Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet it’s often neglected. When you’re running a coaching business and helping your clients find success, all while running a household and living your life, it can be easy to put your own self-care needs to the bottom of your list of priorities.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we were inspired to get insight from 8 full-time coaches on practical ways for coaches to maintain their mental health.
Though it can be difficult to take care of your mental health when you’re constantly on the go, these eight coaches have figured out how to make it work, and we can’t wait to share them with you. Whether it is carving out some time for themselves each day, or engaging in meditation or mindfulness, they have found what works for them and stayed the course.
Let’s dive right in!
8 Coaches Share How They Take Care of Their Mental Health
If you’re a coach looking for ways to improve your mental wellbeing, look no further! These eight tips will help get you started.
1. A morning meditation can do wonders.

“If you are a coach, you are also a giver. Setting boundaries is key for self-care and maintaining mental health as you grow your practice. It is easy to get burnt out.
Having a daily ritual of gratitude, a short morning meditation, and a post-it reminder on my computer that my clients are creative, resourceful, and whole helps me be a more present and successful coach.”

Get Your Free Coaching Business Checklist!
Fill out this form to access our free comprehensive business checklist with 149+ actionable tasks to setup your coaching business for success.
Plus, join our email list to stay up to date.
– Ali Dunn, Mindset and Leadership Coach
2. Take time daily to connect with your authentic self.

“As a Coach, maintaining my own mental health is imperative to me providing the best service to my clients. While there are no one-size-fits-all tips, taking time DAILY to connect with my authentic self is critical.
Knowing what I think about, and what I bring about, it is imperative I intentionally stop to access/reassess my current state of consciousness, accept what is/was, engage in or simply trust the process, then absorb, adjust or release accordingly.
I pray in gratitude, meditate and journal. I also barter with another coach. If your coach doesn’t have a coach, you need a new coach.”
– Teresa Smith, Peaceful Soul Life Coaching
3. Schedule time for your interests outside of coaching.

“Without good self-mental health, one is really not at their best coaching anyone on any subject.
I have been a marriage coach for 28 years, now specializing in healthcare professionals.
My tip is to do something every day that you enjoy doing, AWAY from coaching. I like to do things with my wife, whether it’s an intimate dinner, watching a movie, etc. It’s invaluable to me.”
–Dr. George Naum, Best Friends Again
4. Know that self-care doesn’t have to be radical to be effective.

“Since becoming an entrepreneur, self-care and mental health have been a top priority for me and an area I focus on with my clients. I often share tips through a weekly post called Fill Your Cup Fridays, where I talk about my journey in self-care. My journey has evolved but now consists of daily meditations, working out twice a week, or being mindful of sights and sounds around me.
Sometimes it’s as simple as dressing up a bit for Zoom calls or working from another place in the house. It doesn’t have to be radical and can only take a few minutes each day.
I recommend that my clients focus on one aspect of self-care every day and journal about it. What worked? What didn’t work? What would you do differently? This process provides the time to sit at the moment and focus on what’s best for them.”
– Sacha Thompson, The Equity Equation
5. Journal every day to clear your head.

“Get into the habit of doing morning pages for 7 minutes every morning. Take out a physical journal and a pen and write 3 pages with your stream-of-consciousness thoughts. Set your timer for 7 minutes at least. This technique allows you to empty your head, figure out what may be hiding that’s causing you anxiety, and helps you come up with a strategic plan for the day. It also helps you get in touch with yourself and approach your clients authentically.
Another big tip (and this is something new coaches struggle with) is writing a list of all the amazing qualities and qualifications you bring to your career. Whenever you feel impostor syndrome creeping up, read the list. This could include things like I’m kind, honest, caring, and have studied my coaching modality inside and out. ”
– Dayana Aleksandrova, Certified Intuitive Life Coach
6. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

“One thing I do to be proactive about my mental health is make sure I have coaching best friends. These aren’t necessarily my personal life best friends but more so those either more experienced than me in the coaching space or my peers who understand what it feels like to be a full-time small business owner.
I also make sure I attend in-person events for networking so that I can immerse myself in the energy of real-life thriving small business owners as I feel online can never replace 100% in-person interaction. You can try the Meetup App to look for events in your area.”
– Dhara Singh, Story By Dhara
7. Set strong boundaries & clear expectations with your clients.

“Delivering life-changing client shifts is fulfilling and lucrative but can leave coaches at risk for compassion fatigue and mental challenges. While the business can be a container for living our purpose, it’s critical we don’t let the business run us or run us down.
Business boundaries that support our mental wellbeing can include setting clear expectations about timeliness, working hours, and appropriate communication forms before the contract signing.
Spelling out these details within the contract, adding notices to booking links and email signatures, and addressing violations of these boundaries as a part of the coaching engagement both enrich the client experience and protect your wellbeing.”
– Amanda Ferris, Clover & Kind
8. Fill your cup first, then fill others’.

“As a coach, it’s important to remember that you can not pour from an empty cup. You can’t help others if you don’t put yourself first.
I set aside time every single morning for my own routines that help my mental health like journaling and meditation.
If I had to recommend one thing to other coaches, it would be to carve out time in your day for YOU. Do what nourishes you and fills you up so you can show up fully for your clients.”
– Ashlie Garner, Hairstylist Coach
Final Thoughts
Coaches are often thought of as superheroes. We’re the people who help others see their potential and achieve their goals. But what we don’t often think about is that coaches also have to take care of their own mental health – just like everyone else.
Realistically, mental well-being can be an ebb & flow. Sometimes you’ll feel totally balanced and maintain your inner peace, and sometimes you won’t. What’s most important is that you have a collection of resources you can access when your mental health needs a boost, and that you also have consistent practices to help you stay proactive.
We hope that by sharing these eight ways that coaches can take care of their mental health, you will be inspired to do something for yourself, as well.
Let’s commit to better mental health and self-care together. Do you have a favorite way to protect your mental well-being? We’d love to hear from you, share it below!