heart health course
“I dont go home broken anymore.”
Improving headteachers’ heart health
Our heart health is incredibly important, yet it’s something we rarely think about until something goes wrong.
What the evidence shows
- Stress is a well-known risk factor for coronary heart disease.
- Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the UK and globally.
- 89% of Headteachers report experiencing high levels of stress.
“The coaching sessions were really helpful in giving us the strategies to deal with the day to day challenges we face in our profession. A big reminder of how important it is to focus on our own wellbeing and be the best we can be for ourselves and others.”
Anna Conley. Headteacher of Howbridge Infant School
Getting to the heart of the matter
We can help you reduce stress and anxiety, with the ultimate goal of improving your heart health and wellbeing.
Our short programme is a unique combination of three core components: coaching, the use of biofeedback technology and training.
You’ll learn scientifically validated techniques to measure, monitor and reduce stress.
And by reducing stress, you can measurably improve your heart health.
Find out more
Find out how we can help you make lasting and meaningful improvements to your heart health and wellbeing.
Making Hearts Healthier
In just four sessions, you will be able to:
- Reduce anxiety, panic, stress or overwhelm within minutes.
- Improve the quality of your sleep.
- Reduce fatigue and exhaustion.
- Improve ‘cardiac coherence’ (a highly clinically significant measurement of heart rhythms.)
- Reduce the impact of stress before, during, and after a difficult conversation or situation.
- Improve your ability to problem-solve and communicate effectively in the face of challenges.
“The Heart Health Programme really does make a tangible difference to how I am able to deal with the many challenges I face on a daily basis.”
Matt O’Grady. Headteacher of West Horndon Primary School
“I found the app and sensor gave me something concrete to focus on.”
“It was really easy to use; easy to download. It was simple and straightforward.”
“The coaching sessions were really helpful in giving us the strategies to deal with the day to day challenges we face in our profession. A big reminder of how important it is to focus on our own wellbeing and be the best we can be for ourselves and others.”
“I found these sessions beneficial, sometimes it’s good to know you’re not alone.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed our sessions and I have learnt a lot about myself, my health and how my job affects my mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing. Thank you for sharing this knowledge with us all and facilitating our sessions together.”
“(I enjoyed) Learning about the nervous system and physical symptoms of stress and being able to recognise them. Recognising my triggers for an accelerated heart rate.”
“The sessions re-focused me each time and built on and reinforced my understanding of the science behind it. The use of the app and sensor gave me something concrete to do.”
“It has been a really useful tool to use to improve my wellbeing. I have found that I am able to recognise triggers that could instigate a negative mindset and in turn, inconsistent heart rates. I now have strategies to use in my day to day life to keep my heart healthier and lower my heart rate when triggered by a stressful situation.”
Paula Derwin. Headteacher of Hazelmere Junior School
Find out more
Find out how we can help you make lasting and meaningful improvements to your heart health and wellbeing.
“The process of learning, implementing and adapting to the coherence techniques allowed me to focus more fully on the physiological and mental changes resultant from using the breathing techniques Maria led. The ability to do this with someone who could explain the scientific and psychological background when experiencing different emotions and stress states was both fascinating and very helpful in scaffolding a truly useful mindful appraisal of myself. I could not recommend the process enough.”
Richard Potter. Headteacher of Home Farm Primary School
Impact
Case study from pilot research
We carried out a pilot research programme with 12 Headteachers in Essex in 2021.
[Read the full report here.]
One of the participants in our study was a 46-year-old Headteacher new to his school, Mr LL. In his intake interview, he shared that he had always had a high average heart rate (around 110-120 bpm, as measured by his Fitbit device). He told us that this had been investigated by various cardiologists and nothing physically had been found to explain this anomaly. Given that the heart’s rhythms are a real-time indicator of stress, we hypothesised that if Mr LL were to do the self-regulation practices frequently, he may be able to reduce his resting heart rate over time.
This proved to be the case, as his Fitbit following the intervention reported an average heart rate reading of 88 bpm. Figure 4.2 shows his heart rhythm recordings taken from the biofeedback technology during two practice sessions, one at the beginning of the programme, and the other, at the end. After the intervention his heart rate (indicated by the y-axis) significantly dropped, his cardiac coherence (regularity of rhythm) improved, and his heart rate variability (the variation in heartbeats over time and key marker of cardiovascular health) also increased.
“I can honestly say it helps. My heart rate on average was 110/120. It’s down to 88 now.”
– Mr. LL, Case Study Participant
Figure 4.2 Mr LL’s Heart rhythm recordings before and after the programme
Find out more
Find out how we can help you make lasting and meaningful improvements to your heart health and wellbeing.
“Working with Maria and the HeartMath kit has supported me to be more self-aware and to have a better understanding of the science behind critical thinking at work. As a direct result of the training, I have now begun to introduce a breathing technique with children at school. I feel ‘less stressed’ and more able to cope with the daily demands of my job.”
Nick Hutchings. Headteacher of Hamilton Primary School
Healthier Hearts Improve overall wellbeing
We asked participants in our pilot study to take a clinical assessment before and after the programme, to see whether their overall wellbeing would improve along with their heart health.
Figure 3.2 shows the thirteen stress-related symptoms captured on the questionnaire before and after the intervention. In this case, a lower score reflects a greater level of physiological function and wellbeing. For all thirteen categories, the responses demonstrate a significant improvement in cumulative scores for the participants who completed the questionnaire.
[Read the full report here.]
“At the end of last term I was going to leave as the stress had overwhelmed me. However, I am still here and am managing so much better.”
“I feel better physically for taking part in the pilot. My heart feels healthier. I feel like I’m back in control of my thoughts and mindset. I have started to lose weight and feel better about myself in general.”
Figure 3.2 Changes in stress related symptoms
from validated PROMIS-29 questionnaire data n=9
“Heart Health’ has been a really welcome opportunity to explore my stress response, understand the physiology and start to make some positive changes to manage pressures in a healthier, more positive way.”
Jinnie Nichols. Headteacher of St Giles and St. Andrew’s C of E Primary schools
Maria is a qualified HeartMath Coach and uses their technology and research in her training. The Inner Balance™ Bluetooth Sensor for Android and iPhone is an innovative approach to improving wellness and performance through monitoring of your heart rhythms and self-regulation of thoughts, feelings and physiology.
Contact us to find out more about our new Headteacher Heart Health program, using this innovative technology and approach to wellbeing.
