So you may be wondering: why bother and what’s the point of a Wellbeing Week?
Wellbeing is one of those multi faceted terms: there are so many ways to enhance it whether that’s physical or emotional. We’re specifically focusing on mental wellbeing over the week as 1 in 4 of us will have problems with our mental health or wellbeing at some time in our lives and at University the statistic is as high as one person in three. There is a lot of unfair stigma surrounding the term "mental health" but things such as stress, anxiety and low moods are all signs that your mental wellbeing is suffering. We’re teaming up with organisation Time To Change to challenge the stigma.
The main point of Wellbeing Week is to encourage you to not sit in silence but to speak out and more importantly to look after yourselves. Whether you think you may be going through a rough patch or know someone who is don’t be afraid to vocalise- share that experience if it’s yours or be a listening ear for someone else. Whether that’s at a Tea and Talk event where you can have a cuppa in a non-judgmental space or just having a chat with a friend. A problem shared is a problem halved (the cliché was totes necessary).
At this time of year it gets particularly stressful for many students (with summer months’ being somewhat tougher for Postgraduates who are still here working while everyone else is off). Everyone feels that they have to cope with a ton of hand- ins, practicals and exams all at once as that’s the ‘done thing’ and ‘all part of the experience’ but the stress of meeting deadlines and the looming pressures of grades can pile on: even more so if you’re final year working toward your final course classification.
I was someone who would much prefer to bury my head in the sand as a student til it was absolutely necessary to resurface. During my final year I knew I had a hundred different things in and not enough time but STILL chose to take the blissfully ignorant route and in turn my mental health took a bit of a battering. If any of you are reading and feel that it’s all getting a bit much understand you’re not alone- and there IS help out there that’s there to be accessed.
Everyone has a mental health it’s just some people’s are healthier than others: why would you not want to work to actively look after yours? It’s important to focus on yourself in order to make the most out of your time here whether you’re at the beginning or the end (*sob*).
Over the week we’ve got a fair few mood-boosting events lined up to help you relax a bit and also get practical tips for managing your stress around exam and assessment time. There’ll be people on hand all week (and beyond) from external advisors, to university Student Specialist ones to officers to come and have a chat with about absolutely anything. We’ll have active stuff for you to engage in too, as recreational activity from time to time does wonders for releasing endorphins and stress busting.
We hope this week marks a starting point in a shift of attitudes towards wellbeing particularly mental wellbeing on our campuses. Our main goal is to encourage both students and staff to start conversations about mental health that will lead to long term joint commitments and a joint approach from the university and us to ensure happiness and health are top priorities going forward.
Keep updated with the campaign here and check out university services already available.
- Rochelle
President at the Students' Union