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.

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According to Psychology Today, a behavior is said to be self-sabotaging when it creates problems and interferes with long-standing goals.











This type of behavior results from a misguided attempt to ‘rescue’ ourselves from our own negative feelings.











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!











As unique as your clients are, you may see them reveal self-sabotaging behavior in very distinctive ways. Here are a few common ones:











• 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.











• ‘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).











• 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.











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.











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.











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.











Everyone has the power to choose their daily thoughts but it takes practice and consistency.











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.










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what can i do if my clients keep self sabotaging themselves?

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