Common Health Coaching Myths Debunked

Below are the most common myths and doubts I’ve seen arise when talking with people about health coaching. Have you ever thought any of these yourself?

They’re going to make you eat all kale all the time

This is a big and very common misconception, and brings up another common assumption…

They only eat all things kale all the time

True story, two of my favorite things in this world are cookies (this recipe in particular, and it gets made at least a few times/month in my home) and martinis (extra dirty, up, dry, and preferably with stuffed olives, to be precise).

I completely understand both of these myths, because before I got on the healthy train I assumed the same of anyone in the wellness world. In reality, there are people like that. My approach though, and what I hope my clients aim to achieve, is a life of balance.

I recently told a client that if he went to Italy and didn’t eat the pasta or gelato that he wanted, only because he thought it was “bad” if he did, that I’d have some choice words for him.

Health coaching is about helping you figure out what foods and habits make YOU feel your best, and knowing when eating or doing things that don’t serve you are worth it (see: my client in Italy). It’s about progress not perfection. It’s about making small but impactful changes to create habits that will stick around. It’s not about counting calories, jumping on the latest diet trend, or just eating something because you hear it’s the new superfood.     

They don’t struggle with any health/wellness concerns themselves

Erroneous on both accounts!

One of the things that makes health coaches good at what they do is that they understand where you’re coming from because they’ve either gone through or still do struggle over the same things as you. This empathy makes the coaching relationship that much stronger, and it usually means they have that much more of an understanding of where you’re coming from and how to help. Perhaps something that they’ve tried will work for you!

They’ll judge your weight or your lifestyle habits

If they do, then they’re not doing their job. Similar to what I just mentioned, many coaches have been exactly where you are and the reason they’re in this field is because they want to use that understanding to help others get unstuck and make changes to feel happier and healthier too.

They don’t believe in Western medicine

My grandfather, father, twin brother, father-in-law and sister-in-law: all Medical Doctors. My grandmother and sister: both work in hospitals. My mother, mother-in-law, and older brother: all in the nursing field. I’d be kicked out of the family if I didn’t believe. In all seriousness, integrative nutrition is a means to supplement Western medicine and to get to the underlying root causes of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. My husband used to be on 2 different medications for his high blood pressure, and I never told him to stop taking them. After introducing yoga and more veggies into his world though, he’s no longer on any medication.

They’re too expensive for you to afford

The rates for health coaches vary greatly, but it’s often cheaper than people anticipate, especially when you compare it to the price of potential medical costs if you don’t take care of yourself. I encourage people to think about it as an investment in themselves.

We're so quick to spend in other areas of our lives (iPhones, gifts for others, new clothes/shoes, going out to eat or buying overpriced take-out meals, expensive beauty products, you name it) but we often hesitate when it comes to spending money on the things that really matter. 

What's truly more important than investing in your own health and wellness?

They won’t be able to help you

Of course, there are no guarantees in life. But typically, if you go into the process with both an open-mind and a commitment to actually showing up for yourself and doing the work, then you WILL see results. How often do you spend 60 minutes talking about yourself with someone who is truly, enthusiastically listening? Often times, the simple act of slowing down and being in a safe space to just talk about what’s going on in your life can be healing in and of itself.

If you’re interested in figuring out what exactly health coaching in the workplace is, or are curious about how we could work together, reach out for a complimentary 30-minute consultation! We’ll chat about what’s going on in your world, what concerns you have, and how I may be able to help.

Show Up for Yourself

Disclaimer: what I’m about to share is not one of my proudest moments.

I was rushing from work to get to yoga class and the roads on Google Maps were the shade of red you’d see in a horror movie trailer. Not pretty.

Class started in 10 minutes and the ETA on the GPS said I’d arrive to the parking lot in 16.

I wasn’t just taking the yoga class, I was the assistant for it as part of my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification. For any non-yogi’s reading, assisting a class basically means helping students with proper alignment and also being a calming presence.

So, when someone aggressively cut me off (I live in Boston, so you expect this to happen at least once per commute) I not only laid on my horn, I also flipped them off.

Did I mention this wasn’t my finest moment?

Some of the countless reasons this is entertaining:

1. I’m 5’2” – I’m not intimidating anyone

2. The windows in our used car are extremely tinted, which means no one can even really see me

As I realized the absurdity of this reactive response, and the level of irony involved given I was on my way to help people connect more deeply to yoga, I had to laugh to myself (if anyone actually could see inside of the car, yes, this did made me look even crazier).

It was clear that I could use a little more yoga myself.

At the time, I was seeing clients for my recently launched private career counseling practice, working on my 200-hour yoga teacher training, studying over 100 dietary theories at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach, managing having an adorable new golden retriever puppy, and in the busy season of my full-time job at Tufts University.

Each of these activities were aligned with my mission to help others live happier and healthier lives, but in reality, my own life was as out of balance as it had ever been. It was a great reminder of an analogy that’s often used in this realm:

You have to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.

Without giving myself space to breathe and refill my own tank, I was setting myself up to be less present with my clients and less focused on the trainings I was receiving. And in hindsight, there were a lot of other red flags. I was cooking less and the food choices I was making were impacting my energy levels and skipping my own workouts and yoga practice that make me feel more centered. I was also a little less patient with my husband around caring for our puppy.

I often remind my own clients and friends that you can do a lot, but not necessarily do it all as well as possible if you don’t take time to recharge. In this moment, sitting in my car, I realized I needed to practice what I preached. In the days and weeks following, when getting back into my routines, I reflected on what got me off track in the first place: my mindset.

I felt like my plate was so full that I could only focus on the things I needed to get done. Facing a growing to-do list, taking time away to do something unrelated seemed counterproductive to me. Luckily, there’s a growing body of research around the benefits of breaks which can serve as a reminder of the ultimate lesson (one that I know I constantly need to relearn!):  

Self-care is not selfish.

It also doesn’t have to be anything monumental. For me, it was giving myself permission to take the time to meal plan and to go to a few yoga classes a week, even if it meant my first blog post would take longer to publish. Sometimes, it can be as little as standing up at your desk and stretching, even if only for a minute, a few times a day. It can be remembering to drink enough water or pausing here and there just to breathe.

As you head into the rest of your week, here are some things to reflect on to help you remember to show up for yourself, too:

• Have you had any not-your-finest moments lately? Do they teach you anything about what you might be needing?

• What does self-care look like for you?

• What interferes with your ability to do the things that restore you?

• What little actions or habits can you do to take better care of yourself, so you can be more present in your personal and professional life?

My puppy Buster has grown up to be a very helpful assistant and takes his role very seriously.

P.S.

If you’d like a little help focusing on self-care, I have an event coming up in just a few weeks! Fellow health coach and yoga enthusiast Stephanie and I are hosting "Yoga and Meditation for Self-Love" on March 5th at Vega Vitality in Boston. For more details and registration, see my events page.