Your wellbeing: look after yourself with these five tips
To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, here are five tips for looking after your mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
1. Keep active
Physical activity has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood. Regularly exercising, especially outside, is a great way to take care of yourself. Find out how you can keep active at Sussex.
2. Eat well, stay hydrated and drink sensibly
We’re counting this as one tip because it's all about what you consume. Eating a balanced diet is a really important foundation for good wellbeing because it gives your brain and body the fuel they need to function. Not drinking enough water can have a negative effect on our mood, so make sure to stay hydrated.
Although alcohol (and drugs) can temporarily make us feel good, they’re not a good way to deal with problems and often leave us feeling worse in the long term. If you choose to drink alcohol then try to stick within the recommended low risk guidelines and have plenty of days without drinking each week.
3. Manage your time
University-level study is demanding and sometimes it can feel stressful. Learning how to manage your time and other key study skills can help you to cope better with your workload.
4. Enjoy down time
When we feel busy or stressed it can be difficult to let ourselves relax, but it’s important to build 'down time' into our lives, rather than see it as a luxury. Take a break to do something you find relaxing or fun, something you’re good at or something new.
5. Seek support if you’re struggling
Most people will find being at university challenging at times. It’s not unusual to feel homesick at first, or to worry that you might not be clever or confident enough to cope with things like seminars and assessments.
We all need help sometimes, no matter how well we try to look after ourselves. Support and resources are available, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can also access Silver Cloud, a free online self-help application offering therapeutic programmes and information for students experiencing problems.
Tea and Talk: World Mental Health Day edition
Tea and Talk sessions are a work-free zone and an informal space where Sussex students can relax. You can talk to someone, be listened to and find out about other sources of support, while enjoying free tea and biscuits.
Tea and Talk sessions will run from 13 November, but there will be a special World Mental Health Day session this month. Come along to the Meeting House from 1pm to 3pm on Wednesday 9 October.
Image via Unsplash.