University Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiatives That Have Caught our Eye
Danielle Stevenson is our Account Management Team Leader and wellbeing champion. When we said we were doing a Take Five wellbeing special she offered to comment on a topic close to her heart and ours.
Spring is hopefully just a few more chilly weeks away and I’m looking forward to marking the next event on the wellbeing calendar - University Mental Health Day on 4th March. Supporting student mental health is more crucial than ever so take five and read about some of the ways universities have been promoting wellbeing during a difficult start to 2021.They may give you some ideas or you may want to try out some of the tips in #3 - I have!
Newcastle SU’s week-long programme of mental health events aimed specifically at postgraduate students grabbed my attention on Twitter; including CBT workshops around imposter syndrome, mindfulness and researching during a pandemic. I loved their idea of a Virtual Vent coffee morning to give students a chance to get everything off their chests and meet other postgraduates in a relaxed setting.
We all know that postgraduate students have demanding schedules that require them to balance personal life, academic work, research, teaching, professional development and more. This initiative from Dalhousie provides a fantastic resource for online coaching to help their grad students manage mental health in an easily-accessible way.
I loved reading Pause@UoB’s wellbeing tips in their latest blog. Written in the style of BBC Spring Watch, they encourage students to slow down and observe those small pockets of joy that a new season can bring. We can all take on board their much needed self-care ideas after a long winter, such as taking advantage of that natural light in the mornings and going for a mindful walk in nature. My favourite way to relax!
Masters in Psychology students at Vrije Universiteit Brussel are taking on the massive task of calling all their 16,000 university students in March to discuss their mental health. They will be signposting students to further support if needed, and collecting crucial information on what changes would be most impactful to support mental health at policy level. What a great - and important - way to apply the skills of Psychology students.
We can’t forget the importance of looking after university staff as well as students during these unprecedented times! The team at SHU Wellness have been doing just that through their remote workshops in January, promoting their theme of “Resilience” and encouraging staff to explore mindfulness, reduce stress and live a healthy lifestyle. A great mantra for 2021!
As part of our wellbeing team, I am always on the hunt for new and exciting mental health initiatives to enrich our staff here at FindAUniversity. Drop me a message at [email protected] or you can find me on LinkedIn if you fancy sharing ideas over a virtual coffee chat!
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