Practical advice for coaches to develop better health and well-being

1. Develop and maintain restorative relationships

Identify individuals in your ‘first circle’, both personally and professionally, who bring you energy and vitality. Work to maintain and develop these restorative relationships. Consider minimising those relationships that have the opposite effect.

2. What does well-being mean to you?

Develop a personal understanding of what well-being means to you. What aspects of well-being are important for you to take care of? For example, you might want to put more focus on one of the following types of well-being: physical, emotional, spiritual or financial.

3. Self-reflect by writing things down

Practise reflecting on your own emotional experience by writing things down. Consider: What is stressing me out today? How did I respond to the stress? What did I try to do to help and was it helpful? Considering these questions starts the process of reflection. Writing things down can help you to notice things such as: What is causing me stress? How is my body responding?

Unai Emery takes notes at Aston Villa's training groundAFP via Getty Images

4. Practise self-compassion

Coaches working at the elite level of the game are often self-critical. However, if somebody else was experiencing stress or burnout, how would you speak to them? Can you start to offer yourself the same kindness and compassion that you would offer others?

5. Segment the day and approach your hardest challenges when you are most fresh

Dedicate time to planning your day and work on your hardest task when you are at your freshest. Ensure you communicate your daily plan with others. This will help others understand the demands on your time and the importance of sticking to agreed schedules.

6. Develop yourself by developing others

It is crucial to recognise your strengths but also the areas in which you require more support. Identify members of staff that can help you with these areas for improvement. By trusting and developing others, you will find you have more time to focus on your own role and responsibilities.

England head coach Sarina Wiegman congratulates her players in the huddle after the team reached the FIFA Women's World Cup Final FIFA via Getty Images

7. Adopt a different way of working

Quite often, head coaches adopt a working schedule based on ‘that’s the way it’s always been’. This can see the head coach attempting to lead all the meetings, preparation and training sessions. Instead, ask yourself ‘Is there a different way of doing this?’

8. Dedicate a physical space to well-being

It’s important to have a space where coaches can ‘let their shoulders drop’. By dedicating a space to well-being, staff will know that there is a different purpose when they are in that area. Consider having a large whiteboard on the wall so people can unload their ideas, thoughts and worries. Also, think about the use of colour, posters and different scents to create a unique feel from other areas of the building.

This article originally appeared in The Technician, our regular publication for coaches.