Personalised habit coaching, for better population health

Holly Health, the digital health + wellbeing coach supports sustainable behaviour change for physical and mental health, guided by clinical and psychological evidence

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Happy New Habits!

We're here to support people all year round but get in touch early in the year to go live while motivations are at their highest!

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6 months FREE

Holly Health for Healthy Ageing

Our Innovate UK funded Healthy Ageing work is showing excellent outcomes. Can we support your older adult population?

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6 months FREE

3 months FREE

Due to popular demand, we’re extending our 3 months free offer to primary care providers into 2023!

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6 months FREE

Who We Support


Accreditation Partners
Accreditation + Industry Partners

Validated Outcomes

86%
users adopt new,
‘automatic’ habits*
11-28%
average health improvements
in lower baseline users*
33%
report less need for GP
services
*
88%
users experience a
mindset change**
*after 8 weeks
**after 4 weeks
Explore Science + Research
Validated Outcomes
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What to expect from Holly Health

What Holly Health users think...

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The fact that the app is using nudge theory in such a way, coupled with accessible information and practical videos, is what I like about the app. The tone of the messaging is not authoritative, but encouraging; not repetitive, but playful; not boring same-old, but inspirational.
Geoff
User
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The Holly bird is really encouraging and tells you things like “you’re doing great” which I find helps keep my spirits high. The app has also helped me to make a mental note of how I’m feeling on a good day, so that I can come back to those positive emotions.
Beverley
User
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I've really appreciated the gentle nudging and encouraging approach. I’ve learnt to be more kind to myself when untangling old habits and being proud of how far I’ve come. It’s very much worth it.
Mary
User
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Holly Health is a service for anyone who's feeling a bit out of control or they don't have any time to themselves, they're always playing catch up. Small habits that build routines give a sense of being more grounded and in touch with ourselves, less pulled along by outside forces.
Francis
User
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After years of being bogged down in guilt and feelings of self-doubt every time I gained a single pound (and elation every time I lost it again), this considered and sustainable approach to living and eating happily is exactly what I needed.
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The "be kind to yourself " approach is refreshing. It's a release to be free from "the more you can achieve the more successful you are" that's so stressful. As well as lessening stress I seem to be losing weight too. I feel so lucky to be able to access this. 
I’m finding Holly Health way more effective than anything else I've tried because of how small and reasonable the chunks of change are.
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It's helped me to stop the all or nothing mentality, and I'm finding it easy and even I look forward to my daily activities because they are easily doable as they are shorter than I'd usually try to do.
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I'm managing anxiety better, and severe episodes of anxiety are more rare. I'm getting out of the habit of negative automatic thinking, but it's still work in progress. My exercise levels are much better, and I'm eating better too. 
I genuinely think it has motivated me to make the biggest improvements I’ve ever made in my life. I feel so much more responsible for my own health. I am able to manage my lifestyle in a healthy and sustainable way.
Quote
The "be kind to yourself " approach is refreshing. It's a release to be free from "the more you can achieve the more successful you are" that's so stressful. As well as lessening stress I seem to be losing weight too. I feel so lucky to be able to access this. 
Quote
It's helped me to stop the all or nothing mentality, and I'm finding it easy and even I look forward to my daily activities because they are easily doable as they are shorter than I'd usually try to do.
Quote
I'm managing anxiety better, and severe episodes of anxiety are more rare. I'm getting out of the habit of negative automatic thinking, but it's still work in progress. My exercise levels are much better, and I'm eating better too. 
Quote
After years of being bogged down in guilt and feelings of self-doubt every time I gained a single pound (and elation every time I lost it again), this considered and sustainable approach to living and eating happily is exactly what I needed.
Quote
I’m finding Holly Health way more effective than anything else I've tried because of how small and reasonable the chunks of change are.
Quote
I genuinely think it has motivated me to make the biggest improvements I’ve ever made in my life. I feel so much more responsible for my own health. I am able to manage my lifestyle in a healthy and sustainable way.
Quote
On Android and iOS rated 4.4 in app stores, with over 300 ratings

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FAQ's

What is the small habits approach?

The small habits approach involves making small but consistent changes to our daily behaviours. Holly Health supports individuals to prioritise, achieve, and sustain new healthy habits across a range of health and lifestyle areas, covering nutrition, relationship with food, sleep, mental wellbeing and movement

Why is the small habits approach better than other approaches?

Most of our overall health is defined by the tiny actions we take throughout each day. Like what we eat and drink, when we go to bed, how long we sit down for, and how much exercise we get. Around 60% of our daily actions take place without us thinking (i.e. subconsciously). In order to improve our overall health over the long term, we need to address our subconscious habits.

However, many of us take an 'all at once' approach to health improvements, for example, going on a restrictive diet, or planning to go to the gym every day as a new years resolution. The problem with these intense approaches is they are rarely sustainable. Studies have shown again and again that the best way to make lasting changes to our health, is to make small, consistent changes, which can be kept up indefinitely. Holly Health makes this sustainable approach doable and way more fun!

The user-centred design approach

The Holly Health product has been developed using an evidence based and incremental approach to research and development, including the analysis of hundreds of studies into behaviour change, alongside hundreds of hours or user research and testing - spanning interviews, focus groups and intensive user pilots.

This has been especially the case in our healthy ageing research project, which you can learn more about here.

Which psychological models does the service use?

The Holly Health approach to behaviour change is based partly on a cognitive behavioural therapy approach called 'behavioural activation'. Behavioural activation is a type of therapeutic intervention (most often used to treat depression) that focuses on behavioural changes in a client's daily life. It encourages new behaviours which are enjoyable, motivational, and help the individual to make progress towards their longer term goals. Behavioural activation is practical, simple, and very adaptive, it can involve any behaviours, as long as they are positive and useful to the individual.

Other important components of the Holly Health approach stem from evidence-based psychological interventions like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Interventions.

The COM-B Model of behaviour change (Michie et al. 2011) describes the relationship between capability, opportunity, and motivation, and the requirement for all three to be in place in order for behaviour change to occur. Additionally, Holly Health also adopts the principle of 'hinging', encouraging customers to tag new habits onto actions they already complete each day (e.g. brushing your teeth), to make it easier to incorporate a new habit consistently.

Learn more about our psychological approaches by navigating to Science & Research

What's Holly Health's take on weight management?

We believe that weight alone is not a direct determinant of a person's health. Evidence suggests that it's the actions that we take everyday, rather than how much we weigh, that determines health and predicts how long (and how well) we live. Taking this into account, we support those who do want to lose weight sustainably, or who want to maintain a weight range in which they feel comfortable in, through a psychological approach to eating behaviour, movement and general health.

- We guide people towards improving their relationship with food, rather than restricting or controlling what or how much they eat.

- We provide useful information about nutrition and wider health behaviours so people find what works for them, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach.

- We encourage mindful and fun movement, rather than punitive exercise routines. Overall, we support a person's physical & mental health, through small everyday actions that translate into long-term behaviour change for health and wellbeing.

How does Holly Health support prevention?

Holly Health supports adults in their journey towards disease prevention, through sustainable lifestyle behaviour change. We take a holistic approach to improving health. Holly Health encourages:

- Improved fitness, addressing cardiovascular and muscular fitness as well as mobility and flexibility
- Better mood and mental health, including relationship with food, movement, and those around you
- Deeper and longer sleep
- More balanced daily nutrition, including variety of vegetables and whole foods

Most of all, it equips people with the structure, process and motivation to make and achieve the habits that feel most relevant to them, in their health journey.

Do I need a smartphone to use the service?

You do need a smartphone to use the Holly Health service. It operates on both Android and iOS (iPhone). You also need a small amount of mobile data or wifi to access the app content.

We recently launched a web and SMS service in pilot form. If you're interested in learning more about this, email us us [email protected]

What is a conversational interface?

The Holly Health product uses conversational interfaces for onboarding as well as the ongoing service. This means that you will converse with the Holly Bird through a chat flow. Messages and replies are sent based on pre-programmed decisions, which have been designed by a team of psychologists, nutritionists and health instructors. Conversational interfaces are also known as chatbots

What are you developing for future versions of the product?

There are lots of features on the roadmap. Some upcoming features include integrations with external health data, like from an Apple Health and Google Fit, and community features to support adults in getting out to relevant community events and activities near them.

We are also developing machine learning capabilities to enhance the personalisation experience

How much does it cost?

FREE for NHS patients via your GP practice.

Affordability at scale is important to us - Holly Health is designed for whole populations after all. B2B partners pay as low as £0.10 per person per year, charged on a full population basis.

If you have not been given Holly Health by your healthcare provider, consumer subscriptions are from £5-9 per month, depending on the length of the subscription. The first 2 weeks via the app stores are free for new users.

To discuss a potential corporate or public health contract, please email [email protected]

Does Holly Health work with health insurers?

The Holly Health team is open to partnerships with employers, public health providers and health insurers. If you would like to discuss a partnership opportunity, please email [email protected]

Does Holly Health work with healthcare providers?

Holly Health is partnered with over 100 UK GP practices (in February 2023), supporting thousands of patients. We are also launching international partnerships and services spanning weight management and healthy ageing. If you'd like to discuss a potential partnership, please email [email protected].