, learn to describe your anxiety as excitement. Same symptoms occur!
- Calm your communication – speaking rapidly and flitting from one topic to another increases our sense of stress. Stop and listen to others.
- Learn breathing techniques! This is huge. We tend to breath incorrectly when we are stressed. Get your body working right and your mind will probably follow.
Being calm is not about being permanently laid back. It is about living life to the full, having a sense of meaning and engaging in good health habits! Sound familiar?
References: Global Wellness Institute
Greaves, S. (2017) (Editor) Real Calm, Psychologies Magazine
