Health coaching integrated into the workplace

I qualified as a solicitor in 1999, became a partner in 2003, and spent years honing my legal and business skills. Despite a bout of pneumonia in 2008, I continued working, adjusting my nutrition slightly. The workload was constant, leaving me stressed, sleep-deprived, and neglectful of my health. By 2019, after reaching a milestone birthday, I realised something needed to change, prompting me to reassess my work-life balance.

I worked with a coach for three years to achieve sustainable weight loss, better sleep, stress management, improved nutrition, and more personal time. Later, I trained as a Health and Wellness coach to further understand mind-body health and performance.

Common mistakes lawyers make include:

• Skipping breaks during workdays
• Using coffee or alcohol to cope
• Sitting for extended periods without moving
• Eating unbalanced meals
• Overlooking long-term effects of stress
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Constantly checking emails
• Agreeing to too many tasks

I enjoy sharing insights with my colleagues and offering support. I’ve learned that health greatly impacts performance and wellbeing. Lack of sleep lowers effectiveness and leads to poor dietary choices, while frequent high-carb meals can cause fatigue and reliance on coffee, which may disrupt sleep. Physical inactivity raises disease risks, but exercise boosts mood. Many people fall into unhealthy habits without noticing. This can lead to burnout which is basically your mind and body taking over to make you rest.

My colleagues know I value a workplace that prioritises health.

My initiatives include weekly health emails, workshops on stress management, hormone health, and menopause; workplace massages; one-on-one coaching; and conversations with colleagues on their specific health interests.

For this article I asked my colleagues the following question:

Some of the responses below:

• “I think it’s great that we have someone concerned about our wellbeing! In a world where nobody wants to help or you feel completely invisible, it’s wonderful to have a colleague that has gone to great lengths to learn something that we can use in our everyday life. I personally feel that I need help to learn how to have a healthier lifestyle so that I can pass that on to my children and grandchildren, I think it’s something we all could use some help with! It’s even better that we have someone we know and work with, a person we can turn to, to help give us guidance.”
• “Reading the weekly inspiring health emails you were sending did make me look at myself and my own health, when I joined in March my health was poor, physical and mental, there have been many factors that have contributed to my overall health improving but seeing emails about health, being informed about better ways of living has definitely had an impact, I have lost some weight slowly, given up smoking, make an effort to walk more often, so overall trying to better for myself. So, thank you for giving me that push and inspiration to move towards a healthier life and hopefully being around longer for my children.”
• “From my own personal experience with mental health, having someone at the top who genuinely cares about the wellbeing of the staff can be a big help. It’s reassuring to have someone who shares advice, tips , and offers their time and support. It makes a huge difference in creating a healthier, more open, and friendly work environment when were not just focusing on how productive and busy we are, but how we are managing that on a personal level. …”
• “I would consider it is beneficial to have a qualified health coach as a colleague.  I have picked up things during my time here, that has contributed to my outlook, mind-set and how I assess things going forward in life and in work. The focus is on longevity within the legal profession and having a work life balance…”
• “Personally, I found the workshops you ran for Wellbeing Week to be incredibly useful – as have others. From simple messaging like “you do not need a coffee first thing to help you through a day” to the healthy eating aspect through to the keeping away from screens before going to bed are all very useful and help me to switch off from the day easier. Also, the taking a break from the desk aspect at lunch time is great. We are all very busy with a million things needed yesterday and it’s very easy to get into work while eating a sandwich.”
• “I think it’s fantastic having a health coach as a colleague who can provide us with updates on health and wellbeing ideas, and as lawyers working in a stressful environment this benefits us all. Maria’s knowledge provides not just a source of support and ideas, but also factual ones that are based on research and science to help us understand what we do and eat has an impact on our overall health. It has definitely helped me and makes me think about my choices and gives me a sense of control over how I can positively affect my health and wellbeing. Maria’s advice includes tips on reducing stress, how different foods and drinks can affect our health and hormones. In particular, her workshop on hormones and how it changes and affects us when we age (which is something that affects us all) was very insightful and helpful. I have personally implemented some of her tips and shared information with friends and family.”

I appreciate my colleagues for sharing their experiences. I urge law firms to work with health coaching professionals to foster positive change in the workplace. Recognising how health influences performance can transform your outlook and behaviour. Being in control of my work and life makes me happier.