 Health Coaching is a relatively new profession in the healthcare space. I find that many people don’t really understand what health coaches do.
According to the relatively new National Board that certifies Health Coaches, “Effective health coaches help clients set realistic and achievable wellness goals. They collaborate with clients to develop personalized action plans, breaking down long-term objectives into smaller, manageable steps to foster progress and success.” - NBC-HWC I like to explain it using the analogy of a road trip. Health coaches are skilled in and trained to encourage and support people who are on a health journey from where they currently find themselves to where they know they can be. Health coaches help clients to envision the possibilities with their health and chart a course to take them there. The client’s own strengths, values, and resources define the path they will take, while a coach provides evidence-based guide rails … and often some fuel for the motivational fire! In my private health coaching practice, I primarily help busy moms adopt simple, sustainable health habits so they can feel good in their bodies and have the energy to be fully present with their kids. If that sounds like you, enter your contact information on the right side of this page to request my complimentary 7 Day Energy Reboot Workbook. This workbook contains 7 days worth of simple tips and strategies to get you started on your journey toward more energy and being the calm, present person that you want to be for the people most important to you. I’ll be leading a new small group using this workbook starting October 22nd, and I will give you more information about how to join that group if you are interested.
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 Have you heard about the Blue Zones? If not, check out the new docuseries about them on Netflix. My son and I have been enjoying it. It reminded me again of what a difference it makes when you feel like you have a strong purpose for your life. I’ve heard it said along the lines of bringing something to the world that you contribute rather than just being a consumer all the time. For some it is art or writing. For me it is my family and the encouragement that I provide my clients and the support I give to kids and families involved in foster care.
Having a purpose gives you a reason to care for yourself! It gives a deeper layer of importance to what otherwise might feel self-indulgent. In my private health coaching practice, I work with busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... and then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They are frazzled and stressed when they want to be present and enjoyable company for their favorite people. We work to identify the deeper purposes that provide the motivation to incorporate energy boosting strategies. If that sounds like you, enter your information on the right to receive my complimentary 7 Day Energy Reboot Workbook. This workbook contains 7 days worth of simple tips and strategies to get you started on your journey toward more energy and being the calm, present person that you want to be for the people most important to you. What will you think about the decisions you made today, tomorrow? Will your tomorrow-self be thankful for the choices you made today? It’s easy to pick the thing that feels good for the next 10 minutes … screen time, indulgent foods, comfort zones. But tomorrow, or even 10 minutes from now, it doesn’t feel good to be disappointed, frustrated, or uncomfortable. What would happen to your choices right now if you get into the habit of checking in with your tomorrow-self when you make a decision? Will what you are grabbing to eat give you sustainable energy? WIll how you are spending your time right now get you closer to where you want to be tomorrow? In my private health coaching practice, I work with busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... and then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They need to come up with simple strategies and habits that will fill their cups with energy so they can have the presense and clarity of mind after the have-to-dos to actually enjoy and be present for their families and to pursue their passions. Having habits in place like checking-in with your tomorrow-self when making a decision can help! If that sounds like you, enter your contact information on the right side of this page to request my 7 Day Energy Reboot Workbook. This workbook contains 7 days worth of simple tips and strategies to get you started on your journey toward more energy and being the calm, present person that you want to be for the people most important to you.   Habit change is not easy. It takes time, intentionality, and persistence to rewire the automatic channels in our brains. It helps to enjoy the process and celebrate milestones along the journey even if you haven’t arrived at your “destination” yet.
I encourage this principle a lot in my coaching practice with clients. And recently, I’ve had to realize that the same principles seem to apply as I am building my private coaching practice. In the same way I encourage my clients to experiment with different strategies and learn from setbacks, I have had to do that in my business. And sometimes in coaching I am encouraging people that what they are doing is working … it just takes more time and consistency. The same applies to my business. So, even though I haven’t had a single person sign up to work with me because of the TotTreks, I find that I enjoy them and more and more people are enjoying them too. So, I’ll stick with that and see what comes of it down the road. Even if your new exercise program isn’t showing you the weight loss you were expecting, you know it makes you feel better later in the day … so stick with it and see what comes of it down the road. As a board certified health coach myself, I work with busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... and then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They want to have the energy after the have-to-dos to actually enjoy and be present for their families and to pursue their passions. Long term habit changes that result in more energy don’t happen overnight and having the encouragement of a health coach in your corner can make a difference in being persistent. If that sounds like you, contact me using the button below and I'll send you a link so you can schedule a free 15-minute Discovery Call. On that call we can chat about the changes you would like to see with your health, energy, and presence and we can discover together if coaching with me would be a good fit for you.  I had my first phone call with my new health coach the other day. Even as I guide and encourage people in their health journeys, I have areas in my own life that I want to improve. Her outside view into my circumstances, and the simple fact that she is going to check in with me again next week, keeps me moving forward on my own journey toward greater wellness and energy.
Health coaching is growing in prominence and respect in the medical community. Two years ago, a podcast aired discussing The Evolution of Wellness Coaching. The conversation covers the fundamental tenets of coaching, the coaching relationship and how this can result in superior health behavior change outcomes at lower costs than traditional medical interventions. While I am not in a position to really warrant traditional medical interventions, I know that I have not “arrived” with my own health habits. I look forward to having my coach’s encouragement, accountability, and support for the next few months. As a board certified health coach myself, I work with busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... and then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They want to have the energy after the have-to-dos to actually enjoy and be present for their families and to pursue their passions. Having the outside view and accountability of a health coach can make a big difference! If that sounds like you, contact me using the button below and we can see what working with a health coach will provide you so that you have the energy now and far into the future for the things that matter most!  I had the privilege of speaking at three different MOPS groups over the past few weeks. If you are not familiar with MOPS, it is a 50-year-old organization of thousands of groups of moms meeting around the world. One of the main purposes of the organization is to connect moms with each other in what has the potential to be a very isolating time in their lives.
Because I started an online group during COVID, it has been a while since I have been to a live group with moms sitting next to each other connecting over the table. It was so fun for me! Not only did I have the opportunity to pour into these precious ladies through leading a conversation about self-care, but I also got to just hang out with them and feel the community and support that are so evident when MOPS ladies meet together. In my coaching calls with clients, at the beginning we like to identify supports and environments that they can lean on while making health habit changes. Typically, the “supports” are really just supportive people. The people a person feels are on their team and will encourage them in their health journey. Making a change is not easy, and having someone in your corner cheering you on can make such a difference! So, who is in your corner? Who are the people who want the best for you? Who are the people you can count on to encourage you toward your goals? Part of my job as a health coach is being a part of that support system. Having someone with an outsider’s perspective who can hold you accountable can help you make the shift from “I know I should” … to “Here I go!!” In my private coaching practice, I join the support team for busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... but then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They want to have the energy after the have-to-dos to actually enjoy and be present for their people and to pursue their passions. If that sounds like you, click on the button below to schedule a complimentary 15 minute Energy Reboot Strategy Session and we can work together to develop new healthy self-care habits with the support of your team so that you have the energy for the things that matter most!  I got to spend a little bit of time with my niece and nephew this weekend. They are two and five. Such a fun age! The little one is solidly in the "I can do it myself" stage. We spent some time at the Pittsburgh Zoo and we did a short hike in the Laurel Highlands. Towards the end of both of those expeditions, she had reached her limit and was willing to accept a piggy-back ride. Just made my heart melt!
Chasing the two of them around the backyard and at the playground and being able to carry her when she got tired reminded me about why I do some of the things that I do day in and day out. I was able to carry her on my back on that hike partially becuase I run in the woods a lot. I can fit on the slides becuase of the health choices that I make. I had the energy to carry her at the zoo partially becuase of the strength training that I do every week. I want to be the 75-year-old grandma hiking mountains with my grandkids. That dream starts long before I reach the age of 75 ... I have to train for it now! What motivates you to make your health choices? What do you want to be able to do now and 30 years from now? I came to the sad realization a few months ago that my motivation to get myself out the door for my runs was waning. It was time to get a race on the calendar. It is amazing how motivating training for an event can be. And it doesn't have to be a race. I've had clients use everything from races to weddings as motivation for their day-to-day "training." Well ... maybe don't decide to get married just so that you will be motivated to make some health changes, but getting married does seem to be a very strong motivation for a lot of people! For most of us though, putting something like a 5K run or walk on the calendar is realistic and also very motivating. Many clients over the years have gotten into a better exercise (and sometimes eating) routine in preparation for a vaction that they know they will enjoy more if they are fit. If that sounds like you, use the link below to schedule a compliementary 15 min strategy session and we can work together to discover if something like getting an active event on the calendar will motivate you to make the changes you know you want to make so you have the energy for the things that matter most!   When life gives you snow in March, you go skiing! Actually, we already had the quick trip planned because friends let us have some free passes they weren't able to use and Lincoln had the day off school.
The drive down was a bit wild with fresh snow on the road, but knowing that the tough driving conditions were going to make excellent skiing conditions kept me going. Health goals can be a bit like that. The journey can be a bit difficult and take longer than you anticipate. Knowing that it will be worth it in the long run is sometimes the difference between continuing on and making a u-turn back to where you started from. In my coaching practice, I work with busy women who do ALL.THE.THINGS ... but then end up feeling used up and exhausted by dinnertime. They want to have the energy after the have-to-dos to actually enjoy and be present for their people and to pursue their passions. If that sounds like you, schedule a complimentary 15 minute Energy Reboot Strategy Session and we can work together to develop a clear and compelling destination and clear road map that works for you in your current life so that you have the energy for the things that matter most!  My friend Lisa Howell has partnered with me to put on a "March Mindfulness Paint Class!"
The other week I attended one of her paint classes for her business, Paint Me Pretty. That one was themed specifically around self-care. I left the boys at home, learned some watercolor techniques, enjoyed some great company, and didn't think of laundry or work or what to make for dinner once! It was a beautiful reminder for me that sometimes doing something that I might consider out-of-the box for me (like going to an art class) can provide a healthy reset button in my go-go-go get-stuff-done heart. I came home with some really cute projects and a fresh attitude of calm for my family. This one will be an abstract paint class. The image to the right is not our specific painting but is an example of a painting that develops from this type of class. No experience (or even interest!) in art to attend! Yep, you don't even have to be interested in painting to enjoy this night! I've worked with ladies where this was their first artwork as an adult and they raved about the experience! We will combine the practice of self-care and mindfulness with the experience of create a unique piece of art. Lisa has been cooking up some inspirational paint classes to fulfill a passion that has been welling up within her. There has always been a stigma attached to mental health but she thinks we are all becoming more comfortable with the idea that we can all use a little help pertaining to internal wellness and mindset. This will be a safe space where we can freely, yet privately, work through the negative thoughts that are absorbed subconsciously throughout the busyness of life and no fault of our own. You will take home this abstract work of art to be your daily reminder that you are more than your failures/mistakes. My aim is not to just make you "feel-good" but to discuss ways to embrace all the highs and lows of our being. We just have to be brave enough to show up, accept who we are, and learn healthy ways to respond to all circumstances that come our way. Join us to see what these are all about and join this new community of friends! Friday, March 10th, 6pm 303 Dairy Lane, Morgantown WV 26508 Admission: $35 per person - Medium-sized Canvas Register here: SIgnup Page |
AuthorKatie Kolb - Health Coach Archives
October 2023
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