3 Ways Wellness Coaching Can Improve Your Summer

We made it! Summer is finally here. While the sun shines warmly down upon us, you may find yourself traveling quite a bit, or engaging in activities that are new and potentially challenging for you. You might even find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the plans and engagements you have committed to over the next few months. 

If you're wondering: “why am I feeling overwhelmed? These activities are meant to be fun and fulfilling for me!” Or, “why do I feel anxious about an upcoming travel plan?,” you are not alone. 

As a wellness coaching online, many of the people I work with have these same questions and feelings arise when there is a lot on their plate. One of the challenges this time of year, with the plethora of invitations for activities, is that it can be hard to prioritize which activities will be meaningful for us, and say no to others. This is where a Wellness Coach can be helpful in supporting you as you navigate your summer schedule and goals, and helping you gain clarity about your “yes’s” and your “no’s.” 

So what is a Wellness Coach and what do they do? I’m sure you’ve heard the term, but perhaps are still unclear about what we do and why you would work with a Wellness Coach. So I'm here to answer your questions. 

What is a Wellness Coach and what does a Wellness Coach do? 

A wellness center helps you gain clarity and make lifestyle changes around specific areas that pertain to your health and well-being. This could include addressing your eating habits, examining tthe relationship you hold with yourself and others, or exploring your life purpose and meaning. Wellness workshops support you in gaining clarity, creating realistic goals, and taking small steps to achieve your goals. Coaches are not just there to hold you accountable or scold you for not doing what you planned on completing, but to help you be more accountable to yourself, and deeply support you as you work towards your dreams. 

What results can I expect from working with a Wellness Coach? 

One of the biggest results you can expect to see when working with a Wellness coach is more clarity and direction in your life, and feelings of more support, fulfillment, and ease as you make incremental changes towards your goals. 

How do you become a Wellness Coach? 

There are many different ways to become a Wellness Coach. There are certification programs that you can attend in person, and those that are completely virtual. There are also Master Degree programs like the one I attended at the California Institute of Integral Studies. If you are interested in becoming a Wellness Coach, I recommend becoming a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). The National Board for Health and wellness coaching services has been forging the way in creating

standards around Health and Wellness Coaching since 2017 when the board exam first appeared. Many organizations are now requiring Wellness Coaches to become NBC-HWC in order to be hired. In order to sit for the board exam the NBHWC requires you to attend an approved program, complete 50 health and 

wellness coaching sessions, and have an associates degree or have worked for 4000 hours. This ensures you gain enough experience and adequate oversight and training in the standards and ethics of the coaching profession. There are many programs out there that will support you on your path to becoming a health and wellness coach, just make sure to look at their accreditation and reviews before choosing one. 

How do I find a Wellness Coach? 

To Find a Wellness Coach, the first place I would start would be to ask your friends and family if they know of any. Word of mouth is always a great place to begin because you can hear people’s first hand experience with that individual. If you want to search the internet, I recommend beginning with the NBHWC directory of board certified coaches. Always make sure to inquire about a free consultation before committing to working with anyone. Many coaches will offer a free 15 minute consultation prior to beginning your work together; this is a good time to ask any questions you may have, and see if it’s a good fit for you as well as the coach. 

Now that we have some clarity about what a Wellness Coach is and what they do, here are 3 tangible ways a Wellness Coach can help you improve your summer this year: 

1) Gain clarity: 

Wellness Coaches are really good at asking incisive questions and being objective and reflective listeners. They can help you uncover answers to questions that you may have felt blocked from answering yourself. This is helpful during the summer when you may feel unclear about how to prioritize your time and begin to feel overwhelmed with the commitments you have made or the options you have. They can help support you in figuring out what activities are priorities for you, and how to say no to other plans. 

2) Take time for yourself: 

A Wellness Coach not only asks great questions, but they have a plethora of resources and tools to help you learn about yourself, and explore your needs, values, and intentions. With a jam-packed summer schedule, it can be challenging to carve out time for yourself which can lead to illness and burnout. A Wellness Coach can help you learn how to prioritize and set aside time for you, or help you get clarity about what that would even look like. 

3) Get Motivated: 

It’s all too easy to set up summer goals that seem daunting or unachievable. Perhaps you have a specific number of books you would like to read, or are wanting to get more active or in shape for that beach bod. A Wellness Coach can support you in developing and maintaining motivation to realize these goals. They can help you create small steps towards reaching these goals and “hold your hand” as you get more connected to your goals and why you want to achieve them. 

Whether you have specific goals in mind, or are simply wanting a change in your life, Wellness Coaching can support you on your path, and help you have an amazing summer season. 

By Lovewell Relationship Coach Drew Anne Wolfson

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