Hello my name is Professor Kevin Fenton, I'm a Senior Advisor at Public Health England.
I will guide you through a short animation
called ‘Promoting Good Mental Health through
Coaching”
This short has been developed in partnership
with Mind, the UK’s leading Mental Health
Charity, and with support from Public Health
England to help you understand some effective ways to promote and maintain good mental health
through your coaching.
Just like physical health, we all have mental
health. Just as our bodies can become unwell, our minds can too. In the United Kingdom,
1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
Good mental health is defined as a state in which one feels able to:
• Realise their potential
• Cope with the normal stresses of their
day to day life
• Work productively
• and make positive contributions to their
community.
Physical activity is good for the body, but
it is also really good for the mind. Remaining
active can help lift a person’s mood, help
them to relax, and improve sleep; reducing
the likelihood of developing problems such as depression by up to 30%.
Many of the barriers to becoming active are the same for everyone. At the same time, starting
out can be a real challenge when you are experiencing mental health problems or feeling unwell.
A small number of these are exacerbated for people living with or recovering from a mental
health problem.
These will vary dependent on the individual
and on the nature of the problem, but generally include:
• Changes in energy levels, affected by
mood and fluctuations in appetite levels
• High anxiety in new situations or surroundings,
and this can include fear of judgement or
being the focus of attention
• Negative body image. This can be linked
to visible issues such as weight or scarring
from self-harm or other injuries
• and finally, side effects of some medications such
as lethargy, or increased sweating.
As a coach it is important have an awareness
of the challenges ANY of the people you coach might face. You can help change how mental
health is understood and promote good mental health through your coaching by remembering
Mind’s CARE model.
A good coach is able to include everyone. Responding to the needs and motivations for those attending
is key to creating a positive experience for
everyone.
To demonstrate your coaching and customer skills make sure that you are:
• welcoming and talk to people individually before the session to put them at ease
• talk about mental health and how physical activity can help
• offer alternatives that appeal to different motivations
• get feedback from your session about what people would like more of next time.
Understanding people and what is ‘usual’ for them is really important.
This will allow you to notice changes and
be able to ask the right questions to show
you are mindful of their mental health.
To demonstrate awareness make sure you:
• ask people about how they are feeling?
• pay attention to what makes people anxious,
happy, or nervous
• use your observation & listening skills
to help notice changes in people’s mood
or behaviour.
If someone has told you that they are have or are recovering from a mental health problem:
• ask how they would like to be supported
if they are having an off day or are unwell.
We should be respectful of everyone in our session, respecting their individuality,
confidentiality and right to privacy.
To promote respect make sure that you:
• don’t ask intrusive questions
• treat everyone fairly and don't single
people out
• make yourself available to listen
• and treat information in confidence, and
if you have concerns about a person’s welfare
make sure you seek support and links are provided at the end.
Whilst you may not know how any one person feels, you can use your own experiences
to gain empathy. Consider how you might want people to treat you when you are unwell or
in distress. To demonstrate empathy you may want to:
• learn more about mental health from reliable sources
• listen and seek understanding
• don’t feel pressured to find answers
• and most importantly, see the individual not their diagnosis.
Thank you for taking time to watch our ‘Promoting Good Mental Health through Coaching’ animation.
Please like and share through your networks and help us to transform lives through coaching.
To learn more about mental health why not take a look at the links below:
• mind.org.uk
• http://getsettogo.mind.org.uk/
• Nhs.uk/oneyou
