The mental health campaign Heads Together, working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, today launches a new platform with online tools to help defence personnel take a more proactive approach to their mental fitness.
HeadFIT provides 24/7 access to self-help tools that can enhance mood, drive and confidence. The tools will help defence people manage anxiety and stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic alongside the stresses of everyday life.
The platform includes tools such as breathing exercises, body posture and relaxation techniques that have been designed for all defence personnel, whether they are new recruits, long-serving personnel, veterans, or civilian staff. The techniques are designed so they can be easily integrated into their everyday lives.
HeadFIT has been developed in partnership with The Royal Foundation’s Heads Together campaign, the Ministry of Defence, Kings College London and has been spearheaded by The Duke of Sussex.
"HeadFIT has been almost three years in the making, and I am extremely grateful for everyone who has been on this journey with us. Everyone who has worked on it, to create what we have today, should be incredibly proud and excited for the impact it will have.
"I've long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science.
"This is about optimisation of self. This is about being the best you can be. This is about gaining an advantage, whether facing an opponent or overcoming a challenging situation. This is about building resilience that will match that of most world class athletes and prepare you for every day stress. To be HeadFIT, is to be at your peak performance.”The Duke of Sussex
Minister for Defence People and Veterans, Johnny Mercer, said:
“We train our Armed Forces to be both physically fit and mentally fit. And right now mental resilience has never been more important as our Defence community works tirelessly to support the UK’s public services during the coronavirus pandemic.
“HeadFIT will provide our people - serving and civilian - with the tools they need to maintain mental fitness throughout their career and afterwards. By launching the site ahead of schedule, we are providing them with the support they deserve in these exceptional times.”
HeadFIT is available to everyone as an open source website but is also available to Defence staff on Defence Connect and DefNet.