Two years ago, I had no idea what a health coach was. After a chance meeting at a party, an old friend introduced me to it and led me to embark on this journey and, eventually, start Santosha.
It's no secret our health system is broken: we focus on treating the symptoms of illness, rather than the root cause; and more and more people are living with chronic illness. We have the power to prevent and reverse this by changing our habits, but change is hard -it takes drive and requires motivation and strategy.
That’s where health coaching comes in. A health coach is a wellness authority who empowers people to be the expert of their own minds, bodies and circumstance, bridging the gap between knowledge and behaviour and helping people identify challenges that are holding them back from making change. A health coach provides support and accountability whilst helping people to discover their “why” and reach their goals.
How does health coaching work? It’s a collaborative approach - a coach is there to listen and guide, not tell you what to do. A coach does not just apply a ‘one-size-fits-all’ method. Instead, it’s about allowing the client to be truly heard, and designing a wellness plan to suit their individual needs.
Figuring out someone’s intrinsic motivation and accountability are key; it's all about making small, sustainable changes - not ditching everything you know overnight for a new lifestyle.
Health care is self care, and the decisions we make about food, exercise, sleep, stress and connectedness affect our wellbeing. A health coach will put you on the right track to move from surviving to thriving.