what can i do if my clients keep self sabotaging themselves

What can I do if my clients keep self-sabotaging themselves?

By Maureen Faherty

www.fitnessprofessionalonline.com

Self-sabotage is a

very common

behavioral issue to

address with clients,

although it can

manifest itself as

different forms.

http://www.fitnessprofessionalonline.com/author/maureen/


https://www.facebook.com/FitnessProfessionalOnline

https://twitter.com/FitProOnline

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fitness-professional-online

https://plus.google.com/+Fitnessprofessionalonline

http://www.fitnessprofessionalonline.com/articles/ask-an-expert/what-can-i-do-if-my-clients-keep-self-sabotaging-themselves/


According to

Psychology Today, a

behavior is said to be

self-sabotaging when

it creates problems

and interferes with

long-standing goals.


By Maureen Faherty









This type of behavior

results from a

misguided attempt

to ‘rescue’ ourselves from our own

negative feelings.


By Maureen Faherty









In other words, your

client is “getting in their own way” from achieving their

goals. If it sounds

counter-intuitive,

that’s because it is!


By Maureen Faherty









As unique as your

clients are, you may see them reveal self-

sabotaging behavior

in very distinctive ways. Here are a few

common ones:


By Maureen Faherty









• Procrastination – This happens

to the best of us, and yes

sometimes life gets in the way,

but when excuses are continually

made to keep you off course

from your goals (e.g. continually

canceling/rescheduling sessions,

falling off the nutrition plan,

‘running out of time’ in the day to fit in a quick workout…) then action is needed.


By Maureen Faherty









• ‘All-or-nothing’ mindset –

This might be the most common

self-sabotaging issue that I see… a client will push past the

procrastination hurdle and get

started, only to completely throw in the towel when they make one

small misstep (such as giving into

cravings for food they were trying to stay away from or missing a couple of workout days).


By Maureen Faherty









• Negative self-talk – This might be a little

less easily seen in a

client unless they are open and honest with

you about what they

are thinking.


By Maureen Faherty









Work with your client to

figure out when this self-

talk happens and what it

consists of. If they

become self-aware, they

can start to address it

instead of letting it control

them.


By Maureen Faherty









Regardless of what your

client is working through,

whether it is one of these

behaviors or something

else, start small and work on building healthy habits

with your client to work

past the self-sabotaging behavior.


By Maureen Faherty









Please note, although it is

natural to want to help our

clients move past whatever it is

they are going through, keep in

mind the scope of a personal

trainer’s role and know when to refer to a qualified emotional

behavioral specialist, as

opposed to overanalyzing and

making assumptions.


By Maureen Faherty









Everyone has the

power to choose

their daily

thoughts but it

takes practice

and consistency.


By Maureen Faherty









As your client’s personal trainer/coach, you can help

them identify their emotional

roadblocks, encourage

positive thinking and continue to accomplish small

victories to work past any

self-sabotaging behavior

that stands in the way of their goals.


By Maureen Faherty








SHARE your PASSION and

KNOWLEDGE with world.

Get published on

Fitness Professional Online






http://www.fitnessprofessionalonline.com/about-us/author-fitness-professional-online/

what can i do if my clients keep self sabotaging themselves

Documents