10th October is World Mental Health Day, which means that all over the world people are coming together to openly talk about mental health! Our campaign #SOSUok focuses on the message that ‘It’s OK to be not OK’, which is completely true. Our generation are such perfectionists that quite often, self care is at the bottom of a long to do list, if it features at all.
SOSU’s top tips for looking after your mental health & wellbeing as a student
10th October is World Mental Health Day, which means that all over the world people are coming together to openly talk about mental health! Our campaign #SOSUok focuses on the message that ‘It’s OK to be not OK’, which is completely true. Our generation are such perfectionists that quite often, self care is at the bottom of a long to do list, if it features at all.
When I was a student I complained about feeling low 24/7, but it took a long time to realise I was actually not helping myself in anyway, so here’s my list of how to keep on top of your mental health while studying – it’s basically the list I wish someone had given me on day one during my induction to university.
Don’t say yes to everything (but do still say yes to some things!)
Saying yes to new things is great – volunteering, new part time jobs, events, there’s always something happening, but you don’t have to say yes to it all right now. Take some time to settle and think about what you’d rather do. Saying yes to too much can soon become overwhelming – be selective with what you chose to spend your time on to make sure you can actually enjoy your time at university and you don’t burn out.
Take time out
It can be hard to find an evening to sit in bed and watch a movie, or read a book, when you live in a flat/house with friends but it’s crucial that sometimes you just let yourself have a break from the busyness!
Get into a routine
Getting in at 4am may seem fun, but it’s not sustainable and if you’re missing lectures and other plans because you’ve slept all day you’ll only end up feeling worse as a result of this!
Sleep
Following on from having a routine, sleep is so crucial. You wouldn’t believe how quickly you’ll notice if you haven’t been sleeping properly!
Eat well
When you come to university, there’s a good chance you aren’t a culinary genius, but you will have to learn how to cook properly at some point so you might as well start now! Three meals a day are so important, and pot noodles do not count as a nutritious meal if you’re eating them frequently!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
It’s well documented that students are likely to experience issues around mental health, which is why the university has a whole range of services that can help you, as well as the local NHS and charities.
Talk about it
This was a big one – when I opened up to a few people about how I’d been feeling, I was surprised to find out they’d felt similar. University is such a busy, exciting time of your life and it may look like everyone is having an incredible time, but actually that’s not true.
Opening up and starting the conversation with your friends will make a huge difference, and it helps to break down the stigma surrounding mental health too!
Talk to your course team
It might seem scary, but they do care and want the best for you. Even just dropping them and email saying ‘I’m not having such a good time right now’ or ‘I’m having some mental health issues that are making XYZ hard for me’ can be so helpful to everyone involved. This also means they can talk to you about extenuating circumstances or any other requirements you may need to help you and can then point you in the right direction for more information.
Learn to plan your time/deadlines/money
As with #1, there are only so many hours in the day and also student loans do not go as far as you think. I wish I’d planned a bit better with my money, so that I didn’t end up with sleepless nights worrying about how I was going to pay my bills and rent. I probably spent more time worrying about having not planned than I would have spent planning these things.
If you need help with any of the above I’m always around to chat! Get in touch with me on su.welfare@solent.ac.uk or @SolentWelfare on Twitter, or you can pop into our office on the first floor of the SU.