Small Steps Big Change

Small Steps Big Change Health and Wellness Coaching in the Darwin area or online. Registered NDIS Provider.

One on one coaching to assist with small lifestyle changes over time to work towards achieving positive Health and Wellness outcomes for individuals.

On the weekend I got a late call up to attend and present at the Dementia Alliance Palmerston monthly community event. T...
21/01/2026

On the weekend I got a late call up to attend and present at the Dementia Alliance Palmerston monthly community event.

This was their first meeting of the year and the focus was on well-being.

I jumped at the opportunity and gave an impromptu presentation to the group. We talked about the importance of good healthy habits and lifestyle choices for both dementia prevention, and to slow the progression of dementia.

As for most of us, movement, good nutrition, sleep and recovery, mindfulness, and connection are very important. Both for a person living with dementia, and their carers.

It was a lot to cover at short notice for a short presentation. I'm looking forward to doing some more focused sessions to workshop some more specific topics.

I love sharing my passion for helping people to live healthier lives, and would love to present to your community group, even if it is short notice, it was a lot of fun!

Get in touch if Small Steps Big Change can present to your community group and find ways to bring healthy changes into your community.

Well here we are again, Christmas is here already!It's a time of year we all experience differently and in our own ways....
24/12/2025

Well here we are again, Christmas is here already!

It's a time of year we all experience differently and in our own ways. Whatever your way, my hope is that you will get out of this time what you wish. It may be a time for connection with family or others, some down time, time to catch up on some projects, or it may be a time for indulging in as much eggnog and fruitcake as you can fit in. Whatever this time is for you, I wish you the best of it.

This is also a time to be kind to ourselves, to allow that down time, to allow some indulgences, to allow a slip in our exercise routines. Take this time to recognise that it is important to be kind to ourselves. Don't be hard on yourself if you choose to indulge in your favourite Christmas food or drink, or if you didn't do your exercise, or if you didn't meet your usual routines. Know that you can get yourself back on track when the festivities are done.

I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas, and wish you all the enjoyment of this time in your own special way.

This week I started learning a new language. Working with people with disability means adapting the way we work so we ar...
17/12/2025

This week I started learning a new language.

Working with people with disability means adapting the way we work so we are meeting the needs of the individuals we are working with.

This week I have a new client who is profoundly deaf. I can't expect to communicate with them in my usual ways, so I am making an effort to learn some AUSLAN so I can better communicate with them.

How do you adapt the way you do things to meet the needs of a person with disability?

Over the weekend I went down to Sydney to attend a conference offered by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine....
10/12/2025

Over the weekend I went down to Sydney to attend a conference offered by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. The focus was on lifestyle medicine in action - a future with creating.

I’ve found more of my people. A really great vibe and energy coming from the group. These are a great group of health professionals with a collective interest in promoting healthy lifestyles, and an understanding of the importance of health coaching.

Lifestyle medicine is becoming more important and is becoming better recognised as an effective way to improve the health of individuals and populations. It’s not just about making people ‘not sick’, it’s more about helping people to become more alive, living younger for longer, and keeping the deterioration at the end of life as short as possible. And it’s doing it by binging people together.

The content was awesome, and the presenters super engaging. It was a long weekend with some big days, but nowhere near energy sapping. It's always a good sign when you come away from these events with more energy!

It was a relatively small group, so there were better opportunities to meet and get to know people. There are some people out there doing really great things.

I’ve come away with an impressive list of connections and ideas. I expect we will see some great collaborations come out of this, and my mind has been opened to the possibilities of bringing awareness of work with people with disability to a wider audience.

Watch this space, it’s getting exciting!

What a great day it was yesterday. We didn't get to see much of what was happening in the rest of the room, because we w...
04/12/2025

What a great day it was yesterday.

We didn't get to see much of what was happening in the rest of the room, because we were busy with the rowing machine races the whole time.

I love the enthusiasm everyone showed, and giving opportunities for people to try a new activity they may not have thought of trying before. Congratulations to everyone that participated.

It was such a fun event, I think the photo of us in here sums up the fun we were having!

Today we celebrate International Day of People with Disability with the DiversAbility Fun Day. We have the rowing machin...
03/12/2025

Today we celebrate International Day of People with Disability with the DiversAbility Fun Day.

We have the rowing machines out today for a fun day of rowing races for people of all abilities!

Last week I was honored to be listed as a 2025 PHA Coach of the Year Finalist!I was in great company with some awesome c...
26/11/2025

Last week I was honored to be listed as a 2025 PHA Coach of the Year Finalist!

I was in great company with some awesome coaches doing amazing things all around the world! (Coaches represented Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India).

Here are our finalists:

Michele Scherr
Lorna Golombick
Mukul Nagpaul
Patricia Frederick
Denise Mokadsi
Karina Morris
Michelle Ong

Each of these coaches are helping people to change lives in such different ways, and all have their own passions that shine through. Their dedication and commitment to the work they do, and the support to their communities is incredible!

Every one of these coaches are an inspiration to our community, I am honored to be listed among you all.

A huge congratulations to the week deserved winner of Coach of the Year - Lorna Golombick!

NDIS Supports rules consultations – Advocacy for Accredited Health and Wellness Coaching as an NDIS Support.The Australi...
24/07/2025

NDIS Supports rules consultations – Advocacy for Accredited Health and Wellness Coaching as an NDIS Support.

The Australian Government is consulting on NDIS Supports Rules, focusing on what NDIS funding can cover. In October 2024, wellness coaches were excluded from funding as "Not evidence-based." Advocates argue that Accredited Health and Wellness Coaching should be recognized as evidence-based support. Coaches accredited by the Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association (HCANZA) provide quality training and standards. They assist NDIS participants in making lifestyle changes that improve health and well-being, enhancing independence.

People with disability are more likely to have poor health due to, or made worse by their disability, and often face health challenges due to lifestyle risk factors. HCANZA-accredited coaches promote healthier lifestyles, self-reliance, and reduced healthcare dependence, improving participants' quality of life. Globally, coaches are key in empowering individuals, and evidence supports coaching as beneficial in disability settings, enhancing recovery, mental health, and life quality.

There is evidence supporting H&W Coaching as a valid, evidence-based strategy. Evidence derived from The Compendium of Health and Wellness Coaching: 2023 Addendum, which reviews over 480 peer-reviewed studies, including more than 140 randomised controlled trials, highlights the effectiveness of coaching for people with disability. HCANZA-accredited coaches, meeting national standards, can significantly aid NDIS participants through personalised coaching.

Share this information within your networks and participate in the consultation.

The survey closes at 11.59pm on 27 July 2025. The consultation link is in the comments.

Week 5 of the 6 Week Health and Wellbeing Program we are covering People and Place.Social Connection & Safe Environments...
23/07/2025

Week 5 of the 6 Week Health and Wellbeing Program we are covering People and Place.

Social Connection & Safe Environments how we interact with the people around us and our environment has a bigger impact on our health than we think.

In this session we will:
Explore how people and places affect your stress, energy, and motivation
Identify social dynamics that drain you – and where you feel safe and seen
Creating co-supportive routines at home
Focus on building calm, belonging, and small changes in your space

Week 4 of the Six week Health and Wellbeing Program and we covered Sleep and Recovery.We looked at how our bodies respon...
23/07/2025

Week 4 of the Six week Health and Wellbeing Program and we covered Sleep and Recovery.

We looked at how our bodies respond to stress and the impacts of long term exposure to stress.

We covered recovery and resilience, how we can manage our stress and recovery during the day, and activities to rest, nourish or revitalise our body and mind, and how good recovery builds resilience.

We discussed the benefits of sleep and recovery on our physical and mental health and the impacts on performance and productivity, and looked at ways to improve our sleep and recovery.

We set aside some time to wind down with some relaxing music and practicing some breathing techniques.

The group set some great goals with most choosing to try listening to relaxing music before sleeping. There was also a great goal to set a regular bed time.

Next up we cover the effects of social connections and our environment on our health.

This week we are covering the important and underrated topic of sleep and recovery.We need to remember we are allowed to...
09/07/2025

This week we are covering the important and underrated topic of sleep and recovery.

We need to remember we are allowed to rest, and rest is important for our recovery.

💤 SLEEP is your body’s best medicine.
We’re not chasing 8 hours – we’re building calm.
Let’s set up sleep that actually works for you.

We will find some new ways to get ourselves into better sleep and recovery, and have a relaxing time together.

Tonight we have had to move the program to the TCASS Activity Hub due to an issue with the library meeting room. Feel free to join us if you've been thinking about it and haven't made it down yet.

Week 3 of our 6 Week Health and Wellbeing Program and we covered exercise and movement.We checked in on the group's food...
09/07/2025

Week 3 of our 6 Week Health and Wellbeing Program and we covered exercise and movement.

We checked in on the group's food goals from the week before - members of the group reported having delicious smoothies and salads. They are enjoying trying new things, and found it helped to have things ready in the fridge.

The exercise session covered the recommendations for exercise, types of movement and exercise, the benefits of exercise, and how to enjoy movement.

We discussed the importance of recovery and some tips around how to set exercise or movement goals.

The group had some fun playing with some exercise equipment, they enjoyed the rowing machine, boxing, and all the different uses for resistance bands.

Once again the group set some more great goals to add exercise or movement into their week, here are some of them:

- boxing for 10 minutes, 3 days a week
- Swimming twice during the week
- Adding 10 minutes of resistance exercise at the end of each daily walk.

This week we are covering sleep and recovery, this will be a more relaxing session in a temporary new location at the TCASS Activity Hub.

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Darwin, NT

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm

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