Student Weekly Tips: Self-Care and Mental Health
Hi all, welcome to this week’s Student weekly tips. This week the student team share their tips on self-care and dealing with our mental health.
Any routines/habits you’ve developed for self-care
Especially, when I have a very busy week I make sure that I have at least one day on which I sleep in and mostly relax so that I do not overwork myself. I also think that having a variety of activities throughout the week helps me find balance, as some activities are more physically and others more mentally exhausting. For me, having many scheduled activities throughout the week motivates me to go out. Without fixed times I tend to be unproductive and later feel like I wasted my time.- Isabella, Materials Science & Engineering.
I like being physically active and have made sure to incorporate physical activity into my routine. I don’t like gyms particularly and I do not believe you need them to keep fit. Choose a fun sport you want to try out and go for it. I have joined and committed myself to participate in Karate because I think it is fun to build up a hobby over time and take my mind off work by being completely immersed in physical activity.- Sara, Biotechnology.
How different self-care can look
Having a nice and healthy meal always makes me feel better, as during busy times I tend to neglect that aspect a bit. Thus, when using free time for self-care I like to cook a nice meal.-Isabella, Materials Science & Engineering.
I’m trying to block out some time to look at things that interest me because most topics covered in lessons can sound cool, but when there’s coursework and labs to do, I’ll end up forgetting about them. I write down what it is that I want to look into in a notebook. It helps remind me of why I like the subject and keep me enthusiastic about different stuff when I allocate time to fall into a rabbit hole.-Fatima, Materials.
I think self-care can be seen through the lens of how you perceive work and University. I think it is helpful to view work as something enjoyable, instead of like a chore. There will be things you like doing less or things that may seem more boring, but I find it useful to try to contextualise them in a way that makes them relevant and entertaining to you. If you start to do work like the act of playing, it will mean there will be a reduced need to view self-care as something separate that you need to do because most of what you do is seen as a drag.- Sara, Biotechnology.
Mental health stories/resources
I think there is a tendency to close ourselves off when we are struggling with mental health issues and also when we are stuck in negativity spirals. Even though it is hard, you need to know that the best resources to use are people around you who you feel comfortable talking to and those who are close to you. Reach out to them and I’m sure they’ll reassure you and help you face the world.- Sara, Biotechnology.
Thank you for tuning into this week’s weekly tips. We hope you all look forward to next week’s tips!
