Professional Reflection
I just got back from the Heart and Stroke annual conference in Toronto. It was well run with a prestigious line up of speakers but to tell you the truth, I didn't learn anything new from them. What I did learn is that I am telling my clients all of the right things in my new position; educating clients with all of the right information using the best practice guidelines and providing support for lifestyle change through follow ups and monitoring.
On my train ride to Toronto I was thinking about what I was hoping to learn; what I struggle most with when dealing with clients. What I desperately wanted help with is improving my approach of getting client "buy in". I know people need to eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise moderately 5 days a week, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, etc. but how do I get them to "care" and actually take action. Some friends, family and coworkers take the stance...."it is up to them and if they don't care then that's their problem". Well, that sounds like an easy way out and a bit of a cop out.
The bottom line is...I believe that everyone deep down has the desire to be the best person that they can be. Some can find this desire very quickly, usually the self-starters or the people who come to me with the journals of food records and daily activity. Others have a hard time even believing they can have this kind of desire so my job and obligation is at least to attempt to help them find it.
Probably half of people I see, are deficient in self-love. They don't care what happens to them and so it begins by finding out what matters to them. Is it a spouse, children, grandchildren, pets, or a friend? Reframing questions so that these loved ones are considered when lifestyle change is considered. Usually, if change starts with a focus on someone or something else, then self-confidence and self-efficancy develops from attaining small goals and hopefully self-love follows.
On my train ride home last night, I came to the conclusion that the weekend wasn't lost just because I didn't gain any new data or ground breaking information. Through reflecting I realized that I don't need to be told a definite process of getting people to start taking action because there really is no perfect intervention for this. What I do need to do is listen to my clients? Before diving into food journals and activity records I need to understand their situation and initiate the building of a therapeutic relationship. What there life is like and what's really important to them? I guess I was doing this before but not in a very purposely way.
On that note....time to put work aside and start enjoying my Sunday. Besides, the blog is called "Operation Healthy Balance" right?
On my train ride to Toronto I was thinking about what I was hoping to learn; what I struggle most with when dealing with clients. What I desperately wanted help with is improving my approach of getting client "buy in". I know people need to eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise moderately 5 days a week, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, etc. but how do I get them to "care" and actually take action. Some friends, family and coworkers take the stance...."it is up to them and if they don't care then that's their problem". Well, that sounds like an easy way out and a bit of a cop out.
The bottom line is...I believe that everyone deep down has the desire to be the best person that they can be. Some can find this desire very quickly, usually the self-starters or the people who come to me with the journals of food records and daily activity. Others have a hard time even believing they can have this kind of desire so my job and obligation is at least to attempt to help them find it.
Probably half of people I see, are deficient in self-love. They don't care what happens to them and so it begins by finding out what matters to them. Is it a spouse, children, grandchildren, pets, or a friend? Reframing questions so that these loved ones are considered when lifestyle change is considered. Usually, if change starts with a focus on someone or something else, then self-confidence and self-efficancy develops from attaining small goals and hopefully self-love follows.
On my train ride home last night, I came to the conclusion that the weekend wasn't lost just because I didn't gain any new data or ground breaking information. Through reflecting I realized that I don't need to be told a definite process of getting people to start taking action because there really is no perfect intervention for this. What I do need to do is listen to my clients? Before diving into food journals and activity records I need to understand their situation and initiate the building of a therapeutic relationship. What there life is like and what's really important to them? I guess I was doing this before but not in a very purposely way.
On that note....time to put work aside and start enjoying my Sunday. Besides, the blog is called "Operation Healthy Balance" right?
Comments
Post a Comment