University and college come with a whole host of new, exciting experiences. On the flip side of this
\nhowever, there are possible mental health challenges throughout your experience. With the pressures of
\nacademic performance, meeting new people and juggling financial strain, it is very common to
\nexperience a decline in your mental health as a student. In this article, we detail some of the ways
\nyou can improve your mental health if you find yourself struggling as a student.<\/p>\n
What causes poor student mental health?<\/h2>\n
Standards of mental health amongst younger people who are of student age in the UK is reportedly
\nlower than that of adults.
\nThe Office for National Statistics reported that 26% of people between the ages of 16–29
\nexperienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms. While there are many contributing factors,
\nmany students must deal with totally new situations that can create or worsen mental health
\nconcerns. <\/p>\n
Exam and deadlines<\/h3>\n
Arguably the biggest cause of stress at university and college is the pressure that comes from exams
\nand deadlines. Of course, some stress is needed to meet deadlines or prepare for exams. This is
\npositive stress, also known as ‘eustress’, which keeps students motivated and engaged enough to
\nperform well and achieve their academic goals.
\nHowever, when this stress becomes overwhelming and crosses into negative stress, it can cause
\ndepression, anxiety and cause academic performance to drop off. The more exams and deadlines
\nbuild, the more stress builds, which only worsens the effects it can have on a student’s mental health.<\/p>\n
Fitting in<\/h3>\n
Before starting university or college, many students worry about fitting in and making new friends. In
\nfact, just under half of students preparing for freshers week worry about ‘fitting in’. It can be scary
\nto move from your home comforts with all your long-time friends and meeting new people. This
\nalone can cause immense stress and anxiety before even arriving at college or university.<\/p>\n
Living away from home<\/h3>\n
On paper, it can seem exciting to live away from home and gain a sense of independence. In reality, it
\ncan be incredibly daunting. Previously it was found that between 20-25% of students didn’t feel
\nconfident moving away from home. In fact, 31% of 18-year old students plan to remain at home
\nduring their university course. The reason more students want to stay at home is because they are
\nnow away from home comforts. This includes their oldest friends, not to mention being entirely
\nresponsible for their own finances, cleaning and cooking.<\/p>\n
Financial stress<\/h3>\n
The financial worries of students have been highly publicised, but with the ongoing Cost-of-Living
\nCrisis, it is especially concerning to students and their wellbeing. It has been found that 76% of
\nstudents worry about making ends meet, with 3 in 5 students skipping meals to save money and
\n41% have considered dropping out due to financial concerns. <\/p>\n
Social media and doom-scrolling<\/h3>\n
Most young people have a mobile phone, easy access to the internet and social media accounts.
\nWhile this is not inherently negative, too much exposure to these platforms can be detrimental to a
\nyoung person’s mental health. <\/p>\n
How does poor mental health impact students?<\/h2>\n
With all the moving parts and stresses of student life, mental health can quickly decline and impact
\nall other aspects of life. Poor mental health can often lead to lower engagement, which means lower
\nattendance rates, concentration and decreased academic performance. It is for this very reason that
\ninstitutions have now begun tracking attendance, involvement and scores to assess engagement as it
\ncan be a key indicator for poor mental health.
\nThat is only on an academic level, however. Declining mental wellbeing can also be hugely impactful
\non a student’s social life and their finances. Whether it is becoming social withdrawn due to anxiety
\nand anxiety, or spending more on unhealthy comforts such as alcohol or takeaways, poor standards
\nof mental health can be detrimental to each aspect of student life.<\/p>\n
5 ways to boost student mental health<\/h2>\n
Not everything is doom and gloom. Being a student is a time of excitement and opportunity. If you
\nare struggling with your mental health, just know that you are not alone. Here are some useful ways
\nto promote positive mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n
1. Stay connected with others<\/h3>\n
While it can be overwhelming and nerve wracking to meet new people, staying connected with those
\nclosest to you can help ease this process along. This is not to say you should be reliant on these
\npeople and make yourself more homesick, but knowing you have this support network in place can
\ngive you the confidence to be yourself and meet new people. Staying connected with friends and
\nfamily might involve regularly scheduled calls that you can look forward to, or dropping a quick
\nmessage here and there. Having this time to connect with those closest to you gives you a supportive
\nspace to air any concerns, find solutions and overcome any challenges you may be facing.<\/p>\n
2. Take advantage of the opportunities available to you<\/h3>\n
Higher education brings a host of new and exciting opportunities to students. Whether it’s the
\nchance to learn new skills, connect with like-minded people or even exploring a new environment,
\nthe opportunities are endless. It presets the opportunity of a lifetime with chance to study and live
\nabroad, meet lifelong friends and study your passion or future career. Regularly checking in on what
\nyour institution, student union or societies are offering and see what opportunities appeal to you
\nand take your chance to explore them.
\nCompany Confidential<\/p>\n
3. Break tasks up into smaller, achievable ones<\/h3>\n
Looking over tasks in their full scope can make them seem particularly overwhelming. This is
\nespecially true in the case of an academic task or project. For example, when looking over an entire
\ncourse module, it can quickly flare up feelings of stress and anxiety. The same can go for housework,
\nbudgeting, socialising, etc. But, when you look at each task and then begin to break them down, they
\nbecome far more manageable. Doing this can relieve an incredible amount of stress and be a far
\nmore efficient way of addressing tasks.<\/p>\n
4. Practice self-care<\/h3>\n
The term self-care is often one that is misconstrued as a term of luxury and selfishness. In reality, it is
\na case of looking after yourself and making sure you are at your best and healthiest. It isn’t just
\nputting on a facemask then sitting down with popcorn and some lit candles to watch a film. It is
\nmaintaining a balanced and healthy diet, regularly exercising, socialising, being mindful and
\nmeditating and relieving stress. Ensuring you practice healthy self-care habits can boost your overall
\nwellbeing, making you more prepared for the trials and tribulations of student life.<\/p>\n
5. Seek support if needed<\/h3>\n
In certain instances when you are struggling with your mental health, you may require expert
\nsupport. When poor mental health becomes particularly concerning or a risk, you can seek mental
\nhealth support from your establishment’s counselling team or a Student Assistance Programme if
\nyou have access to one.<\/p>\n
Maintaining positive mental health as a student<\/h2>\n
Whilst improving your mental health is hugely important, once this has been achieved and you feel
\nyour mental health is in a good place, efforts need to be made to maintain it. Whilst progress isn’t
\nlinear and setbacks can happen; there are several methods that can be utilised to promote and
\nmaintain positive mental health.<\/p>\n
Healthy sleeping patterns<\/h3>\n
It may seem simple but maintaining healthy sleeping patterns and getting eight hours of sleep a night
\ncan be massively beneficial to your mental health. If you are dealing with sleeping problems, it can
\nlead to exhaustion and irritability, leading to worsened symptoms of stress, burnout, anxiety,
\nisolation and depression. When your sleep is regulated and you are getting a healthy amount each
\nnight, you have more energy to do things that benefit your mental health.<\/p>\n
Time management<\/h3>\n
Keeping your priorities in order can be beneficial to your mental health. Having scheduled times for
\nacademic work and study, socialising, physical exercise, self-care and free time are essential to
\ncatering to all your wellbeing needs. Building out a schedule and practising time management
\neffectively to complete tasks in a timely manner will alleviate a lot of stress that can cause declines in
\nyour mental health.
\nCompany Confidential<\/p>\n
Socialise regularly<\/h3>\n
Humans are inherently social creatures. Without regular social connection, our wellbeing can quickly
\nspiral. This isn’t to imply that you should never make time to be alone as that can provide your mind
\na rest and prevent burnout, but regularly meeting with friends, speaking with family and those
\nclosest to you can relieve a lot of stress. Socialising with those closest to you when struggling also
\nprovides a confidential space to discuss issues and find trusted support.<\/p>\n
Learn new skills<\/h3>\n
Keeping your mind active by pursuing hobbies and learning new skills helps you to remain mindful. It
\ncan be something like learning a new instrument, a physical activity, journaling your thoughts and
\nimproving your writing skills. Whatever it is, remaining active and having a passion can be extremely
\nbeneficial to a person’s mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n
How a Student Assistance Programme (SAP) can support your
\nmental health<\/h2>\n
If you are struggling with your mental health and need expert support, using HA | Wisdom
\nWellbeing’s Student Assistance Programme (SAP) gives you 24\/7 access to our counselling helpline,
\n365-days a year. Using solution-based therapy, our team can support you to overcome mental health
\nchallenges you may be facing. You also have exclusive access to the Wisdom app. Loaded with
\nwellbeing resources such as articles and podcasts, you can better understand challenges your mental
\nhealth and what may be affecting it. As well as this, you can access healthy recipes, exercise routine
\nand breathing techniques to work on your overall wellbeing and track your progress with the built-in
\ndaily mood tracker.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Maintaining your mental health as a student can be particularly tricky with all the pressures you are
\nexperiencing alongside all the dramatic changes, but it is essential to success. There is no shame in
\nstruggling with your mental health. Taking the steps to address poor mental health often requires support.
\nWhether it be from friends, family, tutors or counsellors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
University and college come with a whole host of new, exciting experiences. On the flip side of this however, there are possible mental health challenges throughout your experience. With the pressures of academic performance, meeting new people and juggling financial strain, it is very common to experience a decline in your mental health as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":8082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellbeing","category-student-living"],"metadata":{"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Why poor mental health happens in students, and how to manage it."],"_yoast_wpseo_metakeywords":[""],"_thumbnail_id":["8082"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["How to Maintain Mental Health - Fresh Blog"],"_pingme":["1"]},"yoast_head":"\n