Today’s post is by Aisling from Plane Beauty about coping with your mental health at university. My mental health took a bit of a bad turn last semester so I definitely appreciate the importance of this post. Aisling is a travel and lifestyle blogger and is currently studying Tourism Management at university.
(Feature photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash)
University is often made out to be one of the best life experiences a person can have, however unfortunately for some people, mental health issues can arise for various reasons. The most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone and there is support out there! Therefore, I’ve compiled a list to help you deal with them slightly more manageable.
Get free counselling via your uni
If you study in the UK, then the vast majority of uni’s will offer a free, confidential counselling service. This is such an excellent service to use to your advantage, as private counselling can be very expensive – especially if you’re on a student budget. The only downside of counselling via university is that there is often a waiting list, so please consider this when applying if you need it urgently. Many universities also offer counselling access on an app called ”health assured” which allows you to speak to a qualified counsellor 24/7 on the phone, by email or by video call.
Find an outlet that suits you
By finding an outlet that suits you, it lets you focus on something else for a while, and the results of your chosen outlet can be gratifying. For instance, you could try painting (paint by numbers are amazing too!), baking, gardening – and so much more!
Related post: 100 distractions for when you’re having a bad day
Join a club or society
If you have the time, joining a club or society at uni can help you socialise and meet new people and develop your skills and physical health – depending on the activity. A few examples include gaming, baking and pickleball where you could get your own custom pickleball jersey! There will be lots of things available for you to join, so you will be able to find something that interests you. Try not to be too nervous if you don’t have anyone to join with you – everyone in a club or society is there to meet other people with similar interests, or why else would they go?
Volunteer
There are so many different volunteering opportunities out there you will never know what you will find! It is a great way to boost your CV, meet others, and it can help you feel good about yourself. By devoting a certain amount of time per month to volunteering, knowing that you are making a difference in others lives can help you cope with your mental health as it makes you feel good and proves that you are a good person.
Read
Reading books is a great way to deal with your mental health as you can learn a lot as well as use it as a small form of escapism. There are plenty of books to help deal with mental health. I especially recommend The Comfort Book by Matt Haig, as it is a very easy read and is very thought-provoking. Books can be expensive to buy firsthand, but libraries usually have a great range to choose from, and there are plenty of second-hand book websites and shops – which is very good for the environment also!
Keep your living space tidy
Keeping your living space clean and tidy can motivate you and help provide a safer sanctuary to relax and unwind from a long day in. It can be hard to get started to tidy up, so try putting on some music that uplifts you or making a challenge out of it.
Set achievable goals
This can help motivate you and help you manage everything in bite-sized pieces. If you set yourself a few ‘mini’ goals, it can help you manage them better. The goals you choose to set don’t need to be big; they can be as simple as aiming to drink five glasses of water in a day. A goal is still a goal, no matter how big or small.
Related post: 5 ways to avoid burnout from work by Jet Virtual Assistant
Go somewhere new
By choosing to go somewhere new, you can help re-inspire yourself, focus on yourself more and learn more about yourself. Being at uni often allows for a lot of time off, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to get away for a while. Even if you have lots of assignments or readings to do, you could book a mini getaway for the weekend and complete them in a new environment. Travel doesn’t have to be expensive either, as you can take the National Express (or a similar bus company if you’re outside of the UK), take the train, car share or get a cheap flight.
If you are struggling to cope with your mental health, please reach out to someone you trust. These tips are only suggestions and may not work for you, but they have helped me in the past!
Make sure you check out Aisling’s blog, Plane Beauty and her social media:
What are some tips you use to help with your mental health at uni?
Best wishes, Cx
I remember joining a club at Uni and it helped me build a social group and feel less insecure. Great article!
Thank you for reading 🙂
These are great suggestions – for me back in Uni going outside and keeping my space tidy I felt did wonders for my MH! Finding social groups and clubs that helped me feel a sense of belonging was also so great throughout my entire education! Great guest post with tons of great ideas, thank you for sharing these.
Thank you Alex x
These are great tips. Wish I thought of some of these when I was in UNI. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you x
I never went to Uni but I can imagine how it can affect your mental health, especially with the pressure of deadlines etc x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I definitely feel it x
Fab tips! I’m starting uni in September so I’ll definitely be saving this to refer back to! I’m definitely excited to join some great clubs and getting away sounds great too. Thanks for sharing x
Aw, that’s cool! Good luck, if you need anything, feel free to message me x
I love the tip about keeping your living space tidy! I know I get super anxious when my house is a mess.
Me too! I just organised my room and I’m feeling so much better x
I’m not at uni myself but I’ve got friends who are and I’ll defiantly share this blogpost with them. It’s really helpful, thank you so much for sharing Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Thank you so much xx
These are some great tips I wish I had known when I was in the university. I used to do some of them, especially reading books, listening to music, and going on trips, without knowing that they were helping with improving my mental health.
That’s great!
Very helpful post! I wish I had it when I was in Uni.
Thank you x
These are some great tips I wish I had known when I was at the university. I used to do some of them, especially reading books, listening to music and going on trips, without knowing that they were helping with improving my mental health.
These are some really great tips! This will be really helpful for people in uni or thinking about going. Thank you for sharing!
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
Thank you Lauren
I remembered that I joined a student union at Uni! We had a lot of fun and positive activities every month. And it helped me build a social group 😀 Love these tips x
Aw, that sounds great!
Excellent suggestions and tips – it’s also good to see that so many universities realise the challenges facing students and have systems in place to help.
Definitely x
Great advice! When I was in college reading for fun helped a lot. So did having a sketch book.
Oh me too!
Great post! University was a mixed bag for me. I had some really dark times but also some of the best times of my life. Thankfully I had good support around me.
Corinne x
I definitely feel that too x