Wellness: It starts with listening
Twenty-nine-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin is as one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. She has the most World Cup wins of any alpine skier in history and is the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history. In 2023, Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world.
Shiffrin’s head coach Karen Harjo holds a degree in molecular biology and has never competed in ski racing, yet she’s helped Shiffrin successfully reach her performance goals. When asked what her secret coaching strategy is Harjo stated, “with any person, it starts with listening.”
Listening and developing a trusting rapport is not only a great strategy for sports coaches, it’s an important tenant of health and wellness coaching (HWC), which at its core is a client-centered, growth-fostering partnership to assist clients in achieving their highest level of health and wellbeing. Like Shiffrin’s coach, an HWC doesn’t need to be an expert in a certain disease or life stage but must be skilled in asking questions, motivation, support, accountability and encouragement. A good HWC helps you move beyond symptom management toward optimal health and wellness, and a positive mindset. The prevalence of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity have increased in Canada since 2015. These conditions can be modified by nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep hygiene, positive relationships and spirituality. HWCs act as bridge between health information and behaviour change. They can empower their clients to become experts on their own bodies, minds and circumstances. They work with them to identify challenges and blind spots preventing change, and they provide personalized support and accountability strategies. An HWC is on your team and they help you dream big!
We all have goals and dreams that can be easily sabotaged by old patterns, habituated comforts, perceived lack of time, or by other people and situations in our lives. An HWC is a collaborative partner, not an expert, who facilitates conversation to help you findclarity, achieve results, stay motivated and accountable to yourself. Some clients are looking to prevent disease, others are frustrated with mainstream medical care, and others are going through life changes that are impacting their wellness, including the death of a loved one, perimenopause and aging. No matter where you are on your journey, an HWC will meet you where you are.
I will be teaching meditation skills and sharing a free heart-centered meditation at the Creemore Village Green at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 25. No meditation experience necessary. I look forward to seeing you there.
Nicole Hambleton is a wellness coach, meditation, and energy medicine practitioner living in Mulmur. Visitwww.purpletentwellness.com and find her on Instagram @purpletentwellness.
