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Self-care and development

The Five Ways to Well-being for Coaches

In this recording of a Time2Learn session, Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Founder of Life-in-sport Rebecca Chidley explores the NHS’ Five Ways to Well-being

Good well-being is key to continuously showing up for your participants and delivering great, meaningful sessions.

This session will:

  • explore the concept of well-being and what it means for you
  • identify the potential barriers to looking after your own well-being
  • explore how you can apply the five ways to well-being to your daily life.

Reflect

What does well-being mean to you?

What are the potential barriers to your well-being?

 

The World Health Organization describes well-being as:

A positive state experienced by individuals and societies."

Potential barriers to well-being

Time:

  • Long or unsociable hours.
  • Time pressure or deadlines.
  • Late nights or early mornings. 

Other daily habits:

  • Lack of sleep. 
  • Poor nutrition options.
  • Difficult to take time off.

Personal values and ways of working:

  • High personal standards and expectations (possible perfectionism).
  • Find it difficult to hand over responsibilities to others.
  • Asking a lot of others so expect same of self.
  • Focus on supporting others with their goals.
Coach chatting to a participant

Five ways to well-being

Evidence suggests there are five steps you can take to improve your mental health and well-being.

Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

When considering the five ways to well-being, think about:

  • time: planning, management, organisation
  • windows of opportunity
  • how these apply to you.

Click into the tabs below to explore strategies to improve your well-being, split into the five themes.

Good relationships are important for your mental well-being. They can:

  • help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth
  • allow you to share positive experiences
  • provide emotional support and allow you to support others.
 

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental well-being by:

  • raising your self-esteem
  • helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
  • causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood.
 

Research shows that learning new skills can improve your mental well-being by:

  • boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem
  • helping you to build a sense of purpose
  • helping you to connect with others.
 

Research suggests that acts of giving, and kindness can help improve your mental well-being by:

  • creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
  • giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
  • helping you connect with other people.

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

 

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental well-being. This includes your thoughts, feelings, body, and the world around you. Some people call this awareness mindfulness.

Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change how you feel about life and approach challenges.

 

Reflect

With each of the five ways to well-being reflect on:

  • What does it mean to you?
  • What do you currently do well?
  • What can you do more of?

 

Breaking down your barriers

You might find it helpful to:

  • only try what feels comfortable (to start with)
  • give yourself time to figure out what works for you
  • go at your own pace
  • remember that good days for your well-being won't always look the same. We don't always have the same levels of energy or motivation
  • be kind to yourself and do what feels right for you at the moment. 

Top Tips

The busier you are the more you need to:

  • be proactive with the five ways to well-being and self-care. Proactive strategies are better than reactive. Find what works for you
  • pay attention to the cues your body and mind are giving you. You can't pour from an empty cup
  • focus on your daily habits, planning and windows of opportunity
  • understand your limits and protect your personal time
  • accept that you can’t do everything.

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Related Resources

  • A Guide to Physical Well-being

    View

  • A Guide to Mental Health and Well-being

    View

  • Self-Care Strategies to Build Resilience

    View

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