Time and time again, we always believe that changing habits is easy. Truth be told, changing habits is hard. We need to turn on and switch off a button. It is more complex than that. The reason for that is a lot of time; we need to work on things. Tomorrow will be another day, and I will start exercising tomorrow; I will start eating better tomorrow, I will sleep on time, tomorrow I won't get angry and so on. We tend to procrastinate. We also create strong resolutions every year based on our desire for change. By the end of the first or second month, most of us have lost focus on our solutions.
The reason for that is the need for more commitment. There needs to be more motivation; more importantly, you know there is a wavering level of commitment. Today I am more committed than yesterday, and tomorrow I may not be as committed, so there is an uncertain level of responsibility, and this results in a lack of motivation, leading us into a spiral of wanting to make a change and yet not being able to make a change. It often happens, especially with the early onset of certain lifestyle diseases, and we tend to go to a doctor. The doctor gives us a diagnosis and leads us to do some blood reports, give us some critical information about our health and will provide a prescription with medication but may also prescribe specific lifestyle changes.
That prescription does not lead to action sometimes and most often since this process is not personalised to the clients, personal choices, way of living preferences, abilities, strengths and capabilities, and obstacles. This lack of personalisation in the client's journey leads to the client's failure to implement their desirable changes; indeed, the coach bridges the gap from having the desire to make a change to getting it done.
Here are my top three tools to improve health & wellness clients' coaching. These tools will help cultivate a robust health and wellness coaching relationship with your client.
1. Client-coach partnership
In many conventional approaches, when there is a practitioner and the client, usually the practitioner is at a higher level than the client. The practitioner tells them what to do, and the client is expected to follow that. This kind of communication and imposition without knowing what the client truly needs leads to a gap in the client and coach relationship.
In a true partnership, as in a health & wellness client and coach relationship, the coach and the clients are almost at the same level. The clients are at a higher level in the coaching relationship because it follows a client-centric approach. Everything is driven by the client, as no one knows their life better than themselves. The beauty is that within the client coaching relationship, the coach empowers the client to have a greater awareness of what they already know and brings it to the surface to cultivate a greater understanding, as change can only happen when you are aware. There is a need to make a change, and what could be the underlying reason or root causes that may be stopping you from implementing a change? That is the power of coaching; the coach creates an environment almost like a bubble where the client feels safe in the coaching relationship. The client feels they can trust their coaches and know that they are not being judged. They understand that this is where they can share the intimate details of their lives with their coaches.
Researchers pointed out that when we tell people to make changes, they don't. Still, when people are inspired to make changes, they have a deeper awareness of themselves. They can take accountability for their own lives. They have autonomy and self-efficacy, which is the belief that they can make the correct change.
2. Deep listening
It is a potent tool. I am sure you must have gone to a friend sometimes when you or a colleague had a challenge in your life or even in your partnership, even in a relationship. So when you go to someone and share a problem, we are typically quick to offer solutions. These solutions are based on our experiences, choices, and wisdom.
In contrast, in the coaching relationship, we deeply listen to the client about their perceptions, values, desires, aspirations, and life obstacles. This kind of deep listening is only when you are attentive. As a coach, you can reflect on your client's view and what is being said. The client feels the coach can understand them when they hear what they have said from the coach's mouth. This kind of deep listening is the first place of healing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBiskJV1UIo
Even when you offer no solutions but listen deeply, you know that the healing process has already started. So helping the hurt client and reflecting on what is being said is a great tool. Simple reflection allows the client to hear back their narration and also allows you to keep your ears open to possible solutions that the client may have discovered for themselves. Self-discovery of their solutions and having them hear back from the coach empowers them.
3. Accountability
The last stage of coaching is accountability, thus helping the client take responsibility for their own lives. That is very important, say, for example, as a practitioner or a coach, somebody comes to you who wants to exercise daily. You tell them why they don't go to a gym. And asking them to go to the gym is your suggestion, but something other than what the client may be comfortable with. Imposing your choices on the client or what you think is best for them rather than enabling them to make choices will not help them in the long run.
The right coach allows the client to cultivate more profound levels of awareness, make their own choices and enable them to take accountability for their own lives. Look around yourself; how many times have you told someone to change something about themselves, but they have only changed when they have the desire and the motivation? People need intrinsic or inner motivation to make a change in conventional approaches.
A lot of times, the practitioner is responsible for facilitating or implementing or enabling the accomplishment of the goal in the coaching relationship accountability must lie in the hands of the client. This accountability allows them to take autonomy of their lives and increases their self-efficacy and belief in their ability to make a small change. Taking responsibility for every small step or goal they have set for themselves allows them to travel the journey to words their optimum health and wellness, which is their perception and idea of life different for everyone.
How can Weljii help you
As a health and wellness coach, you need to get better at communicating with your clients to do full justice to both your capabilities and the health recovery goals of your clients. You need to construct a relationship with your customer that is meaningful and informative; you will need to learn to use the appropriate methods, routines, and approaches in your contact with them. Raise yourself to the next level in your journey to build a health & wellness coach relationship that is long-lasting and meaningful; start polishing your coaching and communication abilities at Weljii so that you may assist other people more effectively.
