When Stress Gets in the Way: 5 Strategies to Help Clients Move Forward

Imagine you have a client who has always been pretty consistent with their workouts. Lately, though, they seem distracted. They mention that the grocery bill keeps climbing, an unexpected expense threw off the monthly budget and work feels a little less secure than it used to. Nothing catastrophic has happened, but the accumulation of small worries has begun to wear on them. They’re sleeping less, skipping workouts and finding it harder to make time for the routines that usually help them feel their best.

Now imagine another client whose day-to-day life feels relatively stable—until a parent becomes ill, a major car repair lands at exactly the wrong time or a change at work creates a new layer of uncertainty. Suddenly, the stress they were managing just fine has more competition for their time, attention and energy.

Stress often builds this way. Rising costs, economic uncertainty, troubling events in the world and challenges closer to home can layer onto the ordinary demands of work, family and health. The mix is different for everyone, and some people will feel those pressures far more acutely than others. But when the load increases, even familiar goals and routines can start to feel harder to maintain.

As a health and exercise professional, you may see the effects of that strain in clients who are struggling to maintain routines or make progress toward goals that once felt manageable. Understanding what they are carrying can help you adjust your approach and introduce positive coping strategies that help them keep moving forward.

Before exploring those strategies, it helps to understand how chronic stress can affect both health and behavior change.

The Impact of Chronic Stress

Ongoing stress contributes to the development and exacerbation of a number of physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, depression, stroke and certain types of cancer. Long-term changes and conditions that may develop, worsen or be impacted in some way as a result of the excessive and ongoing activation of the body’s stress response may include altered emotions, reproductive problems, increased risk of osteoporosis, increased insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, memory impairment, cardiovascular dysfunction, chronic pain and headaches.

Chronic stress can also make behavior change more difficult. When a person is using much of their physical and emotional energy simply to manage daily demands, behaviors that require planning, effort and follow-through can become harder to sustain. A routine that once felt automatic may suddenly require more effort than a client feels able to give.

That can create a frustrating cycle. Stress disrupts familiar behaviors, the disruption itself becomes another source of frustration or worry and clients may begin to feel as though they are failing at something they once handled successfully. Some may turn to coping strategies that provide short-term relief but do little to support their longer-term health.

This is where your approach as a health and exercise professional can be especially helpful. Rather than expecting clients to push through the stress, you can help them identify what feels realistic under their current circumstances and explore healthier ways to cope. And because you may be navigating your own periods of elevated stress, extending that same patience and understanding to yourself is equally important.

Jen Kates, CHC, NASM-CPT, founder of Shift Human Performance and an ACE Certified Health Coach, has seen how periods of elevated stress can make it difficult for even resilient clients to focus on themselves and their well-being.

“They just may not care as much,” says Kates, "and find it tougher to focus on themselves.”

Carrie Myers, a certified mastery-level transformational coach with more than 35 years of experience in the fitness industry, has seen similar challenges among her clients. In some cases, they are depressed, anxious, disappointed and even angry. These feelings, coupled with uncertainty, lead to a loss of motivation and a decreased ability to focus on their personal health and wellness.

Kates recommends shifting the conversation and empowering clients to show up for themselves, their family or their communities. Have your clients ask themselves, “Why is my health important to me?” Their answers may shift during challenging times—and continue to evolve throughout their lives—but maintaining that connection with their “why” can support long-term adherence.

“Clients should ensure that their values and behaviors are in alignment,” adds Myers. “If not, internal and external conflict can grow.” When the two are out of alignment, encourage clients to explore why. Revisiting their values—and considering how physical activity and other healthy behaviors support those values—can help them reconnect with what’s important to them personally.

Goals should be an extension of a person’s values, which may shift during periods of higher stress. A client who was once primarily focused on weight loss or improving their ability to play basketball pain-free, for example, may begin thinking more broadly about their health after being diagnosed with prediabetes. Their priorities—and therefore their goals—may change.  

You may also find that many clients have less time or energy to devote to physical activity during particularly demanding periods. Caring for family members, dealing with financial strain, managing a health concern or navigating an especially demanding stretch at work can all compete for attention. Sometimes getting through the day feels like an accomplishment on its own.

Small actions can still add up over time. Clients do not always need lofty performance goals or aggressive objectives to make meaningful progress. Kates suggests asking clients, “How can you show up for yourself today?” In other words, what is one manageable action they can take today to support their physical or mental well-being?

Myers also encourages clients to notice how their behavior changes during stressful periods and consider which parts of their routine they can realistically maintain or reestablish. You might help a client ask, “What can I do to support my health with the time, energy and resources I have right now?”

Remind clients that their weight does not define them. Neither does their athletic performance, caloric intake or number of steps. When people feel overwhelmed by everything they have to accomplish or manage, behaviors that require planning, effort or energy may become more difficult. Convenience foods may become more appealing, the couch may win out over a workout and familiar routines fall away.

That is when self-compassion can be particularly important. A client who responds to a stressful period by criticizing themselves for missed workouts, changes in eating habits or weight gain may simply add another source of stress to an already difficult situation.

Health and exercise professionals should never judge or shame clients for changes in their weight or health behaviors. Instead, approach the conversation with curiosity and understanding. Help clients recognize what they are dealing with, identify what feels manageable right now and find a realistic path forward.

It can be difficult to feel grateful during challenging times, but intentionally noticing what is going well can help shift attention away from the things that feel beyond a person’s control. Gratitude practices have been associated with greater well-being and may offer clients a simple way to pause and recognize the people, experiences and resources they value.

Myers wrote about gratitude for this publication and gave practical strategies you can use to help clients incorporate gratitude into their lives.  

One simple thing that we can all do to improve not only our own health, but also the health of our friends and family members, is to reach out and connect with other people. Kates reminds us that this is essential even if you think a particular person is strong or resilient and seems to be handling things well.

It’s natural to want to check in on loved ones who are open and honest about their struggles, and to assume that those who are less vocal about their needs are doing just fine. That’s not always the case, and you may find that “strong” people genuinely appreciate the support, as they probably receive it so infrequently. A simple conversation, text message or invitation to connect can remind someone that support is available.

“Never downplay the importance of mental health,” says Kates. “Offer support and, just as importantly, accept help if you need it.”

That last point is particularly important for health and exercise professionals, who may be accustomed to being the person others rely on. You will have stressful periods too, whether they involve your health, family, finances, work or any of the other challenges life can bring. Supporting others does not mean ignoring your own needs.

Positive coping does not require pretending that stressful circumstances are easy or that you can control everything happening around you. You can help clients focus on what is within their control: reconnecting with what matters to them, adjusting their goals when necessary, treating themselves with compassion, appreciating what is going well and staying connected to the people who support them. Those same strategies are worth remembering when stress gets in the way for you, too.