WAI (pronounced way) Coaching, and Why coaching

 I discovered the specialty of lifestyle medicine, and it really tapped into why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place; helping people get healthier and helping people feel better. Coming from the world of hospital medicine where I was dealing with a lot of “repairing”, I was excited to go into the space of prevention and wellness. However, it didn’t feel like the tools I had from being a doctor were the most effective at helping people make the changes they wanted nor did the traditional structure of the practice of medicine allow for that.

I felt like something was missing or not emphasized enough from the LM pillars. They are great when thinking about the concept of health and are a more comprehensive way to help us lead our healthiest lives. We look at:

• • Nutrition– how we fuel our bodies.
  • Physical activity– how we move our bodies.
  • Stress Management– tools to regulate our emotions, ie how mind relates to body,.
  • Sleep– how we rest our bodies for optimal function,
  • Social Connections-the importance of our connections with others,
  • Avoidance of Risky Substances–avoiding the things we know harm our bodies.

I think for the pillars to really have power, it is best to have a strong foundation. That foundation is our self-concept, which includes the relationship we have with ourselves. By strengthening this, we can better understand the different facets of who we are and get to know our whys.

In 2022 I embarked on a physician coaching program and learned about the power of coaching firsthand. I realized the concepts of coaching really empower people to create the change they want and help set them free from the limiting beliefs that can hold them back. I believe that transformational coaching is the key to helping people make the meaningful changes they desire- whether that is for weight loss, a healthier lifestyle, or making a career transition. Coaching helps you understand yourself better, your goals, your whys, your obstacles, and your beliefs that may or may not be helping you. It helps you create the “how” according to your very individual blueprint.

Getting to know ourselves is a journey, not a destination. I know that sounds cliché, but I believe that it is true. Getting to the core of who we are helps us identify our values, why we choose the things we do, why we act the way we do, etc. This helps us as we start to make changes to those concepts I mentioned above. A lot of us are asleep at the wheel, letting “life” take the lead and we just follow. What we don’t realize is that what we are not changing, we are choosing. Read that again and let it sink in.  Not doing something is as much of a choice as is doing something.

Then there is the part of the relationship with ourselves. This is complex and has layers. To explore this relationship, consider asking yourself: How do I show up for myself? Do I offer myself the same compassion I extend to others? How do I express love toward myself? Am I taking care of myself? Where do I fit on my list of priorities? Do I trust myself, and speak kindly to myself? This last one is especially important as our inner dialogue is where action is created. We often forget how powerful our words are.

This path to self- discovery is not linear, nor does it have to happen first before you can start the process of changing something.  It is a process that ebbs and flows and can run concurrently while you are working towards change.

We have layers to ourselves like onions 🧅 (remember Shrek?) and can peel back the layers to get to the core. I prefer the concept of being like a diamond💎 and getting to know the many facets we have. Some facets shine, some are more in the shadows depending how you look at them. Sometimes the facets just need some attention/polishing or perhaps just need to be looked at with a different perspective. Unlike the onion, you aren’t trying to peel a layer off, the facets form the whole. Then there is the light, when it comes from within, all the facets shine.

As I started creating this coaching program, I thought of this foundation and what values I thought incorporated my approach. Whole, Authentic, and Intentional. These words encompassed it and thus WAI was born. This is the foundation we build upon to create the actionable steps to get you to where you want…. your life, your health, your WAI.  

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