It’s back to school time and many of us are thinking about what that means for our own lives. Whether you are involved with schools professionally or personally, you care for children, or maybe you just like to reminisce about your school years, this time of year gets us all thinking about education. As a result, this might also include going back to school to become a wellness coach.
Similarly, fall is a wonderful season for quieting down after the big adventures of summer. With the cooler weather right around the corner, we begin to feel ready to cozy up with books, learn new things, and become more focused on our personal growth.
Above all, you’ve probably found a love for all things wellness and have occasionally thought about what it might be like to become a certified wellness coach. For that reason, this school year could be one where you begin a new journey to make that a reality.
Here are a few things to consider before you embark on a new career as a wellness coach.
1. Identify your passion for wellness.
Wellness coaches need to spend a significant amount of time every day thinking about and practicing wellness. Therefore, you will definitely need a sincere passion and love for all things health and wellness if you’re considering going back to school to become a wellness coach. You can tell if you are ready to coach others by how you practice wellness in your own life.
Have you made substantial changes in your life that have made a huge impact on your health and wellness? Do you tend to share articles, tips, and ideas with your friends and family? Do others already come to you to ask you for advice? If so, you might just have the passion that it takes to be a great coach!
2. Take a good look at your current career. Would wellness coaching be a better fit?
When you go to work every day, you might absolutely love your job. Likewise, you might loathe it for various reasons. Maybe it’s not a great fit for your personality or it doesn’t allow you to live the lifestyle that’s healthiest for you. Perhaps you’d like a more flexible schedule so you can be a more present parent or caregiver.
Think about your current job and decide if it’s really leading you in the direction you want your life to go. Is it in alignment with your values and skills? Do you spend time wishing you had a different career? What’s missing in what you currently do? Do you have a career that you’d like to make more wellness-centered? If you’ve been feeling and thinking about these things, going back to school to become a wellness coach might be just what you’ve been looking for.
3. Determine if you love helping others.
Being a wellness coach requires a deep commitment and love for being supportive, helpful, and delighting in others’ successes. Consequently, you need to really enjoy inspiring others and patiently supporting them while they make (sometimes) difficult changes in their lives. It helps if you have a great story about how wellness has impacted your life so you have a really powerful “why.”
Furthermore, decide whether you love working with others one-on-one or in groups. Do you get lost in service to others? Are you truly excited to watch others change, knowing that you were part of making that change possible? Find out if you love teaching, motivating, and encouraging others.
4. Figure out if you can put in the time investment to obtain an accredited wellness coach certification.
Starting a new career takes effort and the ability to put in the time required to learn what you need to know to be an effective coach. Is your current schedule conducive to taking on a new educational path? Maybe you’re not sure if you do have any extra time. If so, consider if there is something you’re currently doing that isn’t fulfilling you. Maybe you could give up an activity to make time for learning. Even just 3 hours per week could get you started on your new journey.
5. Discover if you can afford coaching school right now.
Take a look at your finances to determine if you’ve got enough saved to invest in a new career. Not everyone has extra money set aside for education, but there are creative ways to fund your training. Most noteworthy, prioritize investing in yourself and your future, then see if you can get creative with saving extra money.
Ask family and friends if they would be willing to donate toward your education fund, or talk to your employer about the possibility of sponsoring your training. Even more, investigate ways to take out a business loan that would help you finance a new career. Think outside the box and you might just find that the finances align so you can begin your education!
6. Decide if you’re ready to be committed to going back to school to become a Wellness Coach.
Forging a new career path is no easy task and it requires a firm commitment. First of all, rank your level of commitment to your training so you can discover whether or not you’re really ready. Next, think about how much you’d love to do work that fulfills you and makes you excited to wake up every day. Imagine what it would be like to feel that your job is meaningful and makes a difference in others’ lives. If you’ve ranked your level of commitment to the training as an 8 or higher, then going back to school to become a Wellness Coach could be the next step to lead you to your new, fulfilling career!
