In the fast-paced world of healthcare, the concept of wellbeing often focuses on achieving a state of balance and health. It’s about feeling “well” in the present—physically, emotionally, and mentally stable. However, as nurse coaches, we recognize that wellbeing is not a static destination. Instead, it is an evolving journey toward continual growth and transformation—a concept known as wellbecoming.
This distinction between wellbeing and wellbecoming offers a deeper understanding of holistic health and highlights the transformative potential within all of us.
Wellbeing: A State of Balance
Wellbeing is often described as a state of contentment and health. It involves harmony across various dimensions of life, including physical, emotional, mental, and social aspects. For many, achieving wellbeing means maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, and fostering positive relationships. It represents a sense of balance, where individuals feel at peace with their circumstances and in control of their health.
As Nurse Coaches, we are educated to help our clients achieve this state of balance. We use evidence-based Integrative Health & Wellness Assessments, as well as holistic techniques and practices, to guide individuals in identifying areas of their lives that are important to them and need attention and improvement.
Whether helping a client develop a personalized exercise plan or teaching stress-management techniques like mindfulness and meditation, the goal is to help them achieve a sustained sense of wellbeing.
However, while wellbeing is essential, it is not the final goal. The danger of focusing solely on achieving a state of wellbeing is that it can become static. Once individuals feel they’ve reached that place of balance, they may stop striving for growth. They may view health as something to be maintained rather than a dynamic journey of ongoing transformation. This is where the concept of wellbecoming enters the conversation.
Wellbecoming: A Journey of Transformation
Wellbecoming is the process of continually evolving toward our wholeness. It recognizes that health is not just about maintaining a current state of wellness but about growing and transforming in response to life’s challenges and opportunities. Rather than viewing health as a static goal, wellbecoming frames it as a dynamic journey that unfolds over time.
From the nurse coaching lens, wellbecoming is about embracing the idea that each individual has the power to grow into the healthiest version of themselves—not just in the present, but continuously over their lifetime. This approach acknowledges the importance of increasing awareness, curiosity, self-discovery, and transformation in pursuing holistic health.
The journey of wellbecoming encourages individuals to step outside their comfort zones, to reflect deeply on their values, and to seek new ways of achieving wholeness and harmony. It is not about maintaining the status quo but cultivating resilience and growth. A person who embraces wellbecoming is open to change and recognizes that true health is not just the absence of disease but the presence of vitality, purpose, and growth.
Nurse Coaching: Facilitating the Journey
Nurse coaches play a critical role in guiding individuals on this journey of wellbecoming. Our role goes beyond helping clients achieve short-term goals like weight loss or stress reduction. Instead, we focus on helping our clients find their power to view health as a lifelong process of evolution and self-discovery. We do this by fostering a healing environment of trust and collaboration, where clients feel safe to explore their potential and embrace change.
One of the key principles in nurse coaching is that the client is the expert in their own life. This belief aligns perfectly with the concept of wellbecoming. As nurse coaches, we recognize that each individual has unique strengths, values, and goals. Rather than imposing a rigid wellness plan, we work alongside clients to help them personally explore what wellbecoming looks like for them.
Through open-ended questions, active listening, and reflective dialogue, nurse coaches help clients explore their deeper motivations for health and wellbeing. We encourage them to consider how they want to grow and what areas of their life they wish to transform.
For some, this may involve pursuing a new career, developing stronger relationships, or cultivating a more profound sense of purpose. For others, it may mean letting go of old habits and embracing new ways of living. Only then are clients able to overcome barriers and focus on health improvements.
In this sense, nurse coaching is not just about solving problems or achieving specific health outcomes. It is about facilitating a process of self-discovery and transformation, where clients learn to view challenges as opportunities for growth. We help clients shift their mindset from one of maintaining wellbeing to one of actively pursuing wellbecoming. This, in turn, provides confidence to change lifestyles that can cause disease.
The Interconnectedness of Heart-Mind-Body-Spirit
An essential aspect of both wellbeing and wellbecoming is the recognition of the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. In nurse coaching, our practice is guided by a holistic philosophy and approach to health that acknowledges the importance of addressing all aspects of an individual’s being.
In pursuing wellbeing, it is crucial to recognize that physical health cannot be separated from emotional, mental, or spiritual health. A person who is physically fit but emotionally drained or spiritually disconnected may not experience actual wellbeing.
Similarly, the journey of wellbecoming requires individuals to explore growth in the eight dimensions of health and wellness, including life satisfaction, relationships, spiritual, mental, emotional, nutrition, exercise, weight, environmental, and health responsibility that encompass the whole person in all areas of life, not just physical health.
For example, a client may come to a nurse coach seeking support for managing stress. While addressing stress management techniques such as mindfulness and breathing exercises may improve the client’s immediate wellbeing, the journey of wellbecoming invites deeper exploration.
- What underlying factors are contributing to the stress?
- What barriers or obstacles are impeding growth?
- How can the client grow emotionally or spiritually in response to this challenge?
- How might their stress be an invitation for transformation, rather than merely a problem to be solved?
A Vision for the Future of Healthcare
The concepts of well-being and wellbecoming are essential for individuals and the future of healthcare as a whole. In traditional healthcare models, the focus is often on treating illness and maintaining a baseline level of health. However, the evolving field of nurse coaching represents a shift toward a more dynamic, holistic model of care that recognizes the importance of personal growth, self-discovery, and transformation.
By embracing the concept of wellbecoming, healthcare can move beyond the reactive disease management model to a more proactive, empowering approach that supports individuals in becoming the healthiest, most fulfilled versions of themselves.
As nurse coaches, we have the privilege of guiding this process, helping clients achieve wellbeing and continually evolve and thrive in their journey of wellbecoming.
In conclusion, wellbeing is a valuable goal, but it is not the journey’s end. The path of wellbecoming invites us to embrace growth, transformation, and pursuing our fullest potential. As nurse coaches, we have the unique opportunity to support individuals on this journey, helping them navigate the complexities of life with resilience, purpose, and holistic health.
In addition, this provides nurses with the satisfaction, joy, and passion they chose nursing as a profession.
