Why a step-by-step approach
When you are already overloaded, finding help can feel like one more project. This guide keeps the steps short so you can do one each week. It is written for managers and senior staff in the Spokane area, where much of the work, according to the state's own employment data, sits in healthcare, social assistance and government.
Step 1: Take a one-week snapshot
For five working days, jot down at the end of each day:
- The hours you actually worked, including evenings.
- The two tasks that drained you most.
- One thing that went well.
Do not try to fix anything yet. The point is to see the pattern on paper.
Step 2: Name the pressure points
Look at your notes and circle what keeps repeating. Leaders in Spokane County's larger sectors often see similar themes: back-to-back meetings, coverage gaps, budget deadlines, and reports due to someone outside the building. Washington's Employment Security Department counts 48,827 jobs in healthcare and social assistance and 37,328 in government by 2025 average employment, so if you work in one of those, you are far from alone in this.
Pick the two pressure points that matter most to you right now.
It can also help to note which pressures come from outside your control, such as a state reporting deadline or a hiring freeze, and which come from habits you set yourself, such as answering every message within minutes. Coaching usually has more traction on the second kind, so knowing the difference saves time in early sessions.
Step 3: Decide what you want from coaching
Write one or two goals in plain words. Examples:
- Leave work by six on at least three days a week.
- Hand off one recurring responsibility to a team member by spring.
- Take a full day off each month without checking email.
Coaching is non-clinical. If your notes point to something beyond workload, such as trouble sleeping for weeks or feeling unable to function, talk with a doctor or a mental health professional as well.
Step 4: Check your support options at work
Some employers set aside development funds or offer coaching through a leadership program. Universities are one example to ask about: WSU Spokane, Washington State University's health sciences campus on Spokane Falls Boulevard, is one local employer worth that kind of question. Ask your HR office what your own employer offers before paying out of pocket.
Step 5: Find two or three coaches
Use the directory to build a short list. Look for coaches who describe work with leaders in settings like yours. For each, request a brief introductory call and ask:
1. How do you structure a typical engagement? 2. What does a session look like week to week? 3. How do you measure whether things are improving for the client? 4. What do you share, if anything, with an employer who is paying? 5. Do you meet in person, by video, or outdoors?
The directory does not screen or rank coaches, so these calls are where you decide.
Step 6: Plan real recovery time
Coaching works on habits, but rest has to be scheduled. Spokane makes this easier than most places.
Riverside State Park covers 9,194 acres along two rivers with roughly 100 miles of trails, according to Washington State Parks. It is roughly 20 minutes from downtown, so a long lunch or late afternoon walk there is realistic.
For a fuller reset, Mount Spokane State Park offers 12,444 acres in the Selkirk Mountains, 100 miles of trails and a 5,883-foot summit, plus nearly 37 miles of Nordic ski trails in winter. Expect about an hour each way.
Drive times are approximate and depend on traffic, season and your starting point.
Step 7: Start, then review at six weeks
Commit to a set number of sessions. At six weeks, compare your current week with the snapshot from Step 1. Are your hours, your energy, or your evenings any different? Share what you see with your coach and adjust the plan.
Step 8: Protect what you have built
Before you wrap up coaching, write down the three habits you most want to keep and the warning signs that tell you work is creeping back in. Put a recurring reminder on your calendar to reread that list every quarter, ideally on a day you plan to spend outside.