Supporting wellbeing as a manager
Supporting wellbeing isn’t always easy. You don’t have to do it alone.
Course overview
Supporting team wellbeing can feel complex - especially when you’re balancing deadlines, performance and people needs. Many managers, particularly line managers, want to do the right thing, but aren’t always sure what to notice, what to say, or how to respond when pressure builds.
This short course is designed to help line managers support wellbeing as part of everyday management.
Through small, consistent actions, managers learn how to build trust, resilience and engagement over time. These behaviours strengthen health and wellbeing for employees and workplace wellbeing in practical and sustainable ways.
The course complements a wider wellbeing strategy, supports a more strategic approach to people management, and reinforces the role managers play within a broader workplace wellbeing programme.
You don’t need to be a mental health expert. You just need the confidence to respond with empathy, consistency and care when supporting your team at work, while also being mindful of your own wellbeing.
The course also supports alignment between line managers and senior leaders, helping organisations create a shared wellbeing agenda, consistent approach to wellbeing across teams.
“Supporting wellbeing doesn’t require expertise - it starts with noticing changes, having human conversations and creating the right conditions for people to do their best work.”
Kevin Bazeley, Associate Consultant, Wellity Global
What’s inside this course
This course, led by Kevin Bazeley, Associate Consultant at Wellity Global, is split into four short modules, each focused on a key part of supporting team wellbeing and employee wellbeing through everyday management, forming a practical training programme for managers with clear learning outcomes.
The wellbeing training course forms part of Breathe’s Growth Academy, designed to support line managers with practical tools they can apply straight away, and sits alongside wider organisational initiatives such as a workplace wellbeing programme.
Introduction to supporting team wellbeing as a manager
Understand why manager-led wellbeing matters and how small, everyday actions - like noticing changes, checking in and creating psychological safety - shape employee wellbeing, health and wellbeing and how people experience work and contribute to a positive workplace culture, reinforcing the manager’s role in supporting teams day to day.
These everyday behaviours help build psychological safety, making it easier for people to speak up early, ask for support and stay engaged at work.
Spotting the signs of burnout
Learn how to recognise early warning signs of burnout, understand common workplace risk factors, and take simple, practical steps to reduce pressure before it escalates - helping to protect employee wellbeing and team performance.
Navigating the challenge of change
Explore how people respond differently to change and how line managers can lead with empathy, clarity and stability during periods of uncertainty or transition, supporting workplace wellbeing during times of pressure.
Supporting neurodivergent and different working styles
Discover how stress and wellbeing can look different for different people, and how inclusive adjustments and clear communication can reduce pressure and help everyone do their best work - supporting employee wellbeing across different teams.
Building a wellbeing culture in your team
Learn how everyday habits, like recognition, boundaries and peer support, shape workplace wellbeing and wellbeing culture over time, without relying on policies or programmes.
The course is designed to be short and practical, so line managers can complete the modules in any order, revisit them when needed, and use the included resources to put your wellbeing training into action straight away.
What you’ll walk away with:
The learning outcomes focus on building confidence, practical judgement and consistency in how managers support wellbeing day to day.
By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence and practical tools to support wellbeing as part of how you lead every day, helping to protect employee health and promote positive health and wellbeing across your team.
You’ll be better equipped to:
- Spot early signs of stress and burnout that affect employee wellbeing
- Have supportive, human conversations with confidence
- Lead teams through pressure and change with empathy and stability
- Support different working styles and individual needs
- Build a team culture where workplace wellbeing is part of everyday work and team performance
This course helps make supporting wellbeing feel manageable, natural and sustainable - not an extra task or an awkward conversation - and supports a healthy approach to wellbeing management and building a broader wellbeing strategy, and a people-first management style in day-to-day people management.
Who this course is for:
This course is designed for:
- Line managers and team leaders
- New or developing line managers
- Managers supporting teams through pressure or change
- Anyone responsible for people, not just performance
No previous wellbeing or mental health training is required.
Spotting the signs of burnout
How to recognise burnout early and reduce pressure before it escalates
Burnout rarely appears overnight. It often shows up gradually, through changes in energy, behaviour or confidence, and can be easy to miss when teams are busy.
In this module, Kevin explains what burnout really is (and what it isn’t), and how to spot early warning signs across emotional, behavioural and physical wellbeing. You’ll explore common workplace risk factors, as well as protective factors that help reduce burnout and support employee wellbeing across teams - giving managers a better understanding of what to notice early.
Kevin also shares how line managers can check-in early using supportive, human conversations - and how small, practical actions like reviewing priorities or modelling healthy boundaries can make a real difference to how teams experience work.
In the resources section, you’ll find practical tools and checklists to help you notice changes, plan check-ins and take early action with confidence.
Navigating the challenge of change
How to support wellbeing during uncertainty and transition
Change can bring uncertainty, stress and disengagement, particularly when communication isn’t clear or routines are disrupted.
In this module, Kevin explores how people typically respond to change and why managers play a critical role in providing clarity, empathy and stability. You’ll learn how to communicate honestly when not all answers are known, balance empathy with structure, and maintain a sense of normality during uncertain periods.
You’ll also explore simple management actions, like setting clear priorities, maintaining routines and encouraging open conversations, that help people feel more grounded and supported through change and form part of effective stress management in day-to-day leadership.
In the resources section, you’ll find conversation prompts and change-support checklists to help you apply this learning in real situations.
Supporting neurodivergent and different working styles
How to create inclusive environments that reduce stress and support everyone
Wellbeing doesn’t look the same for everyone. Differences in how people think, process information and work can affect stress levels, communication and confidence.
In this module, Kevin explains how neurodivergent and different working styles can influence wellbeing at work. You’ll explore why stress and burnout can present differently for different people, and how misunderstandings can increase pressure if not addressed.
Kevin shares practical, inclusive adjustments managers can make - such as improving clarity, offering flexibility and adapting communication styles - without needing diagnoses or labels. The focus is on psychological safety and meeting individual needs.
In the resources section, you’ll find inclusive communication tips and adjustment examples you can use in everyday management.
Building a wellbeing culture in your team
How everyday habits shape trust, morale and resilience
A wellbeing culture isn’t created through policies or initiatives, it’s built through daily habits and behaviours.
In this module, Kevin explores how managers can embed wellbeing into normal team routines through consistent, people-first actions. You’ll learn how trust, recognition, flexibility and healthy boundaries contribute to sustained employee wellbeing and positive workplace wellbeing over time, and how early, supportive action can help reduce the impact of mental ill health within teams.
Kevin also highlights the importance of peer support and shared responsibility, showing how small habits, like recognising effort, encouraging breaks and checking in on team energy, can strengthen morale and engagement over time - as well as help to protect their own wellbeing. Combined, this helps supporting a healthier work life balance too.
In the resources section, you’ll find simple culture-building tools and reflection worksheets to help you embed wellbeing into your team’s day-to-day work, including guidance that supports teams experiencing stress or mental ill health.
Congratulations – you’ve completed Breathe’s Supporting Team Wellbeing course for line managers
You’ve explored how to spot signs of stress, lead through change and create the right conditions for your team to thrive. With practical tools and everyday actions, you’re now better equipped to support wellbeing with confidence, care and consistency.
You’ve taken an important step towards becoming a people-first manager – someone who notices when things aren’t quite right, creates space for honest conversations, and helps build a culture where people feel safe, supported and able to do their best work.
Ready to put your learning to the test?
Take the end-of-course quiz and earn your downloadable certificate when you score 80% or above.
Once you’re done, keep growing your skills with more expert-led Line Manager Essentials training in the Breathe Growth Academy – from managing performance to building stronger team communication.
If you're a Breathe customer, you can track your learning progress under ‘My training’ in your Breathe account.
