Burnt Out At Work? This Fulfilling Health Career Is Around The Corner

Feelings of burnout at work can quickly bleed into all other aspects of your health and well-being. And these days, these feelings are all too common.

According to a 2022 McKinsey survey of 15,000 workers across 15 countries, 25% of employees reported experiencing burnout symptoms. Burnout, which often happens when chronic stress is compounded by a lack of meaning, can manifest in many ways. But as psychologist Carolyn Rubenstein, Ph.D., previously explained to mindbodygreen, it typically leads to mental exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and a decreased sense of accomplishment.

One way to get to the root of burnout is to move into a career that feels more personally fulfilling and rewarding. Health coaching, or guiding clients toward their health goals using positive psychology principles, can be one such path. Unlike quitting your job to go back to medical school or enrolling in a pricey graduate program, pivoting into health coaching is relatively easy and affordable, no matter your previous job experience.

With mindbodygreen's Health Coach Certification Program (HCC), students can learn the fundamentals of coaching in as little as 20 weeks. Once they graduate from the program, they have the information they need to sit for the national board exam to become an NBHWC-certified health coach.

The demand for certified health coaches is higher than ever, and graduates have their pick of working in a clinic, corporation, school, or their own private practice. One thing all these paths have in common is that they allow grads to make a meaningful impact helping others.

After years of working in corporate America and feeling burned out, Kathleen Belonga decided to make the leap into coaching. She enrolled in HCC to get her NBHWC Certification and hasn't looked back since. "Since enrolling in the HCC program and graduating last summer, I've passed the board exam to become a certified health and wellness coach, built out a strong support network, and settled into a career path that excites me," Belonga writes.

Beyond helping her advance in her career, she notes that the program also helped her foster valuable new connections. "The community that formed in mindbodygreen's program was also unlike anything I'd seen before," she says. "Even though mbg's program is virtual, the enthusiasm and genuine excitement of the other students in my cohort was contagious. We started our own WhatsApp group to support each other during the program, through board preparation, and beyond. I've never connected with people on that level in any training program that I've done."

Janelle, who found mindbodygreen's program after working in a corporate role at Amazon, notes that it far exceeded her expectations of what job training could be. "I think [HCC] sparked a spiritual awakening in me. It has changed my mindset; I'm more positive; I'm learning to love myself; I'm more present; I'm slowing down," she reflects. "I thought it would help me professionally—but the benefits were also personal."

Jena Burton, who entered health coaching from a marketing background, had a similar experience. "What's been so eye-opening about this journey is not only am I learning how to become the best coach I can be; I'm learning how to become the best person I can be. Whether it's how to make people feel heard, deepening my mindfulness practices, or finding one's true motivators, it's been useful to learn many things that will benefit my professional career and personal life," she says.