What’s right for me right now?
Guest blogger Liza Baker
I often say that going through health coach training is the equivalent of going through a year of health coaching.
At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®, we were encouraged to try out every eating style introduced (a nice idea for single people—and not so doable when you are feeding a family of four and want to try veganism for a week). We were also required to experience all the assessments, exercises, and protocols from two perspectives with a peer coach: alternately as a coach and a client.
One of the most important principles of Integrative Nutrition® is bio-individuality: I say that we’re all unique-orns. The right mix of food and lifestyle choices is specific to each one of us, and when you find perfect harmony among these secondary and primary foods, you can achieve true wellness … for a time.
That’s right: for a time.
“They” are wrong
Unlike what “they” would have you believe (“they” have a lot to say, don’t they—whether we’re talking about your BFF, SIL, MIL, the media, to social media influencer, or the guru du jour), there is no supplement or smoothie, diet or detox, workout or woo practice that is THE ANSWER FOR ALL TIME.
Think about it: when you were a newborn, you nursed or got formula; then you moved on to solid foods; when you were a toddler, it was finger foods; when you were a kid, you (maybe) expanded your horizons some more; as an adolescent, you probably ate what was worst for you and got away with it; as a young adult you (may have) developed a more adult palate. (Although based on what adults order in the hospital where I work, it seems that the kids’ menu is what most Americans eat!)
So why do we think that as adults, we will want/need the same foods from ages 30–80+?
Don’t label yourself
You could reflect on your physical activity in the same way. Or your spiritual practice, your relationships, your career, your whatever.
And yet we get very invested in our food and lifestyle choices—to the point that they become labels: I’m vegan, I’m keto, I’m an intermittent faster, I’m [fill in your religion here], I’m spiritual-not-religious, I do HIIT training, I do yoga. And once we label ourselves, it’s hard to get out of that box.
And yes, I say “we” because I’ve recently had another one of those “physician, heal thyself” (health coach, coach yourself?) moments.
Introverts of the world, unite (separately, in your own homes)
For me, the pandemic was great. (What a privilege to say that, I know.)
I could introvert to my heart’s content with the government and society’s blessing! Already trending toward online coaching, I really fell in love with it.
It was like the Universe saw me considering going 100% online and made the decision for me. For three years, I was ridiculously happy working from home.
And given my family situation —my husband spends 10 months living and working abroad, my kids are grown and gone—I figured it would be so easy to downsize and relocate: Look at me! I’m location independent! I’m living the dream.
Until I wasn’t.
The important question
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t regret the move back to Vermont after 35 years away. Being mortgage free, renovating a condo for myself, reconnecting with old friends—it’s all been great.
The coaching practice? Not so much.
It’s like I suddenly lost all my entrepreneurial momentum—even working in my beautiful new home office. It was too easy to get distracted by other tasks and entertainments. And—let’s be real—naps.
Part of it is that I took a part-time job that replaces the benefits I lost when my husband moved abroad. That definitely takes up a lot of hours even though it’s part time.
I love the people, I don’t hate the work, I have excellent benefits, I consider it “coaching adjacent” … and it doesn’t feed my soul.
So in the spring, I recommitted to building the practice and realized that I needed to ask myself one of the main questions I ask my clients—repeatedly and much to their annoyance: What is right for you right now?
Finding co-working
If working at home and focusing on virtual events wasn’t moving things in the right direction, what would it take? Because I certainly couldn’t afford an office space.
Within a week of recommitting to my practice, I came across the answer: co-working.
Turns out “they” were right again: what the pandemic robbed us of is human connection. Even someone with strong introvert tendencies needs it—we may need a smaller dose, but we can’t go completely without!
Coworking has provided a great mix of professional work space and social connection: I know that on the days I work there, I am protected from encroaching domestic tasks (laundry! shopping! dog walking! cleaning!) and distractions (books! streaming shows! naps!) And the social events attract inspiring women of different ages and feature speakers whose work resonates with me.
An invitation
If you’re looking to get out of a work-from-home rut, check out She Works! Lori Carmichael Abare is growing a very cool community there and offers a variety of membership options—including a “social membership” that provides access to work space and social events.
Guest blogger Liza Baker is an Integrative Nutrition® health coach and employee wellness consultant, author, blogger, podcaster, and CEO (chief everything officer) of a family of 4 + 1 furbaby spread across the globe from Hong Kong to Vermont. She holds secondary certifications in hormone health and emotional eating psychology—so it’s no wonder her sweet spot is coaching women 50+ burning out in mission-driven work. Find her online at https://simplyhealthcoaching.com, connect with her on LinkedIn @LizaBakerVT—or meet up with her in person at She Works!