I first came across coaching as I was reflecting on my work situation and my need for a change. Living with axial SpA (AS) had significantly changed my life and my perspective.
Five years after my diagnosis, it became clear that a desk-based job was not suitable for me anymore. I tried working part time, rearranging my desk, taking regular breaks and going for walks.
It just did not work for me anymore. Sitting in front of a computer all week made me feel bad physically and mentally.
But it was hard to think about what else I could do. I found the idea of changing my career too big, risky and confusing. Thinking it through alone was difficult. So, I decided to work with a life coach.
The coach asked me simple questions to help me analyse my current situation at work and my desire for change. Through each session I made progress, gathering information, and identifying easy practical tasks to get answers about a new career path.
I found it useful that the coach didn’t advise me but instead guided me to reach my own answers and work out my own plan involving my own actions. This made me feel confident, reassured and in control.
I felt empowered and positive about my ability to both keep working and cope better with my axial SpA.
As a result, I worked towards a Diploma in Personal Performance. I wanted to offer to people what I found through coaching.
What is coaching?
Coaching has, at its core, the aim of a complete life balance. A life coach helps you to reach a happier, more balanced life according to your own vision and values.
Coaching supports you to unlock a situation and gives you the space to explore ways to move forward, to structure a plan and take action while being witnessed, listened to and supported. This is also the place to explore the practicalities of achieving a goal, putting things into context of your life circumstances.
I noticed the coaching sessions were particularly valuable to people during lockdown restriction, to keep a focus on their goals and how to get there.
Coaching for the management of long term conditions.
Living with a long term condition can mean regularly revising our way of living and potentially adapting to new circumstances.
Our symptoms can change, or worsen, even overnight. As a result, our daily routine, the way we organise our life has to change too but without any plan or instructions on what that change should look like.
It can be a real burden to have to manage the condition, navigate the care pathway, and adapt your life.
Self-management of axial SpA can include trying to manage fatigue and chronic pain, fitting in regular exercise and, looking after our mental health, to name a few. All that can be overwhelming. And that’s why having someone neutral and supportive to talk to can make a big difference.
A coach can help you to define what you want to do first to improve your life. They know how to really listen to people’s story and asks powerful questions in order to identify where the next step might be to manage symptoms.
Regular sessions are useful to keep the momentum to implement these changes. You and the coach are both engaged into this mission to improve your quality of life in whatever way that you decide, as you are the expert in your life with a long term condition. The coach is the facilitator in the process, the catalyst to the changes you will make in your life.
Dr Julie Vallortigara (PhD) is a Life Coach for people with long term conditions. She also ran a My AS My Life online session on coaching. You can watch it here and you can contact Julie on jvallortigara@hotmail.com
