[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Clients with winter blues? Here’s help Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( Cold, dark seasons are tough. Tougher on some than others. Kate Solovieva, PN Super Coach and Director of Community Engagement, who experiences seasonal affective disorder, describes it like this: “It’s like being in a long-distance relationship with someone you really love and rely on for six months out of the year. Except that someone is yourself.” [A GIF of a person trudging very slowly in a field of deep snow.] Putting one foot in front of the other. She says, “I can still see my ‘true’ self, but it’s like she’s so far away, through this wall of fog and snow.” Because of her personal experience with it, Coach Kate has a special understanding of—and expertise with—clients who deal with SAD Today, we’ll learn about ways to support these clients. What’s unique about clients with SAD? People who experience SAD have brains that are especially sensitive to seasonal changes—mostly changes in the amount of daylight. There are two types of SAD: ❄️ Fall-onset, or "winter depression." Symptoms start late fall to early winter, and improve during the summer. (This is by far the most common type.) 🍃 Spring-onset, or "summer depression." Symptoms start late spring to early summer, and improve in the fall. If a client struggles with either, look out for the following signs and statements: ▶ Negative anticipation around seasonal and/or weather changes “Ugh, it’s August and I already feel that fall chill in the air. Soon, it’s going to get darker and everything is going to suck.” “Have you seen the forecast for next week? No sun for days. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” ▶ Changes in motivation during certain times of the year “I can’t make it to the gym today. It’s so cold and gray outside.” “I don’t know why, but I can’t manage to get myself moving these days.” ▶ Feelings of hopelessness “I’m never going to be able to change anyway, so why try?” “No one can help me right now.” How a coach can help Coaches can’t diagnose or treat SAD (or any kind of medical condition), but you can be an empathetic, non-judgmental observer, and helpful guide towards resources. Coach Kate suggests the following “best practices”: 📉 If you can, get a baseline. Though this might not be possible in all situations, you’ll be more attuned to a client’s changing moods if you know what their “regular” looks like. Then, you can be on the lookout for changes in mood or behavior as seasons shift. 🗓️ When possible, start early. If a client knows they experience SAD, don’t wait until fall or spring to problem-solve. Help clients establish healthy habits, set up a supportive environment, and optimize their vitamin D levels (more on that in a second) during the “easier” months, so the runway is just a little smoother in the season ahead. 🩸 Test vitamin D levels. Coach Kate says: “Vitamin D is one of the first things people mention when it comes to SAD, but most people are using this supplement incorrectly.” She suggests getting vitamin D levels checked by a physician. Then, ask your doctor to recommend a safe daily maximum dose to restore normal levels. If serum levels are low, the typical recommended dose of 1,000 IU per day won’t be enough to boost them to optimal. On the other hand, if your vitamin D levels are already optimal in the winter, taking more won’t help. 🔆 Try light therapy. Research supports that both natural, outdoor light, as well as light from a medical-grade SAD lamp, can ease some symptoms of SAD, such as mood changes and sleep disturbances. Outdoor time tends to be less appealing (and even potentially less safe) during the colder months, so aim for at least 20 minutes of outdoor daylight, but if that’s not possible, bring the light inside. Look for light therapy devices that offer 10,000 lux (a measure of light intensity) at a distance of 12 inches or more from your face. Use it for 20 to 30 minutes a day, preferably within the first hour of waking. (Busy clients can use it while they make or eat breakfast, or while applying makeup.) 🐢 Aim for maintenance. “Sometimes,” Solovieva says, “no difference at all is the greatest progress you can ask for.” Clients (and all humans really) love to see continuous improvement. But for people who normally experience a massive dip in mood, motivation, and healthy behaviors during certain seasons, just maintaining a baseline would be phenomenal. Help clients set compassionate, realistic expectations for their challenging season. And if they get frustrated with their plateau, remind them that, sometimes, progress is maintenance, and maintenance is progress. Want more strategies for special client scenarios? Clients are unique, so your coaching strategies should be too. If you want to know the nutrition principles that are most effective—but also flexible enough to adapt to any client’s particular challenge—check out [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification](. It combines the science of nutrition along with the art of coaching—so you can make a difference, and change lives. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? Precision Nutrition Business Insider's #1 Choice for Nutrition Certifications in 2022 --- To view this email as a web page, click [here.]( Precision Nutrition Inc. 18 King Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4, Canada Finally, nutrition makes sense. Visit us at [www.precisionnutrition.com]( today. Follow us on [Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences](