Since March 2020, when the words “pandemic”, “lockdown”, “lateral flow test”, “WFH” (this is just a sample list .. there are many others) entered our collective daily lexicon, another one did as well: “Wellbeing”.
That’s not to say that wellbeing wasn’t acknowledged before this; quite the contrary, as a concept it has been widely recognised by psychologists for over 20 years, but it is fair to say that the concept of wellbeing entered the national consciousness in March 2020 to a degree which would probably have been unimaginable, pre-pandemic.
Put the word “wellbeing” into a Google search and you get about 714,000,000 search results in just under half a second. The search results range from websites for wellbeing awareness days, hints and tips to improve your wellbeing from mental health charities, government / NHS sites, how important it is for employers to ensure they consider their employees’ wellbeing … and 714,000,000 other aspects related to the concept of wellbeing.
So you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to get that, as a concept, it’s a minefield. A very important minefield and one which should not be ignored, overlooked or underestimated, but a minefield nonetheless.
But what is “wellbeing”? One of the 174,000,000 search results, Wikipedia, defines it as:
Well-being, or wellbeing,[1] also known as wellness, prudential value or quality of life, refers to what is intrinsically valuable relative to someone. So the well-being of a person is what is ultimately good for this person, what is in the self-interest of this person.[2] …..
If you accept the Wikipedia definition, it suggests that the concept of wellbeing is relative; it ‘refers to what is intrinsically valuable relative to someone …’. So, how Person A might define wellbeing in personal terms could differ from Person B’s definition.
So, it seems that it’s not enough just to understand wellbeing per se, it is also important to understand what wellbeing is as it relates to YOU.
Included in the 174,000,000 Google search results will be various training providers who can help you with this. Empower – Be The Change is one of them.
Our Wellbeing Programme has been designed to teach participants about wellbeing and – specifically – what it means to them. We talk about understanding wellbeing, how happiness links to wellbeing and about self-awareness and controlling the controllable.
We do this first through an online workshop allowing participants to learn from each other’s experiences by hearing their views and engaging in interactive discussions. We then ask each participant to complete a Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ), the results of which are discussed during three personal, private and 1:1 coaching sessions which collectively form the basis of a personal action plan to establish areas for development, and help unpick challenges and find a positive way forward.
This programme is designed to boost confidence, increase motivation, and build personal or mental resilience. It is ideal for anyone returning to work from long periods of furlough, unemployment, or redundancy, for job seekers entering the workforce for the first time in this unprecedented environment or junior / young team members who have found the pressures of enforced home working difficult.
Comments from some previous participants:
“… with each mentoring session I could see a positive shift in myself, I am proud of what I have achieved and going forward I am aware of how capable I am and how I can handle anything that may come my way.”
“I had never experienced coaching before and this happened to come at a time when I felt quite overwhelmed and at a low ebb professionally. My mentoring sessions were insightful, validating, practical and very helpful… and helped me to focus and set some practical goal steps. By helping me to recognise my own power and contextualising issues …. helped to re-recognise my strengths.”