What is wellbeing coaching? An easy guide
Wellbeing refers to “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. In order to thrive in any environment or situation, a person’s wellbeing needs to be “good”.
The workplace is no exception.
Many studies have revealed a strong link between employee wellbeing and productivity. The happier and healthier a worker is, the better they work.
With this in mind, many organisations now seek to improve their employees’ overall health and wellbeing. One approach that has gained popularity in recent years is wellbeing coaching. But what exactly is it?
In this blog, we will explore what wellbeing coaching is, how it works, and what the benefits are.
What is wellbeing coaching?
In general, wellbeing coaching is a process of working with a coach to identify and address the areas of your life that are negatively impacting your wellbeing. The coach will help you set realistic and achievable goals, and develop strategies to achieve those goals. Wellbeing coaching is often focused on improving your mental and emotional health, but can also involve physical health and wellness. The aim of wellbeing coaching is to achieve your optimal levels of physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
Our Wellbeing Coaching programme provides your teams with webinars and workshops on a range of topics. Categorised under the headings “Live Well, Think Well, Work Well”, staff can enjoy training around issues such as nutrition, sleep, exercise, positive thinking, work-life balance and staying healthy on shift.
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How does our wellbeing coaching programme work?
Our Wellbeing Coaching programme provides your teams with health coaching webinars and workshops on a range of topics. Categorised under the headings “Live Well, Think Well, Work Well”, staff can enjoy training around issues such as nutrition, sleep, exercise, positive thinking, work-life balance and staying healthy on shift.
During the sessions, professional coaches encourage discussion that allows your employees to identify areas of their life where they are struggling, and then work with them to set goals for improvement.
The coach will also help them develop strategies to achieve those goals. This may involve developing new habits or behaviours, learning new skills, or addressing underlying emotional or psychological issues. The coach will provide support, guidance, and accountability throughout the process, helping them stay on track and overcome any obstacles that arise.
Is wellbeing coaching enough to improve wellbeing?
Not on its own.
There are so many factors that go into improving an individual’s wellbeing - physical, emotional, financial and mental.
Issues such as health scares, bad debt, and worries about family members can all affect even the most physically able individual and damage an employee’s ability to work at their best.
Although wellbeing coaching is a great way to help your team understand how external and internal factors affect their wellbeing, relying on coaching alone may not be enough to adequately support your whole team.
Wellbeing coaching works best when it forms part of a robust workplace wellbeing plan. Coaching helps staff identify areas where they need to improve, but if your team can’t access resources that can help them achieve their goals, then they are left with problems they cannot solve. A workplace wellbeing plan helps you ensure there are pathways open for your team - pathways that allow them to reach their goals.
But building such a plan - one that allows employees to access physical, mental or financial support can feel overwhelming.
That’s why we always recommend auditing your existing wellbeing strategy first, and we have created a handy Workplace Wellness Step-by-Step Guide to help you. The guide walks you through how to identify gaps in your current provision and gives recommendations on the types of solutions that might help.
Download your free guide here.
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If you would like to find out more about our solutions, get in touch.
What are the benefits of wellbeing coaching?
There are many potential benefits to working with a wellbeing coach. These include:
1. Improved mental and emotional health
Wellbeing coaching can help your staff identify and address underlying psychological issues that may be impacting their mental and emotional wellbeing. This can lead to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, and improved overall mental health. This has numerous benefits for the workplace, including reduced absenteeism and higher productivity.
2. Better physical health
Wellbeing coaching can also help your team improve their physical health. This may involve developing healthy habits such as exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep. Numerous studies have shown that colleagues that are healthier take less time off work sick (as much as 27% less time according to some reports) and are more productive in the workplace.
3. Increased self-awareness
Wellbeing coaching can help your employees become more self-aware, and better understand their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This can lead to improved self-esteem and confidence, as well as better relationships with others.
4. Improved goal-setting and achievement
Wellbeing coaching can help you set realistic and achievable goals, and develop strategies to achieve those goals. This can help you make progress in areas of your life where you may have previously struggled.
Improve overall quality of life
Ultimately, the goal of wellbeing coaching is to help you achieve optimal levels of wellbeing in all areas of your life. This can lead to an improved overall quality of life, greater happiness and fulfilment, and a greater sense of purpose and meaning.
By encouraging your employees to work with a coach they can improve their mental, emotional and physical health and overall quality of life. All of this will positively impact the workplace, leading to a more productive and thriving business.
