Coaching in Action: Having an Outlet for the "Different" Conversations can bring Positive Change

Derek Arsenault (CSEP-CPT, PN1)
11 hours ago
4 min read

My 25yrs in the Health & Wellness field has continued to grow and evolve, and the past handful of years have been like none other! With that said, I want to start to help people understand the value of a Health & Wellness Coach, and how a Coach can help YOU create positive change in your approach and mindset in your deep health.

With that, I'm starting a new section of our blog called "Coaching in Action", with stories to help share the awesomeness that can happen when client and coach have great conversations and work together!

I am constantly amazed at how the most basic of human foundations, conversation, can create positive change and shifts in your deep health, in your mindset and bring those "ah ha" moments. However, we NEED an outlet to HAVE and SPARK those kinds of conversations. That's what coaching brings. This is where my career has changed, and continues to evolve (and I love every bit of it!).

Client #1

An example of what I'm talking about came up recently with a client. First, some quick details...

My client is home from University and working her summer job
Her summer job is shift work
She had a goal for herself this summer to really focus in on herself and her health, and building habits to carry with her back to school in the fall

This hasn't gone as planned.

Granted there's some small changes here and there, most of her targets she set for herself are not being met. All great ideas, but not much in terms of the follow through or end result. Our past couple sessions (bi-weekly sessions together) we quite all over the map in regards to the goals, what's going on, jumping from one thing to another (in regards to possible things to work on). Many times clients will chalk this up to "laziness", "they just can't find the motivation" (i.e. self-blame) - However, that's often NOT the case I've learned. It's then discovering what's holding them back or what's going on at the roots to not allow them to progress as THEY are aiming for.

I told her I had an idea for our next session together but we need to be sure we zero in on it. She was game, as she usually is (which makes it fun for both of us!) 🙂

We did an exercise called "The Tournament of Priorities". Essentially, we narrowed things down to figure out what's IMPORTANT TO HER, RIGHT NOW. Guess what? Neither of her targets she was aiming for were in her top 3 priorities!! "AH HA!"*

We also discovered that her top priority was non-existent when she's on one particular shift!!! This in itself was another big "ah-ha" moment for both of us.

*This is an example of where open conversations between coach and client can create positive change for the client. We can learn, experiment and better get to the deeper roots of what is important TO HER and build habits that hold true from there!

Yet that wasn't "THE BIG MOMENT" in our session. Honestly, I don't even remember why it came up, but we chatted about her waking up a certain time of day from a particular shift at work. It made me ask; "So when do you go to bed on that shift?" That's when we started to uncover something TOGETHER: Her sleep is ALL OVER THE MAP!! Look what we discovered...

Shift 1: She sleeps 8.5hrs

Shift 2: She sleeps 6.5hrs

Shift 3: She sleeps 10.5hrs

Shift 4: She sleeps 10hrs

Shift 5: She sleeps 12hrs

*For reference, most adults need 7-9hrs of sleep for optimum health and metabolic function

**Her shifts are only varied by an hour at either end, yet her sleep patterns vary more dramatically

We were both getting excited as I explained this to her. I reminded her we're NOT seeking perfection. We also have to remember that shift work is ANYTHING but natural to humans. HOWEVER, the fact that there is TOO MUCH sleep 60% of the time says alot about her motivation, energy, habit choices etc...

From a conversation, we figured out TWO major factors in her current daily habits that can GREATLY impact her creating changes in her health practices. And now we have a clearer direction and a narrowed focus as we progress into her next month of summer.

Client #2

This was a similar situation and an "ah ha" moment was created through simple conversation and sharing.

This client was a client for a short time in the past, who had come to me for some balance exercises a couple years back. This year, when she was in for an appointment at the studio with another practitioner, she mentioned her balance is "still off, but I'm trying to do the exercises regularly still". We went back and forth a bit about her upcoming trip, her regular walking (that's never an issue with her) and then I asked a simple question again:

Me: "How are you sleeping?".

Her response: "Oh don't even go there! I haven't slept well in a few years"

I talked about my Sleep, Stress Management and Recovery Coaching Certification and that as a Certified Sleep Coach, if she wanted to dive into this we certainly could. I reminded her that if she lacks sleep (quantity and quality), her balance WILL have a VERY hard time improving since it's the nervous system that plays a major role in our balance, stability and proprioception. She said I DEFINITELY could use some help with sleep.

Fast forward: We've had just TWO sleep sessions and her sleep has shift positively from a few years of 4 hours or LESS, to 6-6.5hrs most nights!

All stemming from a CONVERSATION.

It's been shared with me before from clients (past and present) how the conversations we have together are NOT had elsewhere with many other people. Why? Because most of your friends and family are chatting about the same things "everyone else" is;

...whatever is the fad this week,

...whatever popped up on their social media that day,

...whatever they're trying themselves currently

...whatever they think you "should" or "should not" be doing

Health and Wellness Coaching is about YOU!

-It helps you RE-LEARN how to TRUST your body

-It helps you SELF-EXPERIMENT and BUILD from WITHIN YOURSELF and YOUR CURRENT LIFESTYLE

-It helps you take SUSTAINABLE, REALISTIC steps toward positive change

-It helps you understand that you're MORE than an exercise program and nutrition plan

For more information: https://www.zenergywellnessstudio.com/wellness-health-habits