Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill spent 30 years as a career firefighter, where she developed a passion for holistic health, wellness, and nutrition. During that time, she became a trusted collegue, often coaching other firefighters toward healthier habits.
Discover the transformative power of holistic health and wellness travel, specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of women in their 40s and beyond. This is not just any journey; it's your journey to self-care and well-being, which empowers you to take control of your health. Because of the personal nature of health coaching, the process identified in this article is intended as an outline designed to convey a potential framework used to support personalized wellness journeys. Each woman’s needs are specific and may require a different process. Please consult with a certified coach for individualized plans.
Do you feel like something is still missing in your wellness journey despite knowing how to diet and exercise? Perhaps you’re seeking a more holistic approach to improving your overall well-being without the fads currently plaguing the internet. If you’re ready to explore deeper, more meaningful ways to feel truly well and vibrant in your body and life, read on!
There are numerous paths to feeling fantastic in your skin, and one of the most exciting is exploring new approaches to well-being. Consider wellness travel, a powerful tool that allows you to fully relax, learn new healthy habits, and immerse yourself in an environment free from the distractions of daily life. This can be the medicine your body craves, offering a unique opportunity to rejuvenate and revitalize.
When I suggest women let themselves experience curated wellness travel and health coaching together as part of their healing journey, the initial resistance is predictable. “Go away by myself? I can’t do that. My family (work, business, etc.) relies on me. I don’t have the time to take a wellness vacation.” Investing in yourself may initially feel selfish on the surface; however, understand that it is the most powerful investment you can make.
When you find yourself caught in the crossfire of stress and overwhelming demands and know you need to prioritize your health and well-being, remember, you're not alone. There is support available. Seeking a trusted guide, such as a health coach, is a crucial step in your journey. Combined with transformative wellness travel, it can provide an enjoyable and relaxing path to a healthier you. But with so many wellness destination options available, how do you find the one that’s right for you? The key is understanding what’s happening beneath the symptoms of stress-related illness or poor self-care. By identifying your specific needs and preferences, you can select a wellness destination that aligns with your goals and supports your well-being.
Gone are the days when getting healthier only focused on deprivation and punishing workouts. Holistic wellness embraces the need to nourish all parts of the self – the mind, the body, and the soul. However, before you can get there, it’s critical to blaze the path with intention. This means setting clear, meaningful goals for your wellness journey and taking deliberate steps to achieve them.
Identifying the root cause
Step one is to identify why you seem to be caught in the crossfire in the first place. When analyzing this information, looking within and not blaming outside situations is essential. Suppose you can’t quite get to your ‘why’ right away. Start by identifying the feelings that surface when you think about what’s stressing you out.
Could it be that you’re trying too hard to be perfect? Or perhaps it might be that you’re working hard to prove something when you should be more concerned with aligning with your true self. So many of our physical symptoms originate from repressed emotions. Making this connection could be the key that unlocks the door to better health.
Thinking back through childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood while simultaneously scanning your body for pain can be an eye-opening exercise. Stiffness, heaviness, or changes in heart rate can also provide important clues. Make sure to jot down any correlations you uncover without judgment.
Be honest about what you truly desire
One of the most valuable tools I use to uncover my clients' true desires is asking them what they would like to do if I gave them a round-trip plane ticket to any destination and $10,000 in spending money. Then, I tell them they have only two minutes to decide.
I ask them to say the first thing that comes to their mind and identify the first feelings my question evokes. Speaking it out loud sometimes catches them off guard, which is vital to self-understanding.
Some clients feel resistance to being given such a generous gift. Resistance is a necessary trait to identify when it comes to healing because it shows up in many other places in their lives. Others feel guilt or shame for thinking about not sharing it with others. Guilt is also necessary to identify because it gives clues about our perceived self-worth.
Still, other clients don’t know what to do in such a situation. They’ve never permitted themselves to speak their desires out loud and without judgment. Being super honest with themselves feels foreign.
Identify the habits keeping you stuck
Here's another helpful exercise. Suppose I had a magic wand and could wave it and instantly make all of your bad habits disappear. What habits would disappear, never to return? Make a list of each one. Again, it’s essential not to be judgmental but rather completely honest with yourself. This exercise is designed to help you identify the habits holding you back from achieving your wellness goals.
As you list the bad habits that have kept you stuck, leave room underneath to write a new habit you’d like to replace each with. This exercise brings a sense of relief, knowing that you have the power to change. Remember, this is a magic wand wish list, so ask for everything you know you need. Begin reading through your list and identify the top 3 habits you intuitively know could be life-changing. Mark each with a star. These necessary habit changes will guide you toward choosing the experiences you wish to undertake during your wellness trip.
In other words, suppose you identified that you have the habit of eating fast food multiple times per week and want to replace that habit with cooking healthier food at home. When searching for a wellness experience, look for one where you can take cooking classes or eat three plant-based meals daily. Or, if you know you don’t sleep well, choose a destination specializing in sleep hygiene. Yes, there is such a thing!
Putting it all together
Once you’re clear on what’s been holding you back and what habits you wish to change, it’s time to match them with a destination or experience offering that type of support. Remember, there’s no need to spend a week in the jungle of Bali if you don’t want to. There are wellness destinations in every corner of the world and every state in the USA. Committing to bringing the positive aspects of your experience home with you is also vital. Integrating what you learned into your daily life with new wellness habits will be critical in continuing to uplevel your health and well-being. It’s important to note that this is the part that most women struggle with, so receiving coaching for several weeks post-trip can be incredibly beneficial.
When pre-trip and post-trip coaching are added to a curated wellness travel experience, the odds of achieving holistic health and well-being improve dramatically. Knowing you have a mentor in your corner who will support and encourage you throughout the process adds a sense of empowerment and optimism. If this sounds like something you’d like to explore, I offer free 30-minute consultations to identify if working together would be a good fit. Not everyone is ready to add curated wellness travel to their journey toward better health, but it can be magical for those committed to the process. It’s an opportunity to rediscover your purpose, heal, and grow through travel.
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Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill, Transformational Wellness and Travel Coach
Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill spent 30 years as a career firefighter, where she developed a passion for holistic health, wellness, and nutrition. During that time, she became a trusted collegue, often coaching other firefighters toward healthier habits. After retirement, she continued coaching and developed a passion for traveling. Combining her two loves, she now coaches on transformation, mindset, and all things wellness travel. Her mission: Helping women to find their mind, body, and soul connection.
