After 12 years working in the adventure travel sector, Olly Leicester was feeling bored and depressed.

“I didn’t really know where my path was going,” he explained. “I didn’t have much sense of contributing to anything.”

Taking a year out, Olly went to Nepal and then India, going to a yoga school, learning meditation from monks, and teaching English to children.

Olly with Wim Hof

“I read a lot of books and listened to a load of podcasts, went to a Wim Hof retreat to learn breathing mechanisms and take ice dips – I spent a year seeing what I could get up to.”

When Olly got back to the UK, he took a course on health coaching, and went on to work for the NHS, working full time through the pandemic.

Now, having gone down part-time, he has his eyes set on helping business to support their employees.

After embarking on a transformative journey in search of meaning, Olly Leicester found renewed purpose and passion. His year of self-discovery in Nepal and India, delving into yoga, meditation, and teaching, not only rejuvenated his spirit but also laid the foundation for a new chapter in his professional life.

In today’s fast-paced and demanding work environment, the importance of prioritizing mental and physical health cannot be overstated. As individuals navigate the challenges of professional and personal life, fostering a culture of well-being becomes imperative. Employers play a crucial role in this endeavor, and proactive measures such as offering support programs, wellness initiatives, and training opportunities, including an emergency first aid at work course, can make a significant impact.

Organizations that invest in the health and safety of their workforce not only cultivate a positive workplace but also enhance overall productivity.  Consider resources like emergency first aid at work for comprehensive first aid training that contributes to a healthier and safer workplace environment.

“I think there’s a lot of need for it.

“I’ve had some really good conversations with people in professional services, and I gave a talk to a surveying firm. People in high-stress situations.

Olly in Nepal

“It’s about raising awareness about what I can do to keep their staff healthy and productive, which will save the business money in the long term.”

Olly practises holistic health which, he explained: “Is about treating the whole person, both in the workplace and at home, and is as much about mental health as it is about physical, because they’re intertwined.

“I’m influenced by people like Dr Rangan Chatterjee. He runs a podcast called Feel Better, Live More, and he wrote a book called The Four Pillar Plan, which concentrates on the basics of health.

“Eating real food, prioritising sleep, getting enough movement, and finding positive ways to manage stress. If we’re doing those everyday things well, we’re more likely to be well.”

Olly has developed a variety of programmes to offer to businesses. These include group workshops where teams can sit and talk about how to improve things like food culture or stress management.

“If people think they would get more out of one-to-one sessions, I can offer that too.

“I usually recommend a minimum of five to six sessions, as this offers enough time for people to see meaningful changes in their habits, as this needs regular coaching.

“These involve asking a lot of questions and working together to create a plan to put in place. Each person is fully unique from the next, with different living arrangements, ways of going to work, and methods for dealing with stress.

“It’s a two-way relationship. We look at the person’s main challenges to their mental and physical health. We establish where they are now and where they want to be in the future.

“Change is constant, so we’re either getting healthier or unhealthier every day.”

“One silver lining of the Pandemic is people started to become more aware of the things we can do to positively address our stress, but it’s a work in progress.

“Health coaches can help to get to the root causes of people’s stress.”

Olly is accredited and verified by the UK and International Health Coaches Association (UKIHCA).

• ollyleicester.co.uk