These last few months have given me good reason to come face to face with change and get to know my own response to a shifting framework, of circumstances and surroundings, if not lifestyle habits. I have recently taken up a new position and am in charge of a group of Health retreats and spas called The Golden Door which has necessitated a move interstate with all associated chaos. When faced with challenge in my personal life, I am reminded of the experience of my clients - or anyone who wants to move towards more fulfilment and satisfaction in their life. The reality is that change is hard. It means leaving some things behind and replacing then with new routines, people and sometimes possessions. And of course these latter things can be very exciting. Yet human nature has this strange contradiction. To again fall back on my old "friend", Hugh MacKay's musings, "On one hand we seem to crave stability, ritual, repetition and the comfort of the familiar and the predictable.. yet on the other hand, we seem to be constantly yearning for things to be different." Never has this rung more true to me! And I feel that it is exactly this dilemma that creates the struggle for people who want to live in a different way - deal with stress better, be more active, eat a healthier diet, yet find it confronting to give up their regular way of living, eating, moving.
HOW DO WE SUSTAIN CHANGE?
So while I try and balance the mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness that my change in circumstances has created with the inevitable upheaval and emotional cost of leaving people and possessions behind, I am also thrown into a world where I am involved in programs that expose our guests at Golden Door to sudden change, (even if temporary). People come to the health retreats for many reasons - it might simply be a rest and a detox for their bodies (and minds), or because they want to go away revitalised. However, I also feel that many are looking for redirection as well as revitalisation and this is where I see the opportunities lie.
During their 5 or 7 day stay, our guests have time to take stock and set some new goals about where they would like to create change in their lives. Many people come in highly stressed and go through a gradual process of unwinding, detoxing, and letting go of the everyday cares that go with often overly busy lives. By the time they leave, they may experience a shift in body posture, their smiles soften and the energy in the retreat changes. It is a wonderful time for those who choose to give themselves this break. Mainly women, but the men who join us get as much out of the program as their female counterparts. It has often been their wives who have booked them in!
I remember the feeling well of going home after five days at Elysia some years ago now, and wanting to retain the "clean" feeling but it was difficult and life quickly took up its rapid pace and stress returned. The new habits that I wanted to develop somehow got pushed to the side and even though I had a relatively healthy life compared to many, I found it hard not to revert to the familiar routine of let's say, overworking and under-relaxing!
The role that Wellness Coaching can play
Wouldn't it be great if we could get the support of a coach to help us through the stage of change where we develop a routine that eventually becomes automatic and our new lifestyle habits stick? Why isn't this possible? I believe that the health retreat of the future (the near future) will offer this service. The only way we can sustain a change in habits is to practice the new ones diligently. A coach can help by providing accountability, support and at times, information. So people who take that precious time out the their lives to reset their direction, can know that they will be supported on their return home when the real work is done to make new routines as automatic and familiar as the old ones. I can see so many opportunities to combine coaching programs with the concept of an intensive retreat and plan to make the most of this new platform to promote change in individuals through the means of a coaching relationship.
What about the people who seems to thrive on stress and run on nervous energy?
I believe that the need for excitement, challenge and stimulus is greater in some than in others and our restlessness is a personality trait that is very common and individual. The need for peace, calm and stability are very personal and for many of us, learning to find our centre and take time out regularly for contemplation is enough to retain our equilibrium and to balance the desire at times to be within our comfort zones, yet constantly moving out of them. Perhaps this is a more worthwhile goal than constant simplification, slowing down and chilling out!
