It seems like a no-brainer. Eat right, maintain a healthy weight, be active, don’t smoke, and drink responsibly, and you can improve the state of your health. And yet, fewer than one in five adults, a mere 16%, report being successful at making health-related improvements such as losing weight, starting a regular exercise program, and eating a healthier diet. To help you succeed on this challenging path, we will offer a “virtual” Group Health Coaching Experience for Midlife Women beginning on January 26, 2016.
This class, for women between the ages of 45 and 62, is conducted by phone from the comfort of home. Led by a certified health coach, this 6-week course will allow participants to share ideas, goals, strategies, and support as they work together to bring about positive changes.
Strikingly, research shows that women ages 45 to 64 have the lowest well-being of any age group or gender (the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index). If we know what to do and recognize that doing it will make us feel better, why don’t we do it? Where’s the disconnect? The answer is that adopting healthy habits takes time and energy – two things that women in their 40s and 50s often feel is lacking in their busy lives. Many care for children or parents (maybe both), work, and manage a home. Who has the time – and certainly the energy – to do healthy cooking and exercise?
One concept we will explore in depth is energy. Participants will identify what gives them energy as well as what drains it. They will learn to look for ways to transform their energy drainers into energy boosters to bring about healthful changes. As The Boston Business Journal article “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time” reveals, time is a “finite resource,” but energy is different. Energy, it says, is the capacity to perform work which comes from the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. In each of these areas we have the ability to purposefully grow and renew our energy by performing specific tasks, with the ultimate goal of making them automatic and unconscious.
Who knows what gives us energy better than ourselves? Each one of us holds a wealth of knowledge about what makes us tick. Harnessing this information can help us gain the momentum we need to create healthier, less stressful lives. With so much on our plates, when do we take the time to step back and think about it? Harvard Vanguard may have the answer for you, just in time for your new year’s resolutions.
Interested in working with other women to explore making positive changes in your life? Click here for more information or to register.
About Pam Wolfson, MA, certified health coach:
Pam Wolfson provides individual and group coaching. Her clients develop strong capabilities to manage stress, meet health goals, and cope more effectively with life’s changes. As a business owner and parent, Pam is very aware of the ways women balance caring for themselves and others. Her coaching practice, Wolfson Wellness is enriched by years of evaluating healthcare services for national firms, such as Harvard Pilgrim, New England Medical Center and CVS. Pam also served as the director of health education at a suburban hospital and helped create a new women’s health service.