Life Coaching: Your Pathway to Improved Health and Happiness
“Sarah” had a good life*. She had a loving family, a good career, and a supportive community. She wasn’t unhappy with the choices she’d made in life, and, truth be told, if she had to do it all over, she’d make them all again. But she wasn’t satisfied anymore. Sarah wanted to do more than just exist in the status quo, she wanted to thrive.
Sarah wanted to be stronger. She wanted to lose inches around her waist and be healthier. Going upstairs shouldn’t be such a chore and “exercise” shouldn’t be a dirty word.
The thing is, she’d tried fitness programs in the past. Sarah recognized the value of exercise and training, but she’d never found one that fit her lifestyle that she could sustain. And then she met a life coach.
After having a simple, brief conversation about goal setting, accountability, and other practices that are at the heart of coaching, she knew this had potential. She had a feeling that the custom plan her life coach would create with her could actually help her find the lifestyle, strength, and overall health she was craving.
And Sarah was right!
She dove right in and after about two months of coaching, the results were astonishing. She’d lost weight, felt better on stairs, and could hold a plank for the first time in years. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know how to do the work to get these results before now, but working with a life coach gave her individual support and a plan to make it happen.
Accountability and consistency were now her best friends and part of her everyday life.
Sarah’s story is true for a client in life coaching in Virginia Beach, but it is not an unusual outcome. Studies show that life coaching benefits your health in many ways. Research (1) reveals these five possibilities:
High Goal Attainment
When working with a life coach, you design a plan for what is important to you, and you alone. If you choose to focus on health and goals centered around your eating and exercise habits, you’re much more likely to achieve your desired results. Studies show that working with a life coach can lead to high goal attainment, which means when you make being healthy your goal, you achieve a healthier lifestyle.
By being consistent with her coaching plan, Sarah started achieving her fitness goals quicker than she ever thought she could - which made her very happy indeed!
Decreased Anxiety and Depression
Achieving your goals certainly does make you happy! And when you’re happy, anxiety and depression can decrease their hold on your life. Decades of research link anxiety and depression to multiple serious and chronic illnesses. If you can decrease these through a person-centered approach that is sustainable, such as through life coaching, you can increase your overall health.
Research shows “overwhelming evidence” (2) between fitness, good health, and long lives. This is nothing new. And this is why Sarah has made working on her health her primary goal with her life coach - because she wants a high quality of life.
Increase Self-Efficacy
At the heart of what life coaching does, you’ll find an increase in self-efficacy, or control over your behavior. Your life coach doesn’t choose your plan that focuses on increasing healthy habits - you do. You are the one calling the shots. And you know what? That’s exactly as it should be.
If you design a plan to maintain healthy habits that benefit your body, you’ll be more likely to keep at it. This is wonderful for your self-esteem, self-confidence, and many other aspects of mental health which are central to overall health.
Sarah answered specific, directed questions while creating her coaching plan. This was the beginning of her taking control over her health and wellness. Now she feels a new sense of accomplishment and success she hadn’t experienced when trying group fitness programs or struggling on her own.
Adherence to Medications
Modern medicine is a beautiful thing, don’t you think? But if you don’t stick with what you should be taking, you’re health may suffer. The increase in self-efficacy and strong decision-making skills that come with life coaching help you develop good habits, such as the mindset of taking your medications on time. Studies reported that people working with life coaches showed an improvement in sticking with their medications. This is so important for maintaining good health! Medicine doesn’t work if you don’t take it!
Improved Health
Life coaching results can include improved health outcomes through the techniques used by a certified life coach. How your health is improved depends on what changes you want to make.
Sarah wanted to get stronger while losing weight at the same time. Both of these she has achieved sustainably. And it’s only been a couple of months! She is excited to see how her improvement increases as her coaching continues and her personal plan evolves.
So, what changes do you want to make?
If you are ready to move forward on your path to health and wellness, book a free 30-minute call with affordable Life Coach Stephanie Marie today. You are on your way to being more happy, healthy, and confident!
Please go to www.stephaniemariescoaching.com to book a free call today!
*The client's name has been changed to maintain confidentiality.
References