What is Mental Health And Wellbeing
Good mental wellbeing is all about recognising when times are tough and having the resilience, coping strategies and support network in place to help deal with the ups and downs of life. It’s no secret that being a student can be difficult. Feeling stressed over an impending deadline or having a down day if something isn’t going your way is all part of the experience. Looking after your own mental wellbeing can help restore the balance and get you through the tougher times. However if you find yourself struggling with low mood, stress or emptiness for a long period of time, you could be experiencing poor mental health. If this is the case, the first thing to remember is you are not alone. It’s estimated that in any given year, 1 in every 4 people in the UK will be affected by mental health problems.
This could range from struggling to control and manage thoughts and feelings, to being treated for more common mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, to receiving treatment and support with rarer conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Wherever you may be on your mental health journey, if you are finding the way you think or feel is significantly impacting on how you live your life over a long period of time, it’s really important that you ask for help. Struggling with poor mental health can often feel just as bad (if not worse) as struggling with your physical health and should be taken just as seriously!
Common signs of experiencing longer term mental health problems.
- Feeling constantly tired, struggling to sleep, or sleeping more than normal.
- Not wanting to do anything, from basic tasks like getting out of bed or showering, to hobbies or activities that you would normally enjoy.
- Feeling constantly empty of emotion, sad or hopeless.
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or making decisions.
- A constant feeling of worry or dread, even if you’re not sure what you’re worrying about.
- Avoiding certain situations or tasks because you are too worried or frightened to do them, even if you’ve done them before without any problem.
- Unexplained headaches, muscle aches or stomach aches that don’t go away with conventional treatment.
It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list of possible symptoms. Struggling with any of these things or anything similar may not necessarily mean that you have a mental health condition at all. That’s why, if you’re not feeling yourself in any way, it’s really important that you seek support from a professional such as a GP, who will be able to help figure out the best course of action for you.
What is Social Wellbeing and Self-Care.
Social wellbeing is defined by someone’s ability to communicate with others, as well as developing and maintaining healthy, meaningful, and positive relationships. Social wellbeing can be essential to maintaining good mental wellbeing, which in turn helps with good mental health. Social gatherings can also be a great form of self-care.
Self-care is the act of taking time to look after yourself, both mentally and physically. It can often be easy to get swept up by the hustle and bustle of daily life, spending all your time studying and working without taking any time out to rest and recover. It may feel difficult to find time for yourself, but there are many small things that you can do to practice self-care when you aren’t able to spare a full day.
Examples of self-care.
- Take a day out. You may hear people refer to taking a ‘self-care day’ – this usually involves taking a whole day to focus exclusively on doing things just for your own relaxation and enjoyment. It can help act as a bit of a ‘reset’ if you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. A self-care day can include whatever you find stress-reducing, such as going to meet with friends, taking a long, relaxing bath, doing some exercise, or even just sitting on the sofa all day with a bowl of popcorn and your favourite movies!
- Spend time with friends and loved ones. Spending time with friends and family is a great way to boost your mood and strengthen your bonds. Whether you’re playing sports, going to the pub, or just hanging out at home, talking with others, and generally spending time in their company can help banish feelings of isolation, and give you someone to talk to when something’s on your mind!
- Exercise. Exercise has been proven multiple times over to boost your mood, whether that means helping you to feel happier if you’re down, or to help you burn off some steam if there’s something irritating you. It doesn’t need to be a hardcore workout at the gym – simply going for a walk outside for 20 minutes (even if it’s just your local park) can help you feel relaxed and re-centred.
- Get some rest. Making sure you get plenty of good quality sleep is essential for good self-care. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and reduce the time you spend using devices such as your phone or computer at least an hour before you go to bed.
- Set goals, make plans, and prioritize. It can really help to reduce stress and stay focused if you have a solid plan, whether it’s a general daily schedule or a plan for your next uni project. Having practical, achievable goals to work toward can greatly reduce feelings of being overwhelmed, which improves your mental health in the long run. Give the priority matrix a try as an alternative way to set your priorities and goals, or try starting a bullet journal as an alternative to conventional planners.
- Join a community! Your SU has communities and societies that you can join to meet other people, find fun new activities to try, and support causes that you’re interested in. Some of our societies include the Aerospace Society, Anime and Manga Society, Gender Equality Society, Sustainability Society, and more!