It’s hard to manage your wellness alone. A coach can help! But, what does a coach do and is getting a coach right for you? If you fit certain criteria, a coach may help you to improve your health over time. Want to learn more? Read below to find out what coaching is and why it matters. Then, answer our questions to determine if you need a coach!
What is a Coach?
Simply put, a coach is someone who helps you to achieve your goals. But, they do that in a very specific way. A coaching engagement is one-on-one, so it’s always tailored to you and your needs. It’s also collaborative and focused on the future. Instead of trying to determine why you behave the way you do, like a therapist would, a coach helps you determine new behaviors you should start doing.
Overall, coaches help to direct you toward your goals by raising your awareness. By giving you space to derive goals and strategies for obtaining them, coaches are there to guide your process. They aren’t there to provide you with content, like a trainer would. And they aren’t there to give you advice, like a mentor would. They take a systematic approach, but the goal is to get you to set the agenda and to solidify next steps for yourself. Even though it sounds relaxed, this process is very structured. So, the coach should be well-trained in how to deliver results.This means you should always find a coach that is certified.
Question 1: Is Your Job Very Stressful?
In determining if you need a coach, the first question to answer is whether or not your job is stressful enough to warrant one. It’s hard to say if a certain type of job is more stressful than another. It’s really more about your personal experience of the job. Whereas some jobs do have higher stress and burnout levels on average, like working in an emergency room, people can experience and cope with stress differently.
Do you feel a great amount of anxiety at work? Do you frequently feel overwhelmed when you’re on the job? Are you in a job where you experience cognitively or emotionally taxing events frequently? If you generally work in a high-tension environment or encounter highly chaotic or emotional situations at times, you might be experiencing your job as stressful. But, even if you don’t have a work environment like this, you might still feel stressed. If you are stressed at work, you will benefit even more from coaching.
Question 2: Do You Have the Time for a Coach?
This is a trick question. Making time for interventions that support your health should be a non-negotiable. But the great news about coaching is that it doesn’t take that much time. A recent study showed that even just three to four hours of coaching can make a big difference. This study found that it decreased burnout, while increasing psychological capital and work engagement. The best part: the results lasted even after 6 months had passed since the coaching was received. Those are amazing findings!
However, while you only need a small amount of time in coaching sessions, you will receive homework. But, that homework is part of your journey toward goal achievement. So, it’s not “busy work”. It’s actually actively driving you toward the vision you set for yourself. In other words, it does take some extra time, but it’s really valuable to spend your time that way.
Question 3: Do You Have an Issue that You Need to Be Coached Through?
Finally, if your job is causing you stress and you are ready to commit, ask yourself whether or not you’d like to make a life change. Maybe you are thinking of leaving your job. Perhaps you want to find ways to better balance the job you have with your life outside of work. You might even want to switch career paths or start a new business. Being open to thinking through what you need in life and what steps could get you there is key.
So, if you feel like you are ready to shake things up a bit, you might be well-served by finding a coach. Coaches generally use a lot of tools, like personality assessments or self-reflection exercises. They might also use visioning techniques, so that you can set appropriate goals. This means you learn a lot about yourself in the coaching process. You might learn things you didn’t expect as well! That’s ok – it’s all part of the journey. Being ready and willing to learn and grow toward a “new you” is a crucial requirement for benefiting from coaching. Now, are you ready to set some goals and start getting after them? Find a coach that can help!
