Mental Health Support Strategies

1.

Be vocal - if you find yourself struggling, then be open with your teachers/lecturers, make them aware of your situation and ask them for support with any part of the content you don't understand so you aren't left unsure.

2.

Create a balanced schedule - I organised this with a google calendar. I input my lectures in different colours per module, then blocked out periods of my free time to dedicate to uni work, but made sure I had at least 2-3 hours per week of protected chill time. Use these to delve into things which recharge you and you enjoy which are NOT work, such as sports, clubs, working part time, meeting friends, going to town, taking a walk, or just chilling with a book/boxset and a good cuppa tea. Having timeout like this is great for maintaining your concentration, motivation and avoids burnout.

3.

Keep a healthy lifestyle - take regular breaks in study sessions, prioritise sleep, eating healthily and talking to people you get on with regularly so you don't feel alone.

4.

Keep your goals realistic - you don't have to aim for everything to be perfect, just aim for progress! Try your best with your work and assignments, but remember that 'the best can be the enemy of the very good', and put your health and happiness first.

5.

Draw an elephant - this sounds daft, but its a technique I used at uni to prevent me becoming overwhelmed. If its for you, then draw an elephant in your diary, split it, and label each part with one of the semester's assignments and the deadline. Colour in each part when your assignment is done until you have a fully coloured elephant. This is a good way to visually break down what seems like a huge task (eg one whole semester with 5 assignments) into smaller, more manageable chunks.