Forum Discussion: University Mental Health And Wellbeing Day!
University Mental Health and Well-being Day:
University Mental Health Day is an annual event to promote the mental health of those who live and work in higher education settings. The initiative was started by UMHAN (University Mental Health Advisers Network) in 2012.
University Mental Health Day is a brilliant opportunity to get people talking about student mental health, and to improve understanding about how to look after your own mental health and support others at university.
Throughout our lives, one in three of us will face difficulties with our mental health and well-being. Stress, anxiety, and/or depression can take a variety of forms and may affect us at any point in our lives. For some people, these issues are unusual and dont last very long, whereas for others, they may be more frequent and much more long-term, making everyday life a struggle.
The aim of of this day is to raise awareness of the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing, highlighting the issues that affect many students, whilst providing practical advice on how to maintain a healthy mind.
About Mental wellbeing and Mental illness:
Mental health and stability is a very important factor in a persons everyday life. Social skills, behavioural skills, and someones way of thinking are just some of the things that the human brain develops at an early age. Learning how to interact with others and how to focus on certain subjects are essential lessons to learn from the time we can talk all the way to when we are so old that we can barely walk. However, there are some people out there who have difficulty with these kind of skills and behaving like an average person. This is a most likely the cause of having a mental illness. A mental illness is a wide range of conditions that affect a persons mood, thinking, and behavior.
What do YOU do for your own well-being?
An extensive research suggests these:
1: Connect- Talk to the people around you- family, friends, classmates. Be carefree.
2: Be active- Go for a walk or run, step outside, cycle, dance, exercise the way makes you feel good.
3: Take notice- Savour the moments, enjoy the beauty around you, live in the moment.
4: Keep learning-Try something new, rediscover an old interest, learn to play a musical instrument, you can do anything you want!
5: Give- Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time.
Before you say I havent got the time, consider that we all have the same number of hours in the day. Devoting time each day to activities which promote mental health and well-being can lead to improvements in:
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your overall level of well-being.
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effective time management.
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meeting the demands of study and student life.
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your ability to fulfill your academic potential.
Forum Discussion:
Q: What are common sources of workplace/ school/ college stress according to you?
Q: How does it affect us?
Q: What is Health and Happiness?
Q: What are the things you have learned through this post? Is it helpful to spread awareness according to you?
@starryKoala69, going to university means changes. It's not easy adapting to a new place, new people, new routines and new found independence. Not to say , the amount to study and do in the Uni itself.
Having to care for oneselves independently can be good but at the same time stressful. At home , mom has been managing meals, laundry, cleanliness , grocerry shopping and so on. Suddenly , doing all these can be tiring and time consuming plus such a burden when there are exams and assignments waiting in your list. Some compromise , for example ,on their food, like just making do with sandwiches/pizza , most of the time.
Also , having to adapt to new roomates and friends can be tough especially when you are an introvert and are used to being quiet.
I try to have an open mind and try to make friends. I do not socialize much cause I like my space but I do realise it is important to participate in some activities. I make an effort cause I think it's important for my personal growth.
