As health experts, we like to think we have all the answers to help our clients transform their lives. We meticulously design nutrition protocols, exercise regimens, and lifestyle plans, utilising the latest science and our years of training.
Yet why do so many clients still struggle to see results and sustain real change?
The cold hard truth is - we just cannot afford to ignore one crucial piece of the puzzle. A force that silently undermines our best efforts at every turn - the stress epidemic.
Make no mistake, chronic stress is a public health crisis of monumental proportions in the modern world. I wish I was exaggerating - but just look at what the data says:
- 77% of adults report experiencing physical symptoms caused by stress (American Institute of Stress)
- 73% cite stress impacting their mental health (AIS)
- Nearly 50% say stress negatively affects their personal and professional life (Gallup)
The World Health Organization labeled stress the "health epidemic of the 21st century." This invisible disease is slowly eating away at the vitality, happiness, health and well-being of populations across the globe. But I am guessing you already know all this!
For coaches I now believe a more important consideration is what I call the Double-Whammy Effect of Stress.
As health coaches, we have to take stress seriously because it doesn't just wreak physiological havoc. Stress can have a devastating one-two punch to human health.
On one side of the ring, we have the direct biological consequences like inflammation, hormonal chaos, compromised immunity, and organ dysfunction caused by living in a chronic state of emergency readiness.
But then there's the sneaky second blow - stress is a prime driver of unhealthy and/or self-destructive behaviors. When stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, poor food choices, skipped workouts, substance abuse, and other unhealthy coping mechanisms become tempting escapes. We're simply not wired to adhere to good habits under duress.
It's the ultimate vicious cycle. Stress degrades our health, leading us to make choices that cause more stress, further degrading our health. Talk about a downward spiral!
For too long, even those of us in the health trenches have been guilty of worsening the very crisis we're trying to solve.
How?
By failing to address stress as the prime antagonist.
We eagerly educate clients on the dangers of stress, thinking awareness of the risks will motivate them. But paradoxically, this knowledge can create more worry, anxiety, and yes - stress! Telling someone they're slowly killing themselves by being stressed out doesn't inspire change. It just piles on more pressure, and increases stress!
It's like rushing to repair a car's failing engine while the driver has their foot stuck flooring the accelerator into an inevitable crash! You may patch up the engine temporarily, but inevitably, the whole thing will blow up under those reckless conditions.
We need to help clients get their foot off the accelerator of chronic stress before any other health efforts can be sustainable. Only then can we effectively optimize areas like nutrition, fitness, sleep, and more as the vehicle runs smoothly.
After over a decade of research and working with hundreds of clients, I've pioneered a groundbreaking new method to systematically empower people to regain control of their stress levels. A comprehensive roadmap I call "The Traffic Light Method for Stress."
With this approach, clients can quickly identify what physiological stress state they're operating in at any moment using a simple color scale. From the red light of fight-or-flight panic to the green light of relaxed readiness, it's an intuitive system to raise self-awareness.
But self-awareness is just the start. The real magic happens as I then coach clients to "dread the red" through highly personalized stress mastery action plans tailored to their unique lifestyles, resources, and needs.
No more putting band-aids on gaping wounds. This innovative method equips both clients and coaches to finally strike at the root of what's holding health and well-being hostage - runaway stress.
If you want to learn a proven method for helping your clients 'address the stress' and take back control of their health & wellbeing there is good news. I have created a Masterclass on this exact topic where I will share the strategy I now use with all my clients when stress is an issue. You can learn more and enrol with the link below.
[This is general information only, not medical advice]
