• Home
  • ->
  • Blog
  • ->
  • What’s Your Pre- and Post-Session Routine as a Health Coach?

What’s Your Pre- and Post-Session Routine as a Health Coach?

by: Jenn Maples
Published: August 20, 2019
Updated: June 23, 2022

If you’ve been practicing for awhile, you’ve probably got a good handle on how to approach your health coaching sessions. But what about the time you spend before and after seeing clients?

Having a solid pre- and post-session routine is not only important for your clients’ sake, it’s crucial for your sanity. In fact, Primal Health Coach Institute’s own Christine Hassler swears by hers to protect her energy and help her get into a space of being of service.

It’s not just health coaches who appreciate the power of a good routine either. Everyone from CEOs and entrepreneurs to major league athletes say that having one helps them stay focused, be more productive in their roles, and avoid burnout.

Having an established routine before and after your sessions also allows you to:

  • Remain calm and grounded
  • Make sure your space is presentable
  • Get prepared
  • Stay organized
  • Set intentions
  • Take care of personal needs
  • Keep from feeling drained

What Should Your Routine Look Like?

The most successful routine is one that works for you. That means understanding your priorities, your schedule, and your energy levels. For instance, introverts might need more downtime than their extroverted peers. So, think about what needs to happen so that you’re in the right space to see clients—literally and figuratively. Do you have the correct files? Is there water or tea to drink? Are you usually stuck in traffic before your first session and racing in at the last minute? Is your computer fully charged? Are you still thinking about the client you just wrapped up with?

No two routines will be alike. However, the questions above and actions below should inspire you to create a pre- and post-session routine that works best for you.

The Pre-Session Routine

Best practices for before your sessions can range from practical things like hitting the restroom and reviewing client notes to more mindful ones like breathing exercises and meditation.

Your pre-session routine might also include:

  • Turning off your phone and muting alerts on your computer
  • Charging any electronics your need during your session
  • Making sure your video conferencing platform is on and working
  • Keeping confidential paperwork properly filed and out of sight
  • Getting your office space organized
  • Meditating or doing a grounding exercise
  • Setting an intention for your upcoming session
  • Allowing for guidance and clarity about what your client needs to hear
  • Doing a series of breathing exercises to make sure you’re present
  • Checking in with yourself to see what else you need before the session
  • Reminding yourself that you’re human

Some of my favorite resources for before a session are: ThinkUp, an positive mindset app that lets you practice and personalize daily affirmations, the Repeat Timer Pro app for staying on task, The Four Agreements—a good read for anyone who’s ready to overcome their limiting beliefs, and James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, with strategies for creating an effective routine—and sticking with it.

The Post-Session Routine

After your sessions, your routine will likely include a few of the same things you did beforehand, like bathroom breaks and reviewing files, but since you’ll be short on time, don’t waste it scrolling through social media, replying to emails, or tackling a task on your to-do list. Instead, type up your notes from your previous client and work towards refocusing your energy for your next one.

Your post-session routine might also include:

  • Having at least 10 minutes in between clients to compile your notes
  • Cleaning your space physically and energetically
  • Going for a short walk or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air
  • Doing a mindfulness practice that lets you reflect on your session
  • Breathing exercises that allow you to “shake off” your last session
  • Maintaining a sense of gratitude
  • Closing your eyes to meditate for a few minutes
  • Re-setting intentions for the next client
  • Checking in with yourself to make sure you have what you need
  • Asking for guidance and clarity again
  • Reminding yourself that you’re still a human, just a busy one

Some of my favorite resources for after a session are: the Calm app with guided meditations as short as 3 minutes, an app called H2O that uses sound frequency to clear your space of negative energy, the 5 Minute Yoga app, which as you might guess, has yoga sessions that are never more than 5 minutes long, and the book The 5 Second Rule, with tips on how to stop procrastinating.

In Summary

Establishing a good pre- and post-session routine can mean the difference between being prepared and present for your clients and feeling completely drained and disorganized. So, think about what you need to do to protect your energy and get in the right mindset for your health coaching sessions, before and after they take place. And be sure to include a mix of practical things and more mindful ones using the ideas and resources above.

Now tell us what you think! Leave a comment below to start or join the discussion...

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Ready to become one of the world’s most trusted, experienced, and knowledgeable health coaches? Get certified as a Primal Coach.

Establish clout. Elevate your career. Enrich your knowledge with the only comprehensive ancestral health
certification program in existence.

Got questions? We have answers. Gain instant access to the Primal Health Coach Institute Course Catalog.

In course catalog, you will learn:

  • How to become a health or fitness coach in just 5–7 hours per week
  •  Exactly what you will learn in each of our online courses
  • The professional opportunities available for health and fitness coaches
  • Ways to define your niche as a health or fitness specialist
  • The length, format, and graduation requirements of each course
  • The business tools and support we provide to all of our students
Select Your Country *
  • Please select one
  • Afghanistan
  • Åland Islands
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas (the)
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
  • Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Bouvet Island
  • Brazil
  • British Indian Ocean Territory (the)
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands (the)
  • Central African Republic (the)
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands (the)
  • Colombia
  • Comoros (the)
  • Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)
  • Congo (the)
  • Cook Islands (the)
  • Costa Rica
  • Côte d'Ivoire
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Curaçao
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic (the)
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic (the)
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands (the) [Malvinas]
  • Faroe Islands (the)
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • French Southern Territories (the)
  • Gabon
  • Gambia (the)
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guernsey
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Holy See (the)
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran (Islamic Republic of)
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Isle of Man
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Johnston Island
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of)
  • Korea (the Republic of)
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of)
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands (the)
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mayotte
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Midway Islands
  • Moldova (the Republic of)
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands (the)
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger (the)
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • Northern Mariana Islands (the)
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestine, State of
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines (the)
  • Pitcairn
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Réunion
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation (the)
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Barthélemy
  • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Martin (French part)
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • South Sudan
  • Southern Rhodesia
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan (the)
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Taiwan (Province of China)
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic of
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks and Caicos Islands (the)
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates (the)
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands (the)
  • Upper Volta
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
  • Viet Nam
  • Virgin Islands (British)
  • Virgin Islands (U.S.)
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Western Sahara
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Program Interest (Please Select One) *
  • Primal Health Coach Certification
  • Primal Fitness Coach Certification
  • Master Coach Certification
  • Primal Health and Nutrition Expert Certification
  • Primal Fitness Expert Certification
  • Coaching Expert Certification
  • Advanced Coaching Expert Certification
  • Business Expert Certification
  • Human Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease
  • Strength Training for Women
  • Health Coaching in Medical Practices
  • Functional Therapeutic Diets
  • Applied Ketogenic Diet
  • Functional Lab Testing for Health Coaches
  • Launch Your Coaching Business
  • How to Land a Health Coach Job
  • PrimalPro™
  • I'm not sure yet
>
Share
Tweet
Email
Share
Pin
More