It’s not always easy to know where to start with your mental health, especially at this time of year!
With days getting shorter (and colder!), the semester coming to an end and the assessment period looming, you might find you have a lot on your mind…
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are five ways to boost your mood and wellbeing through incorporating a few simple actions in your day-to-day routine.
The Student Life team caught up with Student Content Creators Bill and Mia to find out how they got on with trying the Five Ways to Wellbeing this week…
1. Connect with others
Student Life: Socialising is different for everyone – you might be a social butterfly, love meeting new people, and be comfortable in big groups, or you might prefer smaller, quieter social situations, either way; making an effort to speak to others and build connections is a great way to enhance your wellbeing!
How did you connect with others this week?
Bill: This week I reached out to some friends I hadn’t spoken to in a while to have a catch-up – it was really wholesome and I’ve made plans with a few friends that I am now really looking forward to!
Mia: I find connecting with others is one of the best ways to improve my mental wellbeing. Spending time chatting to my friends and housemates always lifts my mood and allows me to view situations I might be worried about from a different perspective.
This week, I dedicated time away from university work to go and enjoy a pub quiz with friends. A little competitiveness never hurt anyone! Although we didn’t win, we spent a few hours away from work (and our phones), and were just happy to spend time together.
2. Get active
Student Life: Moving your body can have a surprisingly positive impact on your mental health! You don’t have to become an Olympic athlete to see a difference, even little things like going for a quick walk can help clear your mind and brighten your mood.
Have you done anything to get active this week?
Bill: I started to get back into running this week and can’t stress how rewarding and how fulfilled it makes me feel! I’ve definitely noticed that starting my day off with physical activity helps put me in a clear, focused frame of mind for the rest of the day.
Mia: Similar to Bill, I love to start my day off with physical activity, especially going for a walk. I find it a good way to start the day. I often spend these walks either listening to a podcast or I call my family and spend the time chatting to them, sharing our updates on our lives from different cities.
3. Take notice of the world around you
Student Life: It can be easy to get stuck in your own head sometimes, but taking a minute to savour the moment and be more aware of the world around you can help you escape your worries, and appreciate what life has to offer.
Have you had any mindful moments this week?
Bill: I’ve always found walking and taking my time to appreciate nature to be therapeutic! It has really helped me this week to stay mindful and take my mind off of uni work!
Mia: I find journaling about my day helps me to be more present day-to-day. I tend to journal in the evenings before I go to bed, where I reflect on the day I’ve had, things I enjoyed, and feelings I felt in these moments. To be able to do this, I need to be present in the world around me within my day, so I can remember and write about it later. Journaling is a nice way to end the day; I can read back on happy memories I’ve had, or it just allows me the space to get things off my chest that might have been bothering me. This week, I’ve made sure to do it each night before bed.
4. Learn new skills
Student Life: Learning something new, like how to play an instrument, researching something you’re interested in, or anything really… can help you feel a sense of achievement, help with motivation and above all – it’s fun to challenge yourself!
Have you tried anything new this week?
Bill: I’ve been learning guitar for a while now and spend time playing most days. It’s so fulfilling to have something I enjoy and feel passionate about, that I can dedicate my own time to and work on at my own pace.
Mia: I’ve been really intrigued to learn yoga for a while now as I’ve heard so many benefits for your mental health. So, this week, I have taken time to do some yoga just from videos on YouTube and from the comfort of my own house. I’ve found yoga to be great at focusing my breathing and stretching, especially after being sat at my desk working on my dissertation.
5. Give to others
Student Life: Being kind to yourself and others can be really rewarding. It can help you feel happier in yourself, as well as the positive impact it has on other people, too!
You could try volunteering, offering to help someone with their coursework, holding a door open, being a shoulder to cry on… anything that could help brighten someone’s day, even just a little bit!
Have you done something for anyone else this week?
Bill: This week I’ve made an effort to do an act of kindness each day – holding doors open, offering to make my housemates a cup of tea – and whilst I’m now running out of tea, it’s felt great to bring a smile to people’s faces!
Mia: It’s a very stressful time of year as assignments and exams are closely approaching! I have noticed that some of my housemates have been feeling stressed and down. So to try and make them smile (and their day), I went and bought flowers and advent calendars. This did make the girls smile, it’s nice to be able to put a smile on others' faces, too.
Any final thoughts?
Bill: Trying the Five Ways to Wellbeing this past week has made me realise just how simple it can be to improve my wellbeing! I feel a lot more focused and ready for these last few weeks before Christmas. I’m definitely going to continue running, reaching out to friends, and making sure I appreciate the present moment because this week has shown me how beneficial these little things can be!
Mia: I agree with Bill. Trying the Five Ways to Wellbeing has already had a significant impact on my daily mood. I look forward to doing the new parts of my daily routine I have added in, and I can’t wait to see the long-term benefits that these will have on my wellbeing.
For more information about the Five Ways to Wellbeing check out the Wellbeing website.
By Bill, a second year Computer Science student and Student Content Creator
By Mia, a fourth year Marketing and Management student and Student Content Creator