“I know what I should do but I just can’t seem to get myself to do it.” “I make progress toward my goals but then I sabotage myself.” “I just can’t seem to get out of my own way.” “I’ve lost and gained the same twenty pounds so many times I’ve lost count.” Sound familiar… read on.
Over the last eight years working as a health coach I’ve heard clients express these frustrations over and over again. Human behavior is both so fascinating and so complicated. We often say we want one thing, yet we do the opposite. We get stuck in the same patterns of behavior despite a desire to change. We start to make some progress only to find ourselves right back where we started. We ask ourselves why and yet the answer alludes us. If you’re feeling stuck, wanting to make a change to enhance your well-being, but can’t seem to do what you need to do to make it happen,a health coach can help.
A certified health coach is someone with a degree in a health-related field and who has had extensive training and education in facilitating behavior change. Coaches are not experts who tell us what to do. Instead, coaches act as guides, who sit in the passenger seat to facilitate our journey toward well-being.
Every coaching relationship begins with the coach helping the client describe her vision of her own personal well-being. What is it you really want? Who do you want to be? What are your strengths, motivations and values? Once the client has established a compelling vision, the coach will help her set meaningful, achievable goals. Along they way the client will uncover truths about herself that she may never have seen before. She will gain clarity around the life she wants to lead and what is truly important to her. The coach will be there every step of the way to provide guidance and support to enable her to make her vision of well-being her reality. What is your vision of well-being? What would it feel like to live in that space?
If you want to read more about the benefits of coahcing, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/psychiatry-psychology/study-finds-wellness-coaching-benefits-last-over-time.
If you’re thinking, “Wow! This sounds like exactly what I need”, you are in luck because one of the benefits of your Cigna health plan is free health coaching. Go to www.mycigna.com click on Manage My Health and select My Health Assistant Online Coaching from the drop down menu. Coaching is free and confidential. There is no contract or obligation so you have nothing to lose. All you have to gain is a supportive ally who can help you achieve and maintain your highest level of well-being.