Supporting the physical health and wellbeing of the NHS
As our community of international service personnel and veterans recovering from trauma know, looking after your physical health is key to supporting your overall health and wellbeing, including your mental health. As such, we have been working with the NHS to offer the experiences shared by our community in the hope that lessons learned in trauma recovery may prove useful in inspiring and motivating individuals within the NHS and beyond to take care of their own physical and mental wellbeing – particularly in reaction to the stresses of coping with Covid.We have collaborated with the NHS to provide guidance on how to support the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of the NHS staff during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, based on advice and lessons learned in recovery by the wider Invictus Community. This partnership included the launch of a series of podcasts that reflect on a variety of themes and, today we announce a “5K our way” challenge, designed to help inspire and support NHS people to step away from work and take time for themselves.The podcasts are released weekly, covering topics related to supporting recovery, from reconnecting with family to the importance of peer to peer networks there’s something for everyone. Listen in to the podcasts here, and we will soon be publishing all the transcripts for each episode. This week, we’ve launched a podcast on the role of sport in supporting your recovery, and we’re delighted to now also announce the 5k Our Way challenge for the NHS!In the fourth podcast, David Wiseman talks about the role of sport in recovery, bringing to life how sport can not only restore a sense of individual purpose but also encourage a sense of community. We are very aware that it has been a tough year for everyone, but we also know that the best time to focus on your own physical and mental wellbeing is always now. Alongside the release of the fourth Invictus podcast with a theme on “sport recovery”, we want to encourage the NHS workers to find ways to get out and get moving and take part in a two month “5k our way” programme, with a virtual 5k challenge being held in May 2021.For details on how to take part, head to: https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/physical-health-and-wellbeing/ The Duke of Sussex, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, said, “For a year now, NHS workers have been engaged in a new kind of battle. They have consistently set-aside their own physical and emotional health in the service of others. This service and sacrifice resonates deeply with so many in the Armed Forces community. With this ongoing project, we know that the NHS and Invictus communities will learn from each other, support each other, and lead conversations that everyone can draw from. It is from these shared experiences I hope people can find strength, compassion, and understanding, and the inspiration they need for their own recovery and resilience.”Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer for NHS England and NHS Improvement said: “This partnership offers practical support to further complement the already extensive help available for our hard-working staff from the mental health hotline exclusively for NHS workers, through to access to health and wellbeing apps which thousands of staff have already benefitted from.”
