In a world obsessed with numbers, it’s easy to forget that behind every data point is a real person. During Mental Health Awareness Month, especially, we’re reminded that anxiety, stress, emotional overwhelm, and other mental health concerns aren’t just statistics, they’re lived experiences. While numbers can tell part of the story, they rarely capture the complexity of what someone is truly going through. That’s where REAL health coaching can make a difference.
Health coaches are trained to meet their clients with honesty and empathy, really seeing them as whole human beings. They listen to learn what others might overlook, like the silent buildup of stress or the quiet signals of anxiety. By blending empathy with science-backed methods, health coaches help individuals not only improve their mental wellbeing but also feel seen, heard, and supported in ways that traditional systems often miss. In today’s blog, we unpack the people behind the data, showing you there’s more to meet the eye when your health coach is trained to see the full picture.
1 in 5 adults suffers from an anxiety disorder in the U.S.
Meet Jenna. She’s a high-performing project manager who’s never missed a deadline and is known for keeping her team on course. She’s reliable, proactive and dedicated and is always eager to stay late at work to keep things on track. Her manager calls her a team player through and through, but what they don’t see is…
Jenna wakes up every morning with her heart racing. She rehearses most conversations in her head before they happen and feels a sense of panic when her inbox gets too full. She hasn’t talked about it with anyone because technically, she’s doing more than fine. Until she started working with her health coach. Through a series of thoughtful, meaningful questions, her health coach unpacked that Jenna’s high-functioning anxiety was slowly bleeding into burnout. Coaches are trained to listen beyond the surface, to recognize when perfectionism is actually fear, and when “I’m fine” is really a red flag.
Together, they built simple practices to help her manage stress, set boundaries, and reestablish a sense of control. Over time, Jenna didn’t just feel better—she WAS better. Not because she worked harder, but because she finally stopped carrying it all alone. In our YourCoach Observational Outcomes Study, clients working with REAL health coaches had a 17.9% decrease in GAD-7 scores just after 2 sessions, which indicates a decrease in anxiety. What we heard from participants was even more powerful – health coaches play an integral role in helping manage anxiety, sustainably.
49% of Americans report frequently experiencing stress.
Mark is one of them, but you wouldn’t know it. He’s a middle school teacher, a dad of two, and the kind of person everyone can count on. He cracks jokes in the break room, he shows up early for his students, and he never misses a soccer game. On the outside, he’s composed and dependable. But on the inside, he’s stretched thin. He lies awake at night thinking about his lesson plans and bills. His patience is running low and his energy is running out.
When Mark starts working with a health coach, he finally has someone who asks the kind of questions that get underneath the surface, like, “What do your mornings feel like? Where are you giving too much? When’s the last time you said ‘no’?” Slowly, he begins to understand that chronic stress isn’t something to just push through. It’s something to notice, to name, and to manage.
Through small, consistent changes, like learning to set boundaries, carving out moments of rest, and reframing his inner dialogue, Mark begins to feel more present, more energized, and more like himself again. Not because life got easier, but because he got the right kind of support. In fact, our Observational Outcomes Study showed that health coaches can activate a 10.8% increase in RAQ-8 scores just after 2 sessions, an evaluation used to show how well you can recover from stress. Firsthand, we’ve heard that even small mindset shifts can be the turning point for people who’ve been stuck in survival mode for far too long.
77% of professionals have experienced burnout at their current job.
Alicia is one of them. She’s a marketing director at a Fortune 500 company known for her creativity and ability to juggle multiple workstreams at once. She powers through back-to-back meetings, late night Teams messages, and inevitable business pivots like it’s second nature. But lately, all the things she used to love about her job have become, just, eh. Her motivation is fading, her sleep is mediocre at best, and her weekends are spent recovering instead of recharging. She was ready to quit. Alicia had no idea she was actually burned out, until she started working with her health coach.
Together, they identified the signs she had been ignoring: emotional exhaustion, disconnection from her work, and a creeping sense of inadequacy even though she was doing her job well. With the guidance of her health coach, Alicia began setting healthier work boundaries, reevaluating her priorities, and reconnecting with purpose beyond her inbox. Burnout isn’t a personal failure—it’s a signal that something needs to shift. Health coaches help us identify the signs, all while reminding us that we have control over our health, happiness and overall wellbeing. In fact, according to our Observational Outcomes Study, 61.2% of participants showed improvement in their perceived control over life outcomes after just two coaching sessions.
Behind every stat is a real person, and also their health coach! While anxiety, stress, and burnout are often hidden behind the surface, YourCoach health coaches are trained to spot the signs and help individuals take control of their mental wellbeing. Here at YourCoach, we firmly believe every human deserves access to REAL health coaching to achieve more optimal mental and physical health and wellbeing. If you’re an organization that’s looking to deliver science-backed mental health support to your clients, patients, employees and/or members, Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to bring on REAL health coaching. Send us a note to team@yourcoach.health to learn more about how we can help you make a REAL difference.
FAQ:
What role does YourCoach play in supporting mental health?
At YourCoach, we offer REAL, ROI-driven health coaching through the largest validated cohort of verified health and wellbeing coaches. If you’re an organization that’s interested in learning more about how we can provide mental health and sustainable behavior change support for your employees, clients, patients and/or members, send us a note to team@yourcoach.health.
In what ways do health coaches personalize their approach to mental wellbeing?
No two people experience stress or anxiety the same way. Health coaches recognize this and take a personalized approach, getting to know the person behind the data. They ask thoughtful questions that reveal patterns, struggles, and strengths others might miss. By understanding a client’s unique context—like lifestyle, values, and mindset—coaches help co-create realistic, personalized strategies that promote sustainable mental wellbeing.
Does health coaching result in statistically significant mental health outcomes?
Absolutely! Real-world data shows that working with a health coach leads to measurable improvements in mental health. For example, clients in the YourCoach Observational Outcomes Study saw a 17.9% decrease in anxiety scores (GAD-7), a 10.8% increase in stress recovery (RAQ-8), and over 61% showed improved perceived control over life outcomes.