Finding Your Feet: How to Look After Your Mental Health at University

Whatever your feelings are about Coronavirus and the impact it’s having, it’s important to remember not only that these feelings are completely normal but that we should acknowledge them to make sure we’re looking after ourselves.

There are loads of things you can do to look after your mental health and wellbeing, and a whole host of organisations have published their own guidance - one of which is Student Minds.

Set up to empower students and members of the university community to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to look after their own mental health, support others and create change, Student Minds has published loads of helpful guidelines to help you navigate these tricky times. 

But in the meantime here are some examples of the proactive steps you can take to give yourself a sense of normality, maintain a routine, and keep your energy levels up!

• Stay in touch - keep in contact with your family and friends, you can still connect from a  distance - call your friend, have a video-call catch up with your family or check in with someone on social media.

• Continue the things you enjoy -  try reading that book you’ve been meaning to start, watch that new series or try a new skill.

• Get into a daily routine - you might find it helpful to plan out your time in advance and know what you are doing each day, so you have something to look forward to. 

• Look after your personal environment - create a space that you are able to enjoy and feel comfortable in.

• Take a break from social media if you need to - if the updates are getting too much it is okay to take a step back.

• Check in with your university and students’ union - this will help you to understand any changes to your course and assessments, where you can go for support and institution specific updates.

Now, of course you have to look after yourself, but it’s also important to remember to look out for each other through all of this. 

So whether it’s your friends, housemates or family, here are some things you can do to support your loved ones:

• Reach out - stay connected with people even if you can’t see each other in person - send a text, make a call or be inventive online with your university community.

• Check in - ask how this is affecting your friends and family and if there is anything you can do to help each other. Check-in with those who might be at more of risk during this time to see if there is anything you can do to help.

• Stay informed - make sure you are following and sharing reliable information from trusted sources

For more information on how to look after your mental health be sure to visit Student Minds for advice, help and support.