Have you ever set health or lifestyle goals for yourself that you intended to implement as of the new year but January ended, February started, and not a thing had changed? Then, the following December, you revisited your life and decided that you were going to succeed at your resolutions this time around. And then… well, rinse, wash, and repeat because not a whole lot changed for you over the course of yet one more year. It’s like you just keep bringing the same baggage from last year into the new one…
So frustrating!
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Lasting change requires more than just willpower. You need knowledge, you need to have a strategy, and it helps if you are able to have encouragement along the way. If lifestyle and health changes were easy, we’d all be at our goal weight, we’d all be less stressed and in possession of inner peace, and our gut health would be phenomenal (not to mention our sleep and exercise habits).
Are you relatively healthy now but you know that your lifestyle is setting you up for trouble down the road? Or have you been working on a set of health concerns but you just haven’t gotten anywhere? Either way, you keep telling yourself: things are going to be different this new year.
If the whole new year/new you thing doesn’t inspire you, maybe you are are dealing with a chronic condition. Did you know that 60% of adults in America live with chronic illness, and 40% of the population struggles with more than one such condition? Do you suffer from diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, digestive disease, or chronic pain? If so, you are not alone. Wanting to lose that last fifteen pounds is a tough but doable goal; being compelled to be your own health project because you need to be if you want a decent quality of life is a bigger challenge but still–with the right help–also doable.
You can do it!
Either way, working with a health coach can be a key element to your success. Speaking as one, I think the topic of the day (or at least this blog post) is whether or not you want to wait until January 1st or if you’re ready to start now. Your answer to that question depends on a lot of factors, but keep one thing in mind: the earlier you start, the closer you are to completing your project. Even if you’re not ready to cut out sugar just before the holidays, for example, it is still beneficial to start with a health coach today. If you have a chronic condition, well…you know you can start right now and benefit.
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Three reasons to start now, rather than waiting until after the holiday season ends:
1. Change takes time. There is a getting-to-know-you period with your health coach. Unless they have a cookie-cutter program and are going to send you an app and be done with it, it takes a couple sessions before you really get the ball rolling. You may not be ready to implement major changes today but you sure can dedicate some energy to choosing your goals and setting your strategies right now. Then, when holiday season is over, you are ready to begin and you start the new year on a strong note.
2. Change is incremental. If your goal is to get on track for the new year and stay on it, you and your coach can start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses and changing what you can change right now. Even small shifts in habits now make big changes easier as the effects of your preliminary work builds. Come January, when you’re committed to do the things that might be the hardest for you to (like give up sugar or implementing an exercise program that you’ll actually follow), you’ve gotten the small things out of the way and your road is cleared.
3. It’s never too soon (or too late) to change. How well do you understand your current situation? How long-standing is your current state of affairs? There can be a learning curve, especially if your situation is years in the making. It’s so easy to put things off until tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow…and before you know it, you’ve missed the window of opportunity to avert a serious health issue or you now need to do ten times the work to get where you could have more easily gotten if you had started earlier.
If you’re looking for a health coach and not sure where to start: “Find a Health Coach: How to Find the Best Coach for What you Want to Accomplish” is a useful blog post. For an idea of how I work, take a look at “Holistic Health Coach: What to Expect When You’re Ready for Change.”
Why wait?
Resistance to change is a feature with human beings, not a bug. It’s easy to say that your new year’s resolution is [fill in the blank] and, until then, you continue the habits that you so deeply wish to leave behind. A coach will take the time to get to know you and will help you to identify your internal motivation. You will be encouraged and supported in a way that is personalized to you and what you truly need in order to achieve the success that you desire. You will get accountability as you build your own sense of efficacy and confidence. You may even end up saving money by working with a coach and you will have invested in your most important resource: yourself and your health.
Wellbeing doesn’t come from the doctor’s office or as a result of prescription drugs. Wellbeing starts with you and the choices you make today.
Are you ready to work with a health coach and make meaningful, lasting change?
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Paula Bruno, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, an AOBTA-CP traditional Chinese bodywork therapist, and a wellness educator and health coach. She maintains an active and growing practice at her Austin, TX office. Dr. Bruno is also available for distance appointments for wellness consultation or coaching.
In her first career, she was a Spanish professor.
Dr. Bruno’s specialties as a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner include: • Musculoskeletal health (acute or chronic pain relief; Ehlers Danlos syndrome & hypermobility support) • Digestive support, gut health, and weight loss • Aesthetic treatment, including scar revision • Men’s health • General preventative care and immune support for all persons.
She is the author of Chinese Medicine and the Management of Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Practitioner’s Guide. Dr. Bruno also maintains a second website, holistichealthandheds.com, with resources and information curated specifically for people with hEDS and HSD.
When you are ready to discover what traditional medicine plus a vibrant and engaged approach to holistic health can do for you, either contact Dr. Bruno or book an appointment online.
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Note: Material on this web site site is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease, illness, or ailment. A Chinese medicine practitioner in Texas identifies syndrome patterns but does not diagnose illness. Material on this web site does not purport to identify syndrome patterns.
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