How to Prevent Burnout as a Health or Life Coach
/Coaching as a J.O.B. can get exhausting.
Rewarding, yes! Worth it? YES!
But it can also be mentally, spiritually, and physically exhausting. How can we help ourselves prevent burnout as health and life coaches?
If you want to be in business long-term, there are several things you can do to prevent burnout as a health and life coach!
Let's talk about why we burn out...
Coaches often wear too many hats, especially if they are solo-preneurs and building a business entirely on their own.
Many of us at least began our business-building on a shoestring budget, so the "team" wasn't necessarily there (and for some, it still isn't!)
The job description for a solo-preneur is ENDLESS...product and content creation + learning of all the new programs, direction, software, internet marketing, etc + email list-building and marketing + website work + coaching training + coaching skill-building + marketing of services, programs and products (phew! Let's stop here! Not a conclusive list but barely a start to it, and I'm already tired!) These are ALL part of a long list of the skills needed to build a successful, long-term business.
Obviously, many times we are doing too much, and burnout as a health or life coach can be VERY REAL!
So how to prevent it?
We asked the beautiful coaches in our free online support group to give us their best tips to prevent burnout as a health or life coach. Some of them have been in business for months, others for several years! The wisdom shared was varied and powerful. Here are a couple of those tips you will find throughout this article.
“Balance is a key to survival in the coaching industry. Focus on God first for direction on what to do and how to do it. Next focus on you because if you are not in order how can you help anyone else on their journey. Finally, with direction from God, you’re ready to do the work.”
“Make sure you are following your own advice. When you start feeling a little off, evaluate your own routine. Don’t be afraid to unplug on a regular basis. Turn on an automatic response to your email and do something outside you enjoy- gardening, visiting a local park or volunteering. ”
After over 8 years in business now as a busy health coach, I personally have discovered...
How to prevent burnout as a health or life coach!
1. Revisit your BIG vision and...narrow it down
Problem:
Sometimes our burnout comes from pursuing HUGE vision (which could be God-sent, but the timeline on it JUST might be self-determined!) ...add in the complication of not implementing HUGE MISSION behind the Vision, and it's an even bigger problem.
What do I mean by this? That YES, we are to dream big! YES, we are to pursue BIG THINGS! YES, God often gives us BIG VISIONS, but the "success test" is in the day-to-day of what we put behind our vision! It takes ON-MISSION investment of time, talent, giftings, finances, ability to learn, and personal growth to turn MISSION into the VISION!
Solution:
Take that HUGE vision, surrender it back to your CEO (Father God!) and trust Him to lead you on the daily path of obedience in the little things/activities/tasks/growth that will GET YOU THERE ONE DAY! Write down the ACTUAL tasks and time and investment it will take to get to that HUGE VISION and then start plugging away at it!
Let your VISION be your compass, but your MISSION is in your day-to-day PLAN!
Example: Mother Teresa had HUGE VISION but even BIGGER MISSION.
She wanted to help eradicate intense poverty and sickness in the world. But her daily focus was NOT on that HUGE vision, it was on that ONE SICK or DYING PERSON in front of her - the one she could reach out and touch. The one who was forgotten, the one she could make a difference for. Her vision NEVER faltered (though her FAITH did, and often!) Her daily actions were a living, breathing testimony to her mission: to show mercy and compassion to the sick.
If her MISSION had mistakenly been her VISION, burnout would have been INEVITABLE - her choice to focus on the MISSION above and beyond her emotions, her feelings, her lack of faith - it is what brought her through! Do you know that despite her own failing health and old age, she never "retired" from her Mission? Amazing. That's professional stamina. What an example of how to prevent burnout she was!
“Find colleagues to talk to, partner with, pray for and with. Take breaks and deep breaths. Set boundaries so that work doesn’t filter into all hours of the day/all parts of life.”
2. Recharge yourself with self-care - create daily routines that foster self-care in a balanced way
Casey Sollock, our beautiful mentor coach here at FSCC and my personal health coach, has taught us so much in this area! She first taught me a few years ago to develop simple, daily routines that support my body, my mind and my spirit.
Essential oils + long, hot epsom salt baths + detoxing smoothies + evening walks in nature + cuddle-time with loved ones and fur babies + reading of positive, life-giving material before bed + prayer time on the back porch with a cup of comfort + date nights with hubby...all of these things work together to strengthen and prepare us to handle the daily challenges and stress!
Self care has to be implemented DAILY and be bits of a routine meant for ALL parts of you! (Your BODY MIND and SPIRIT need care!)
What can you add into your routine today to create a healthier YOU for tomorrow? You'll be a better coach by being a better YOU!
3. Make space for the people who are "beyond crisis point"
Problem:
The very thing that makes us a great coach can also make us a burned-out coach - our passion and compassion! We HAVE to stop trying to serve EVERYONE. We definitely need to stop trying to serve those who are not yet ready for a lifestyle-change coach but rather need a therapist. If the client or potential client is in crisis, they are NOT YET your client!
Solution:
Send them on to therapy or a helpline. When they are ready, if it's meant to be, they'll "come back" to you. Don't pursue those in crisis (whether individually or through the language you use in your copy and marketing.) This will create space for those who ARE READY to be served by you and your passion! The transformation that your clients will experience once they are READY for you will fuel your "coach engine" and refill your own tank to keep working!
“Get accountability partners. Get a trampoline and when you feel overwhelmed...jump up and down shouting your I AM affirmations.”
4. Stop spinning your wheels! Make sure that every activity you are doing leads to monetization.
In the early years of my business - I SPUN MY WHEELS A LOT. And I do mean, A LOOOOT! LOL So writing this part of this article gets me excited, because I can help you with this! I DO NOT want YOU to spin your wheels, any longer than you have to!
What exactly do I mean by this?
Examples of spinning your wheels in a coaching business could be:
1. NOT having a CLEAR CUT income-producing, product or service delivering plan for your business.
2. Posting to a Facebook page WITHOUT sending traffic to your site, your store or your LIST.
3. Hanging out in Facebook groups WITHOUT following "the three G's rule" (Glean, Give Or Grow) or building quality relationships in there
4. Not having a clear cut content plan (what topics and subtopics you will regularly bring to your audience and clients!)
5. Trying every new idea or fad that pops up and following every new guru out there for advice. (Sends you spinning!)
There's SO MANY MORE of course, but you get the idea!
What are some ways you have been spinning your wheels in your business?
Write them down and begin to eliminate the sources (for me, that's trying to keep up with too many FB groups or following more than 2-3 gurus or mentors at once or trying to be on every social media platform.)
Solution:
Focus in on YOUR BIZ PLAN - what does that look like FOR YOU? Then using your mission statement and biz plan as a compass, weigh all incoming influences and ideas against the compass - does it strengthen that mission or water down your efforts?
Getting wise about this and TAKING ACTION to stay strong in a shiny-object world isn't always EASY, but committing to do this will seriously fine-tune your efforts and keep you (or put you back) on a profitable path for your business!
Share your experience with us here in the comments!
Do you ever feel “burned out” and it has contributed to added stress in your life, or even had you thinking of quitting? We want to hear from you!