I’m grateful to have lived a relatively healthy life to date. I pay homage to my genes for that, since there have certainly been times when my choices haven’t had my long-term health in mind (I believe they call this our 20’s). Of the occasional times I’ve found myself needing specific health care, my most vivid memories are of the nurses - not so much of their names or faces but of the humanness and compassion they embodied.

These are people in touch with their “giving” gene. They extend themselves into our lives and offer us an empathic connection when we’re at our most vulnerable. They lend us strength when our own reservoirs are dry. And they do so in many cases without the acknowledgement, support or understanding that you might assume would flow to them in such work.

As my coaching practice has evolved, it’s with deep respect that I’m realizing a significant number of my weight loss clients are nurses. Their profiles are similar… intelligent, relationship-oriented, predominantly female, often with young children. They operate in intense, stressful environments with high turnover, made even more challenging by the interrupted rhythms of shift work.

If you’re a nurse, you know this to be the type of work that can literally absorb every ounce of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energy you have to give. Left unchecked, this can lead to a form of burnout known as compassion fatigue. The American Academy of Family Physicians describes this as a deep exhaustion accompanied by acute emotional pain. Unlike regular burnout where one might withdraw, the compassion-fatigued continue to give, unable to maintain balance.

Even under normal circumstances, this kind of devotion can leave little energy for yourself and that means your body may pay the price. That’s why it’s so important to “weigh thyself” regularly — to weigh the balance of giving and receiving in your life; the spending and replenishing of energy in your activities.

I firmly believe imbalance in our lives shows up as excess weight on our bodies. This is not something to be judged or criticized, as society is so quick to do. This is simply something to observe and learn from, for the implications of it are far-reaching. Imbalance and the excess weight it brings take their toll physically in terms of our stamina and overall health; emotionally in terms of our stability and calmness; intellectually in terms of our mental acuity and responsiveness; and spiritually in terms of our aliveness and sense of possibility.

The bright note here is that achieving balance is much easier than many people think. Activities such as reflection and journaling can be enlightening, while daily rituals and quality time can be rejuvenating. Do these and more within the context of a life coaching relationship and you can expedite and deepen your results tenfold. The most common refrain I hear from clients is “I wish I’d done this sooner”.

We would all do well to embrace such activities in order to connect with our “receiving” gene… if only to realize that humanness and compassion begins with ourselves if we’re to give our best to others.