“You’re adjusting to a new normal.” Has anyone said this to you recently? Or have you said it to yourself?

Sure, you can focus on trying to define new normal, you can dwell on when things will go back to normal… but neither of those things will actually help you cope during this time. The best thing to focus on, and the best thing for you to coach your clients to focus on, is to build healthy habits. 

With habit coaching, you can empower your clients to work towards better sleep, better self-care, and better choices, little by little. By pairing daily habits with training and nutrition plans, you can impact their daily life in a big way. Here’s how habits can help your clients work through the “new normal”.

Focusing on quick wins has a big impact

Clinical psychologists say that big picture worries can easily overwhelm us all during this uncertain time. Building routine into your days can help! Help them focus on what they can control rather than what they can’t. For example, waking up at the same time every day and eating meals on a regular schedule can have positive effects… and can easily be added into Trainerize for your clients to track! Tackling small tasks will feel like a win to your clients, and framing them as such builds in instant reward—a key benefit of habits.

Automaticity saves energy for more important tasks

As your clients build healthy habits, they’ll notice certain freedom that comes along with it. This comes from automaticity, described in Part 1 of our Habit Coaching 101: “Automaticity is what lets us multitask more effectively, get more done, and best allocate our mental energy throughout the day.” When a healthy and beneficial action moves from the “task” pile to the “habit” pile, they’ll be able to re-allocate that energy elsewhere—maybe to play with the kids, or pick up a neglected hobby?

Routine builds a sense of normalcy

Whether it’s homeschooling, a loss of income, familial concerns, or just general restlessness, anyone practicing physical distancing right now is stressed—if not more than normal, then in a new way. And don’t forget those working on the front lines who have increased work stress! All of these individuals are craving normalcy. If they can’t get it in their day-to-day lives, you can help them create it! By setting habit goals, you’re not adding to their to-do list—you’re helping them build healthy routines that will provide them with small specks of normal.

Coaching offers care and encourages self-care

According to a New York-based clinical psychologist, the trauma of COVID-19 is likely causing your clients to regress to a more childlike state of mind. They need to feel cared for—and your coaching can serve them that care. As they work with you on these habits, you’ll be providing them with guidance and attention. Isn’t that what we all want? Especially for those who are caregivers during this time, you may be the only person that gives them that care! Help them focus on themselves.

Building healthy habits builds small wins. In a time like this, small wins can tip a bad day over into a good day. Habits and routines bring comfort. When our regular routines have completely evaporated, new habits can replace them and still have the same beneficial impact as the old ones! Rather than focus on what we can’t control, let’s focus on what we can control—a healthy habits focus will have both big and small impacts on our days. Slowly but surely, we will get through this! And if we get through it with a few healthier habits built-in, all the better.

Learn more about how Trainerize can power habit coaching, and start your 30-day free trial now.