Studying towards a degree can be time consuming and stressful at times, and sometimes you can forget to look after the most important things in life; your health being one.
In aid of this, we have devised 10 tips that can improve your mental health whilst at university.
1 – Surround yourself with the right people
Hanging out with people similar to you can help to create strong friendship bonds that will have a positive effect on you as you will enjoy spending time with these people and look forward to the next time you see each other.
2 – Take time out
Whether your’re struggling with uni work during the day then rushing to your part time job at night, always ensure to take time everyday to relax and enjoy yourself to relieve any stress or pressure you may be under. Remember – these youthful years are supposed to be the best of your life! Go for lunch with some friends, hit the crazy golf or cinema or book that spontaneous weekend trip away, why not?
3 – Talk it out
If you’re feeling down there are plenty of people you can talk to.
Family? Friends? Flat mates? Work colleagues? Uni support team? Your pet? – As long as you’re getting things off your chest, it doesn’t necessarily matter who listens.
4 – Eat and Drink well
Often find yourself turning to bad foods and alcohol to feel better?
This is normal, as a whole society often turns to comfort foods and/or alcohol to change our moods. You may feel brilliant once you’ve indulged in that food and alcohol feeling like you’ve forgotten all your troubles, however this is only a short term solution – you may not feel so brilliant the next morning.
Try to ensure your brain and body are getting the right mix of nutrients in order to help you feel and stay healthy – a more long term beneficial lifestyle as opposed to a short term fix which leaves you feeling worse later.
5 – Do something you’re good at
What do you love doing?
What are the few things that make you forget everything?
What do you miss?
Enjoying yourself can help you beat stress and tension. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, so get out and do that one thing, it’ll raise your self esteem, confidence and will distract you from any troubles.
6 – Appreciate what you have
Amongst our troubles and stress, we can often forget how lucky we are and what we have to smile about.
Take some time if you’re feeling down to remember what makes you smile and the things that you can be grateful for. We have wonderful family relationships, friendships, animals, culture, views and landmarks (Especially in Newcastle).
So either take some time to think of these things while down, or make the effort to go and see your loved ones or visit your favourite places (Quayside)!
7 – Give something back
Leading on from point 6, we can sometimes forget how lucky we are. So why not take some time to help those less fortunate than yourself?
Volunteering and charity work can help bring a wonderful sense of reward and satisfaction from helping others; while helping you to realise and recognise how others people’s life can differ from your own.
8 – Accept who you are
How boring would it be if we were all the same?
It may have hit you at this point in your life, but we’re all different and unique in our own ways, so it’s pointless trying to be someone you’re not, it’s much healthier to accept who you are and what you represent.
This is a fantastic way to boost your confidence, focus on yourself – learn some new skills, gain as many experiences as you can, visit places you’ve always wanted to and meet the people who can positively contribute to your life.
9 – Keep in touch
It’s always difficult to keep in contact with everyone you know – especially once everyone has gone to separate universities. However, always try to maintain constant contact with a core group of friends, there’s nothing better than catching up with someone on all the missed gossip! If a face to face catch up is not possible, call them, text them or have a 4 hour FaceTime catch up from the last 3 years.
It’s always good to look back, laugh and see what people are up to now.
10 – Smile!
Last but not least…
Smiling can instantly improve your mood and feelings. Think back to a funny moment and smile about it, there’s always a reason to smile.
After a while, it’ll feel natural and you’ll be smiling to everyone, everywhere you go – improving your mood and making someone else’s day better.