The fourth and final quarter of the year is very often the most stressful. Year-end deadlines approach quickly, all while teams are diligently planning for the upcoming year. Employees feel mounting pressures to deliver, resulting in high stress and burnout during critical times for their employer (and concurrently when their performance might be evaluated as well). Not only that, but personal pressures related to the holidays compound the emotional, mental and physical effects of stress. Altogether, this makes for a critical time for employees to prioritize their overall health & wellbeing.
Health coaches provide a key resource for employees struggling with managing their health in this tricky fourth quarter of the year. With personalized guidance from a health coach, employees can address potential threats head on, developing habits that promote resilience and prevent burnout while also fostering productivity and more optimal health. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how YourCoach health coaches support employees through these unique challenges during an exceptionally important time of the year.
Health coaches help employees identify and lead with purpose in and out of work.
One of the most impactful techniques YourCoach health coaches employ is helping clients tap into their core values, enabling them to find the “why” that powers up their goals. Especially when workloads increase and stress heightens, it can become increasingly difficult to stay driven and motivated (both in and outside of work). Health coaches can help employees stay focused; tap into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; build personalized schedules that prioritize competing goals; and help track and celebrate achievements in a way that motivates them to keep going.
Not only that, but health coaches can encourage moments of pause – often a rarity during busy times like Q4 – which give individuals the opportunity to course correct or re-align to their goals when things get particularly difficult. Such moments of intentional reflection help employees shift from merely surviving the end-of-year rush to thriving through it.
Health coaches foster emotional resilience and agility, especially in high-stakes situations.
Emotional resilience and agility are key to navigating periods of particular stress, especially as we look ahead towards the end of the year. First and foremost, YourCoach health coaches work closely with employees to recognize stress triggers and create opportunities to mitigate them. For example, a health coach might notice that back-to-back meetings or an ever-growing to-do list is a source of mounting stress. They can then work together with clients to build a more balanced, manageable schedule, introducing techniques like time blocking or scheduling moments of mental or physical recovery to help manage stress-inducing situations.
Not only this, but health coaches can work to cultivate self-awareness and emotional flexibility, giving employees the tools to identify when stress is impacting their focus and productivity and finding ways to activate calm and focus. Health coaches know everyone processes stress differently and can work closely to find the right strategy that will work to prevent burnout and foster long-term physical and mental health & wellbeing.
Health coaches empower employees to say “no” when and where it’s necessary.
High-performing employees also tend to take on a lot – this can extend even beyond the workplace, including overcommitting to holiday events, gift exchanges and family gatherings. The problem is that overcommitted employees are not necessarily the most productive. In fact, taking on too much is all too often not productive and yes, just another source of stress. Health coaches can work with employees to understand their realistic capacity and prioritize accordingly. Together, they can set clear boundaries and strategize how to meet important deadlines, prioritize necessary commitments and learn to say no without guilt.
Saying ‘no’ is hard; and health coaches can provide mental health support to help employees understand the purpose behind turning down certain commitments and enforce their boundaries in a way that builds confidence and resilience. By learning to say ‘no’ strategically, employees protect their mental health, avoid burnout, and free up time for the most meaningful tasks—both professionally and personally.
We’re heading into a particularly challenging Q4. Not only are individuals faced with the typical end-of-year stressors, but also we’re approaching a period of particular tension and uncertainty due to the impending election and geopolitical conflicts. Real health coaches are needed now more than ever. Employers, it’s time to deliver this benefit to your employees. Send us a note to team@yourcoach.health to learn more or to try a session for yourself to see what all the buzz is about!