Life Coaches Need Support, Too!

One of the things we love about our platform is the way it can facilitate communication between life coaches and clients. We’re all about positive habit-forming and accountability, and we love seeing how coaches can use this platform to support their other efforts with their clients.

But coaches need some support, too!

Being a life coach is fulfilling and rewarding, but it can also be really challenging. Even though coaches might have more coping tools than your average bear, they’re still prone to a lot of the same things the rest of us struggle with, and their profession puts additional stressors on top of that.

People who work full-time helping others in distress might start to experience what’s called “compassion fatigue,” a state of tension and exhaustion that can lead to secondary trauma in the caregiver.

1.Compassion Fatigue

Being in a caring profession is a source of great joy. It can also be draining. People who work full-time helping others in distress might start to experience what’s called “compassion fatigue,” a state of tension and exhaustion that can lead to secondary trauma in the caregiver. To combat compassion fatigue, coaches need to make time to fill their own needs, too.

2. Maintaining Boundaries

It’s easy to lose track of who should be doing the hard work in a coaching relationship. Maintaining boundaries can be a real challenge, but if the coach doesn’t successfully do so, it can turn into a situation where the coach is doing all the work and the client isn’t actually growing or learning. Coaches need to remember to let their questions lead the client to do most of the talking, to avoid the temptation to fill gaps in conversation, and to manage emotions.

having a daily routine of small self-care practices is crucial. a support network that provides accountability can help keep those routines going even through times of intense stress.

3. Making Time for Self-Care

Busy professionals in all industries struggle with making time for self-care, and life coaches are no exception. A coach can easily get so swept up in looking out for her clients that she forgets to look out for herself. That’s why having a daily routine of small self-care practices is crucial, and having a support network that provides accountability can help keep those routines going even through times of intense stress. A platform like Myrth is a great way to make sure you’ve got the support network and regular check-ins you need to succeed.

4. Avoiding Imposter Syndrome

This problem is especially common among newer or younger life coaches. Clients often ask, “Who are you, and why are you qualified to help me figure out how to solve the issues in my life?” Sometimes, the coach can start to internalize those questions and even believe they don’t have a good answer to them. That’s when it helps to have an outside third party or something else you can rely on to remind yourself of your qualifications and why you’re competent to do the work you do.

5. Managing the Financial Side of Work

Few people really like talking about money, and even fewer like trying to pressure people into paying their bills. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but life coaches often have to do just that when clients have overdue bills. Then there are the challenges of getting and keeping enough paying clients to keep the doors open and the lights on. Coaches need a supportive community of other coaches to help them get over those hurdles.

Are you a life coach with some good strategies for managing professional challenges? We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a comment below and share your best tips.