Wellness and the Coach

You choose to coach because you want to help other people. However, many coaches are better at supporting their clients than they are at helping themselves. Unless you’re at your best, you can’t support your clients effectively. Therefore, understanding the cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of your own wellness is fundamental in order to be a successful and sustainable support to your clients.

Research conducted by ALCHEMY Career Management in 2014 demonstrated that, by making small changes based on the four recommendations outlined on the next page, people were able to reduce stress by eight percent, decrease workload pressure by 16 percent and increase their focus and concentration in six weeks.

Time to Be Selfish

Think of the safety demonstration on an aircraft. In case of an emergency, we’re instructed to secure our own oxygen mask before assisting the person next to us. While this may seem selfish at first, the logic is undeniable: We need to make sure that we get sufficient oxygen so that we can be of assistance to others. Failure to do so puts us at risk and renders us of little use to those around us.

The same can be said for the role and responsibility of a coach. Unless you look after yourself and get that oxygen, you’re no good to your clients. Once you are ready to be selfish, you are one step closer to making the kind of sustained behavior change that is required to be at your very best and consistently add value to your clients.

Research points to two disciplines that combine to facilitate your wellness profile: neurological wellness (i.e., your cognitive and emotional wellness) and behavioral wellness.