5 Ways COVID Improved Mind-Body Wellness for Health & Wellness Coaching and Training Teams

We are exposed to more trauma in 24 hours than we were in our entire lifetimes 25 years ago. 

And the pandemic has seeded a great deal of that trauma. But with every dank, dark, drag-you-through-the-mud trauma we face comes a flip side where research also shows the bright and blinding lining of positive transformation peeking its way through into our lives — from the depth of ideas we bring to our businesses, to our attitudes and resilience with our teams.

As the founding owner, CEO or head coach of a health and wellness coaching or training business, you're probably very clear on the negative impacts of COVID. But, we could all use a little more sunshine right now. So, let’s flip that on its head and talk about how COVID has positively impacted the ways we work, how we run our businesses, the technology we choose, and how we balance our work with our lives, shall we? 

For more on how Profi powers health & wellness coaching and training pros watch the testimonial. 

The Trauma Story Feels Very Real.

It's hard to believe sometimes how much the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives and by proxy our coaching and training teams and businesses. The unfortunate reality is: the impacts aren’t immediate or obvious. Many of COVID’s impacts to our lives and work are deeper, more subtle impacts that have happened slowly and in small titrations over the course of the last two years.

The unfortunate reality is: the impacts aren’t immediate or obvious.

I invite you to reflect for a moment on all the little things that have happened over the pandemic that have probably added up to some pretty big shifts in your life and the way you run your coaching or training business. 

• Changes in your daily schedule,
• Changed work schedules, 
• Impacts to your interactions and social connections, 
• A loss of in-person communication, 
• Limited facial and body expressions, touch, and the “feel” of someone or a room. 

COVID’s Impacts on Your Coaching Business

Then, layered on top the introduction of technology (a screen, systems and physical distance) between you and your interactions with your coaching team, your training clients, coaching customers, colleagues, friends and loved ones. 

COVID interrupted the impromptu-ness of even having an office, much less stopping by the office, meeting someone for lunch or swinging by their house. In its place was more physical distance, isolation and social solitude combined with the edginess of using technology to communicate and completely run your business. 

That all combined with the fear of potentially getting sick or being responsible for getting someone else sick upped the anty for most coaching business owners. But then layer on the weight of trying to manage a coaching or training team through such intense levels of uncertainty while you and your team may individually struggle with grief, burnout or perfectionism.

What exactly is eros? As popular psychotherapist, Esther Perel, puts it: it’s “a feeling of curiosity, aliveness, exploration – the happenstance, the chance encounter.”

Now, even though COVID restrictions have been relaxed, it's hard not to worry. With the omicron strain still making headlines, it’s highly likely you're experiencing some level of emotional or mental discomfort in response to the major distortion-effect COVID continues to have. 

Raise your hand along with me if you’re feeling disconnected from the eros of the life you knew before COVID and frustrated for continuing to miss out. Our teams and our clients are too.

What exactly is eros? As popular psychotherapist, Esther Perel, puts it: it’s “a feeling of curiosity, aliveness, exploration – the happenstance, the chance encounter.”

So, enough about the bad. Let’s get to highlighting how to look for the eros in COVID. Plus, we’ll offer resources that will benefit both you, your teams and your clients in the mental health and wellness coaching industry. 

5 Positive Ways COVID Improved Wellness for Coaching and Training Businesses

COVID brought the world to a standstill, and it's easy to get lost in a myriad of negative thoughts. In fact, a study by the CDC reported that in 2020, there were three times more anxiety disorder cases than there were in the second quarter of 2019. However, it ain't all bad. There are several positive effects of COVID on the health and wellness coaching industry. 

Here are the top 5 ways that COVID has improved mind-body wellness for founders, CEOs, owners and teams alike building health and wellness coaching and training businesses.

COVID’s Positive Impact on Activities: People Explored New Hobbies

When governments enforced social distancing regulations and lockdown, it was as though they imposed mandatory relaxation. No more dealing with morning traffic, routines were disrupted, and you were stuck at home. You probably even didn't have any commitments on your calendar to worry about!

With too much time on their hands, people were forced to embrace new activities. In fact, studies show that around 6 in 10 Americans started new hobbies. Life's pace may have slowed down, but this only gives you an opportunity to get in touch with your inner self and take on activities that are relaxing and bring you joy. 

COVID’s Positive Impact on Relationships: Bonds Became Stronger

COVID came along with one significant disruption of routine; isolation. It altered your ability to engage with your family and friends as you had to spend more time at home. It was as if life had slowed down and given you more time to spend with the people closest to you. Families reconnected, and spouses who barely saw each other due to work commitments now had time to reignite the spark in their relationships.

Perhaps those who felt this impact most were parents. But did you realize that during the pandemic, a survey conducted by Pew Research revealed that over 65% of parents with children below 12 years had an easy time handling their childcare responsibilities?

Any traumatic event or series of events also has the capacity to transform us in ways that can deepen our sense of meaning, offer us a greater appreciation for our lives, our work, and open us up to new possibilities. And when we’re feeling a deeper connection with the goodness of our lives and ourselves, a key outcome is improved relationships and a deeper sense of overall spiritual satisfaction.

For more on how Profi powers health & wellness coaching pros read the case study. 

COVID’s Positive Impact on Work: People Embraced Work-Life… Choice

You may not admit it, but there's a high chance that before COVID, you spent most of your time at work. You probably didn't even take vacation days and prioritized the demands of the health and wellness coaching profession more than your own needs — even while you coach and train others not to do this. But, thanks to COVID, most people have managed to find more balance between their work and personal lives. 

How? Well, crises can bring great clarity. That clarity in what’s really important combined with more personal space to set necessary boundaries around ourselves and the world is a pretty powerful combination.

For instance, before the pandemic, you probably had to deliver your coaching or training services in person. This meant a lot of traveling and minimal time spent with your loved ones. 

After COVID, people had to adapt to the new normal, and most people started working from home. This meant more time spent on your personal life without compromising your job security. 

Remote work is likely to continue, and recent research highlights that more than 50% of people would continue working from home if given a chance. 

COVID’s Positive Impact on Health: Home Workouts Skyrocketed

Most communal areas were closed during the pandemic, including gyms and fitness centers. People were also stuck at home, which limited their physical activities. These COVID-induced boundaries then revealed a considerable new risk: that quarantining for a long time could increase your chances of lifestyle diseases, mostly obesity, and cardiovascular disease. 

Being stuck at home came with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, and people needed an outlet. So most people started embracing the idea of home workouts to enhance their physical health and their mental and emotional wellness.

This search for new health and wellness outlets has created a major opportunity for health and wellness business owners who can take this time to revisit their business value propositions and create new health and wellness products or service segments of their business.

COVID’s Positive Impact on Goals: People Reevaluated Life & Work Goals

This is one of the most overlooked positive impacts of COVID. The truth is that before the pandemic, most people were stuck in a rut. Or operating from a trance of either fear or scarcity. Their priorities were primarily geared towards advancing their careers, and few people stopped to think about their mental health and mind-body wellness, which is why mental disorders were on the rise.

After the pandemic, people were forced to slow down and reevaluate their goals. They had to be honest with themselves about the things that truly matter, such as overall wellness, family, and friends. 

“You need to know who you are today to get where you want to go tomorrow.” — David Novak

If your goal setting and priorities look different given your experience in the pandemic, you’re not alone. David Novak, author of Take Charge of You: How Self Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career, offers this advice about your own self-reflection: “I don’t think people do enough self-reflection and self-awareness. They go through life and let life happen to them versus stepping back, looking at where they’re at today, and defining who they want to become.”

It’s as simple as asking yourself honestly: what builds joy in my life and what doesn’t. Then, commit to yourself to stop doing what doesn’t build joy right this moment.

For more on how Profi powers health & wellness coaching & training pros read the case study. 

Our Big Takeaways

As a founding owner, CEO or head coach of a health and wellness coaching or training business, it's so easy to get caught up in the negative impacts of COVID that you forget to look at the silver lining. Well, thanks to the pandemic, you got to nurture stronger relationships with your family, engage in new and exciting routines and activities, as well as find much-needed work-life choices that are right for you and your business. And you were also able to rethink your life goals and focus on what truly matters.

The future of mental health and wellness coaching is here now, you only need to embrace it. Keep in mind that your client's wellness is also dependent on your own, so make sure you engage the services of a wellness coach when you need it most. 

As a solopreneur, if you haven't already integrated these positive mind-body wellness improvements in your life and business, try Profi yourself (FREE for 30 days). 

For teams, corporations and networks of coaches and trainers wanting to utilize the positives of COVID’s impact on the health and wellness coaching industry that we covered here, book a demo with us today.