What is Mental Health?
Have you ever felt isolated, incapable, stressed, or unstable? Have you ever experienced how the challenges of uni, work, family obligations, and social life were overwhelming you?
I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL BUT LET ME TELL YOU THAT
You might have not even realised how many successful people such as Demi Lovato, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, Adele and many more have or continue to battle mental illness. At some point in life, we all deal with stress, anxiety, and even depression, but knowing how to cope with it makes the difference. This toolkit to student's mental health will guide you through the coping process. Check out how Demi Lovato responded to criticism on her gaining weight.
What causes Mental Health in Students?
University is a stressful time in a student’s life. The pressure of uni can feel impossible and draining rather than striving passions. Students accumulate stress from three main concepts:
1. Financial Stress
As students, we have to pay a crazy amount of money on textbooks. I once had to pay €120 for a textbook that was said to be mandatory and never actually ended up using it. That’s on top of tuition fees, parking fees, and gym fees that we have to pay. Can you believe that 70% of students are stressed about their finances? Check out this data on college students and financial stress if you don’t believe me!
2. Heavy Consensus
Having assignments & deadlines building up altogether is often causing major stress for students. Having to do one task after another, without taking a break can be overwhelming as not everyone can cope with that level of stress. I wish we could be understood and be given extended deadlines that were spaced out over the weeks, not all during the same period of time.
3. Time constraints
Time constraints can also be very stressful for students. We often find ourselves in situations where we are given multiple weekly readings per module, along with textbooks, and lecture contexts. Having this for every module can be discouraging for students and they don’t even try to get their readings done, as they know they will not get through them all.
Toolkit to improve Mental Health
1. Balanced Sleeping Cycle
Having a balanced sleeping cycle helps to maintain a positive mood throughout the day. If we don’t get enough sleep we tend to feel less-focused, anxious, and depressed. It is recommended to get between 8-10 hours of sleep per night to improve creativity, focus, innovation, and student mental health and wellbeing. HelpGuide outlines methods on how to sleep better and overcome sleeping obstacles.
2. Time Management
As students, we often get stressed when we feel that we are running out of time to complete tasks or meet deadlines. To manage your time wisely and to avoid stress; create a to-do list, plan accordingly, and break tasks up in chunks to help you accomplish them much more easily. Create the perfect to-do list that boosts productivity and fights procrastination. Talk to someone; a friend, peer or family member and study together if it helps!
3. Share Content
Most students live on budgets; therefore, they need to be cost-efficient when spending money. If you’re ever asked to buy textbooks for diverse modules, you can simply share the content with your friends and split up the costs. Often lecturers expect us to buy heavy and expensive textbooks, but they often forget that as students we live on limited budgets. So, let’s do it our way!
4. Exercise
Exercise is proven to increase self-esteem, reduce stress levels, boost brainpower, and improve students mental health and wellbeing. We should exercise between 20-30 minutes every day. This will help us to eliminate the feeling of being tired and lazy. Ace fitness offers a program for the Top 25 At-Home Exercises that we can do during the lockdown, or you can go for a run!
5. Nutrition
A balanced diet plays an important role in the prevention of mental health illness and disorder. How to manage your mood with food provides 8 tips in maintaining a nutritious diet.
6. Talk to someone
Sharing difficulties can help you overcome them. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions find a way to get in touch with your friends and peers. Try not to completely isolate yourself from the world, as socialising plays a crucial role in students mental health and wellbeing. Find things you enjoy doing and that can boost your happiness levels.
If you feel overwhelmed and stressed, it is perfectly OK to talk to someone. Make an appointment with your student wellbeing adviser and seek help. You can talk to someone through the following mental health apps. Check out this list!
Why are Mental Health days important for students?
It is of vital importance for students to take mental health days to help them maintain a healthy and happy life. The video below illustrates the importance of taking a BREAK.
“It is always OK not to be OK, and it is always OK to take a Break”.
Why is it important to take care of your Mental Health?
Major depression rates in millennials increased by 31% from 2014 to 2017, rates of psychotic conditions increased by 15%, and rates of substance use disorder rose by 10%. Check out this info to find more about health and wellness trends for millennials!
Mental Health is important because:
You are .......
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