12 signs you might benefit from working with a health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers…
1. You’re not feeling confident in your food choices.
You’re faced with lots of food and nutrition information that can bring about mixed messages galore! With attention-grabbing headlines about what food we should avoid on every news show and influencers encouraging you to eat like they eat, it’s completely normal to be confused. This then leads to questioning, uneasiness, and general uncertainty with food and food choices.
The good news is what’s best for you is completely unique. It might require some support to figure out exactly what is best for you. This is where a health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach can help. When you feel confident in your food choices, you’ll be empowered to find true balance and enjoy every bite you eat. No stress. No guilt. Just joy and balanced fueling.
2. You don’t feel like you’re in a sustainable pattern with food.
If you find yourself undereating some days, overeating others, or landing all over the map depending on the day, then you’re not in a sustainable pattern with food. You don’t have to (and honestly shouldn’t) eat exactly the same foods and amounts each day either.
Finding the middle ground might require taking some more extreme steps (like allowing yourself to eat allll the foods you avoided or have labeled as “bad”). And to take those steps alone can be extremely scary. A coach supporting you to be your own guide and discover what’s best for you may be exactly what you need to drop the swings in eating and find your middle ground.
3. Body confidence is more often low than high.
Rather than saying it’s “negative,” let’s say your body image might be low or unhelpful. Most of us experience those days, and being in front of a mirror as often as you are can definitely make them more extreme.
When you’re ready to employ strategies to cultivate a helpful and supportive body image, a coach can help! From mantras to journaling to affirmations, there are a variety of mindset shifts you can make that might allow you to make the shift.
(If you think you’re struggling with body dysmorphia, seek help from a licensed mental health professional like a therapist or counselor.)
4. You’re trying to build sustainable habits and routines but don’t know where to start.
I say this all the time (and I was there 100%): dancers are busy!!! There was a period of time when I was freelancing where I was working 2 jobs plus dancing and rehearsals. I literally worked 7 days a week leaving my house at 8 a.m. and not getting home until 11 p.m. on a lot of days. Within all that busyness, it may surprise you to know that there was in fact time for supportive habits and routines. At the time, I didn’t employ any of them.
Now, I help dancers like you create a life around their crazy schedule that allows you to feel balanced, even if you’re crazy busy. If you’ve wanted to start meditating or create a morning routine to start the day on a positive note, that’s a big part of what I support dancers in doing. By simply providing accountability and ideas, you can find a much happier approach that allows you to stop and notice what’s going well (every day).
5. You want more info on how to best fuel yourself.
Not sure which macros you need more of? Have a tendency to prioritize protein and cut carbs? Providing clarifying information for the dancers I work with is one of my favorite things. Shifts are usually quite simple, and honestly, you probably have the answer yourself! By asking the right questions and providing complimentary information, you’ll become an expert on how to fuel yourself well.
6. You’re missing out on the joys of life because of food fears.
If you’re afraid to go out to dinner with family or go to a party with friends, it’s time to adjust the way you view all foods. Gradually, you can loosen and release the “rules” you’ve created, and you’ll rediscover the joy of food.
Cake, ice cream, cookies, and pizza are delicious foods, and the truth is, even as an artist and athlete, you can and should enjoy them. All foods can fit and support your best dancing.
7. You feel like low body confidence is making you struggle in class.
When you should be focused on dancing in class or rehearsals, you’re distracted by the size or shape of your body. This is a big sign it’s time to work with a health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers who knows exactly what that feels like.
If you have auditions coming up, it’s even more important that you address what’s causing the confidence struggles. Having been through many seasons of professional company auditions, I can tell you for sure that feeling confident can make or break the outcome.
8. You’re overthinking food or tracking it in an app.
If you’re obsessing over every bite or tracking it in an app, it’s time for some support. Using mindfulness techniques, you can connect to your body and determine what it needs without a computer telling you what it “should” need.
9. You’re in need of a dance mentor.
Often, because of my experience as a professional dancer, I end up providing mentorship in addition to coaching. If you’re in the early stages of your career and are looking for guidance, that’s just a bonus to the coaching I provide around food, lifestyle, and body image.
10. You’re in a time of transition, and you’re struggling to find a clear path.
You have the answers. They just might be buried or clouded by all the “shoulds” or obligations you feel tied to. Talking through your path and answering strategic questions (provided by me) can allow you to find confidence on the next best steps for your dance training, journey, or career.
11. Your energy feels low, but you’re not sure how to pick it up.
This might be connected to many different things: food for sure, but we often overlook the possible connection to relationships, spirituality, physical activity, and career (which for many dancers is dance, even if you’re not dancing professionally yet).
While you might recognize that your energy feels low, it’s not always easy to identify for yourself why that is. Through trial and error and complementary strategies, you can have abundant energy for dance and life.
12. You’re in need of a complementary support person.
Often, the dancers I work with are already working with a therapist or counselor. Many have even worked with a sports dietitian or nutritionist. The pieces that are often missing are a strong connection to professional dance and an approach that guides them to become an expert on themselves.
You truly don’t need someone to give you all the answers. The answer for you doesn’t necessarily look like the answer that’s right for anyone else. Working with a health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach can provide exactly the support in dance that you need. For more information on what working together entails, click here or reach out!
