How to cope mentally at university

Mental health is an ever-growing issue in today’s society; over my two years of studying, I’ve found that the University of Lincoln offer amazing support services that attentively acknowledge those who are suffering and make us feel extremely comfortable to confide in these services. I’ve also been able to grow as an individual at university, finding coping mechanisms and ways to improve my own mental health alongside the support provided.

Speak up

One of my top tips when it comes to suffering with poor mental health is to SPEAK UP. This is definitely harder for some people – talking about my problems comes relatively easy to me as I share my daily struggles on YouTube to try and make mental health a less taboo subject. However, there have been difficult times where speaking up is not an option – you don’t feel like you have a great support network around you, you’re embarrassed by your emotions, you may be scared to seek help or you just feel weak. You are, of course, none of those things. Battling a mental health issue makes you stronger, admirable and incredibly powerful.

Use a diary

If you find that you can’t verbally confess your problems, you could write your thoughts in a diary – this works great for me if I’m not in the mood to tell my friends or family how I’m feeling. Written words give me time to think deeply about what could be the cause of the issue and if there is a possible way to fix it myself.

Student Wellbeing

You can also get in contact with the Student Wellbeing Centre – this is located to the right of the University Health Service, in convenient proximity to the main heart of the campus. The wonderful staff at the Wellbeing Centre are available during their drop-in sessions on weekdays from 12-2pm and Thursdays 5pm-7pm– if you want a listening ear then this is a great way to offload how you’re feeling. They also hold helpful workshops (on things like anxiety, homesickness, confidence and many more) throughout the year if you are looking for specific advice or to find a friend that may be going through something similar to yourself.

Find something you love

Focusing on your own personal wellbeing could initiate a positive change to your mental health. By altering my diet, attending the gym more and doing mindfulness activities that involved no technology, I found my own mental health has significantly improved. If you treat your body nicely, it can reflect greatly on your mind set and mental worries. I rediscovered my love for reading books and scrapbooking in the evening; I was previously scrolling through social media for hours or watching an intense thriller on Netflix. My change in evening activities further impacted my sleeping pattern – I now have no trouble getting to sleep, which was another reason my mental health had deteriorated. Time without your phone/laptop/TV screen is super important so pop down your device, have a bath, find a new book to delve into and be kind to your eyes, and body.

What have you done or currently doing to help your mental health?