6 Factors that Power Sustainable Lifestyle Change for Better Health.
Observations from a Health Coach
Let’s face it. Creating positive lifestyle habits is not always as simple as knowing what to do and what not to do. Many people who come to me for help with their health end up having to make significant shifts from the way they eat, sleep, exercise and even think. What powers this change?
Desperation
For many, I find it starts out with desperation. They have been in such a bad place in their health for so long that they are simply sick of being sick. For whatever reasons other health practitioners have not been able to offer them sustained relief and they feel disempowered — as though their health is no longer under their control — and they really want to retrieve their agency. ‘I’m willing to do anything to help my health,’ they say. When I ask them for a commitment level, it is very high. They have heard it from reliable sources that working with me will give them empowerment, education and methods to be able to tune into their needs and start to prioritise them. This makes them willing to make changes.
Understanding
Many lifestyle changes are powered by understanding. A health coach teaches exercises, yes, but she also explains how they will improve the chosen health markers (and ensures ways of tracking progress). For example if you have been told that palming is good for the eyes you may or may not do it, but once you understand exactly what happens in your eyes as you palm and why that will help you, the reasons and understanding help you think of it differently, and apply that information more often.
Accountability
Some people may know about how to get to their goals but need external accountability to help support their journey. Someone who will congratulate their efforts and progress and discuss next steps. Regular discussions about their progress towards their goals helps them ensure it stays a priority despite all the other pressures of life.
Conscientiousness
There are many who need very little accountability. They simply need information on the best ways to reach their goals. There is so much information about various methods to reach a health goal. My role with highly conscientious clients would be to find ways for them to make progress with the fewest and most time efficient steps, and tweak the steps based on their individual responses. It is very rewarding to see progress that ensues.
Seeing Results
Whichever of the previous driving factors have worked to motivate them to make lifestyle changes for their health, watching their progress as days and weeks go by is perhaps the single most important factor in keeping up the changes they made long term. After several years of frequent and intensely painful acidity, noticing the first day where they don’t have any is a reward in itself. It shows them how much power they have over how they feel once they are armed with the right information. Often, when they find that one goal was easily achievable, they are inspired to create new goals and continue their progress towards thriving — mentally and physically.
Pot of Joy
There are also times when nothing seems to motivate change. At this time I often ask them to do an exercise of finding five things which make them feel relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated. This does not mean watching TV or other forms of escape from life, but things that make them feel more alive and happy to be engaged so fully in their lives. Often this tends to bring up things they haven’t done since they were children, or had children, or moved countries. Gardening, singing, dancing, hiking, art, watching birds, spending time with friends or family, doing Yoga are some of the examples I have heard. These activities fill up what is often an empty pot of joy. Once they start to integrate some of the things which make them feel so good into their life, they are much more likely to have energy to make changes. Joy powers change that leads to more health and energy. What is better than a positive spiral to take you to better health and happiness.
Whether you are currently working with a health coach or on your own on your health journey, keep these factors in mind so you can figure out what drives you the most and use it to create the changes you want to see in your health.
Janani Dhinakaran PhD helps those with chronic illnesses improve their quality of life using positive lifestyle changes. She specialises in Autoimmunity but has a wide range of experience with prediabetes, anxiety, acidity, weight loss etc. https://riselife.org/testimonials/ She can be reached at janani@riselife.org