“As the nervous system unwinds, your attention expands to dissolve self doubt, to enhance you interest in listening and guide you toward the most inspired choices that are always in reach..”
— Matt Kahn
Wired & Tired?
A Nervous System Reboot
Health Coaching's Role in Stress Management
Rushing out the door after waking up late, laundry piling up, deadlines at work, family commitments, bills to pay, conflicting priorities, emotions we'd rather not deal with...
Stress is a part of life. It's inevitable. While the fight or flight stress response is needed for slamming on the brakes to avoid a crash, it is detrimental to our health if it becomes chronic. When our fight or flight response becomes chronic, We experience negative health such as: decreased digestion, weight gain, increased blood glucose, increased blood pressure, and anxiety. As chronic stress builds up and takes a seat in our lives, we become increasingly susceptible to chronic illnesses.
But before you get too discouraged, let’s look at an effective way to manage stress - health coaching!
Several ways health coaching can help you decrease or at least manage your stress:
Someone to talk to: Sometimes the most stress relieving thing we can do is talk to someone. Whether it's venting to your coach about a barrier to your health goal or just simply talking about your day, talking to someone can take a load off of your shoulders. It also helps put things in perspective and allows you to see things more clearly.
Identify chronic behaviors: You might be experiencing unneeded stress related to chronic behaviors, such as exhaustive bouts of exercise, drinking and tobacco habits, or emotional eating behaviors. Whatever it may be, your health coach can help you identify and then improve these behaviors, allowing you to reach your goals and decrease your stress.
Mindfulness: Participating in health coaching helps create an attitude of mindfulness. It allows you to reflect on your behaviors and consider what is and is not working for you.
Navigate health information: Your health coach can help you navigate your way through the world of health. With so much accessible information out there it's easy to become overwhelmed and stressed about following the best health practices. Participating in health coaching is a great way to sift through all of the available health information.
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