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bristoluni-acs · 6 years ago

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Emotional Vulnerability

Few months back I covered the topic about emotions: I spoke about what emotions were and how to deal with them. But this is somewhat superficial compared to understanding the origination of those feelings. Last week I’ve encountered a topic that’s been on my mind ever since, and thought covering another able would you ‘dissect’ why you feel/think the way you do. Doing this will definitely help you to consider how to deal with them.

Only we can know how we’re feeling, but having a clear understanding of what they are, why they’re there or even where it came from, can really empower your ability to take ahold of them. I also think being able to see the connection between your thoughts and emotions is crucial.

Often we would have a thought and a feeling would come as a result. In other occasions the feeling itself could initiate the though. These would be either primary and secondary emotions that you can experience. Primary emotions are the main feelings you experience and secondary emotions are what comes after. For example, say you missed one lecture and haven’t caught up by the next lecture. So, you make the decision to miss the next lecture because you may be anxious over the fact that you haven’t caught up. And then you fall into a vicious cycle. In this scenario, the anxiety is the primary emotion, whereas the secondary emotion could be ‘stress’.

One of the was in which you can specifically identify and name what you’re feeling is to say, out loud, and see if that matches. The link below is to a site that lists some emotions that you could take a look at.

http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/assess/feelings.html

Once you’ve identified the feeling, you’re in a better position to challenge the thought/feeling. For example, say the thought in your mind was “Oh I cant do xyz work because I’m not smart” and the feeling following this could be embarrassment, anxiety etc. To challenge this, you would say “I can do xyz work because I worked hard to get where I am”.you don’t necessarily have to justify it, but you need to believe it. It’s just like saying positive affirmations. it may be hard to do this when you’re down, but when you’re in a better frame of mind, have a go and get into the habit of doing it. It will be better.

I hope you give it a go, and have a blessed week!

Sandra x

List of available services at the University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services.

All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counseling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

Bristol Nightline - a free helpline you can call between 8pm and 8am. If there’s a time you really need to speak to someone, and you’re not comfortable with speaking to a friend, family etc. This service is only over the phone, and it’s for free. They are similar to Samaritans. They are 100% confidential and are run by students.

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• They have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#wellbeingwednesdays #mental health #emotions #ACS #acs bristol

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bristoluni-acs · 6 years ago

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New year, old me? The importance of self-discipline and perseverance.

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year! And welcome back to Bristol for another term of hard-work and excitement.

Many start the new year with personal resolutions and commitments to self-improvement. Many, people (including myself) have already failed at their resolutions or have not tried to make the changes in their lives that they desire. So, why do people fail at their new year’s resolutions? What can we do to limit failure and or disappointment?

Why do people fail their New Year’s Resolutions?

We all know the importance of setting goals, and there is great value in thinking about ways to improve as a person, be it physically, mentally, or professionally. The New Year is a great time for setting ambitious, meaningful and measurable resolutions. But now, in February these ambitions do not resonate as strongly in yourself as they did on January 1st. I can think of three reasons why my resolutions fail.

1. Vagueness: My belief is that making long-term change does not come from simply setting a goal or working towards an aspiration. You fail because your goals and aspirations are not clear. Ask yourself: Where do my goals come from? Why are they important to me? How will achieving this make me more accomplished?

Answer this before you strive for anything, change requires you to adapt your perspective and you cannot do this without a sense of clarity.

2. Feeling overwhelmed: You may be turning too quickly into a path paved with your goals. You know what you want to change but you may not know where to begin, and you also be facing pressure to hurry up and do so. Pressure from yourself, family and friends, and possibly even university can prevent you from achieving your goals or beginning to work on them too.

3. Impatience: You may not be seeing progress, or at least as fast as you expected. If this occurs, you may need to re-evaluate your process or method of achieving your goal. It may be as simple as your goals just needing some more time to come to life.

Now that we have identified key barriers regarding the success of your goals in the new year how do cross them?

Work on your self-discipline:

1. There are many ways to do this. But personally, before working towards a new goal, I create a self-discipline list to complement my list of goals. This keeps me focused on the behaviours and tasks required to achieve my goals.

2. Figure out what your barriers to success are and minimise or remove all temptations and distractions to reach your most important goals. Remember, you are not doing this for yourself not others.

3. Stop making excuses: Making excuses destroys self-discipline. Don’t wait for tomorrow; do it now. When you go off course, Start over immediately. Quit telling yourself something is too hard or that you can’t change.

Work on your ability to persevere:

Perseverance is persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Here’s a few ways to help you with this.

Maintain optimism. Expect good things. Keep a daily diary of good experiences.

Intend to achieve your goal. Outline your goal, strategies, and timeline. Find some resources or people that can help you attain it. Break the goal into small steps, working backward form your desired outcome and attainment date.

Acknowledge your accomplishments: Judge these against personal standards of self-improvements

Persist. Focus on goals daily. Regularly ask yourself whether your activities are moving you forward.

Hope this helps!

- Andrew

List of available services at the University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services.

All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counseling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• They have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#acs #wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs #acsbristoluni

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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End of TB1! & Merry Christmas

Hey Everyone!

We hope you’re all doing well!

This week’s post will be relatively short, with a short reflection of first semester and links to previous posts that will be of good use during the exam season.

We just want to say how proud we are that you have successfully completed the first semester of Uni! We’re now halfway through the academic year (which will go by very quickly).

Now, most of you would’ve already gone home, please don’t forget that you are a student that those deadlines/revision aren’t going anywhere. But it also doesn’t mean spending every waking hour facing your books! Please do enjoy the Christmas holidays as much as possible – balance is key.

Again, well done for all the hard work you have done this term. We hope that these blog posts have been useful to you and have helped you understand and improve your experiences at university.

We’ll be back with more posts in the new year (Wednesday 30thJan).

Good luck in your exams/coursework deadlines!

Sandra & Andrew x

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Key posts for the Christmas break:

Finding a Balance

https://bristoluni-acs.tumblr.com/post/179150556656/finding-a-balance

Do you know how to learn? (features a study/revision template that can be of use)

https://bristoluni-acs.tumblr.com/post/179388320131/do-you-know-how-to-learn

Take a break! You deserve it

https://bristoluni-acs.tumblr.com/post/179626764131/take-a-break-you-deserve-it

Staying Motivated

https://bristoluni-acs.tumblr.com/post/181052013946/staying-motivated

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at the University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services.

All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counseling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• They have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#wellbeingwednesday #christmas #christmas break #exam season #university #university of bristol #acs #mental health

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Staying motivated

Hey everyone,

Congratulations, you’re almost done with TB1.

Today I want to offer you some strategies for staying motivated as we approach the end of the first term and enter the exam/assessment period.

It’s about the time of year where studying becomes a bit of a chore and there is a general dip in motivation in anything university related. So here are a few strategies to keep you motivated before we enter the holiday period.

1. Being enthusiastic

I believe that enthusiasm is one of the greatest motivators, so try your best to get excited about what you are doing. Finding passion for your work can help you to persevere if you come across any setbacks or challenges.

If you can't summon up enough excitement about the subject of your degree to keep you going, maybe a reminder of why you chose that module or degree could help you put things into perspective. Perhaps, looking forward could also be a source of motivation. For example, thinking about graduation day or your future career prospects could give you the push you need to stay motivated at university.

2. Surround yourself with people who motivate you

I can’t stress this enough!

If your friends tend to be a bit unserious when it comes to assessment and studying, it becomes quite easy to fall into the mindset of ‘At least I’ve done more than they have’ which of course negatively impacts your levels of productivity.

Try to find a group of like-minded study buddies that can help keep you motivated throughout the term and during the exam period, this way you can also combine study with socialising.

This doesn’t mean that you should rely on others to keep you motivated because a degree of self-discipline and motivation is required to succeed in your assessments, but having like minded people around you could be good source of encouragement.

3. Set yourself some goals

If you want to succeed, you need to set attainable goals for yourself. My view is that without specific goals you lack focus and direction.

However, it isn’t enough to just set goals. Reflecting on the goals you have set also provides you with a benchmark for determining whether you are succeeding.

A nice strategy for goal setting is setting SMART goals.

Make your goals:

· Specific.

· Measurable.

· Attainable.

· Relevant.

· Time Bound.

Setting some goals can keep you focused on the tasks you need to complete and reflecting on these can help you determine how far you are from achieving your goal and whether there is any room for revision.

4. Daily affirmations.

Affirmations are short statements that help us to combat negative thought patterns. From my own experiences I have realised that a negative mindset heavily impacts our levels of motivation by instilling a sense of defeat within yourself.

I find that doing daily affirmations are quite useful for practising of positive thinking and encouraging self-empowerment and motivation. Applying these into your daily routine could be quite beneficial in finding that motivation you need.

Read more about affirmations here.

https://whyamilazy.com/using-affirmations-for-motivation/

https://do-mindful.com/33-positive-affirmations-spark-motivation/

These suggestions are a few things that help me to stay motivated when studying, there are several other ways to stay motivated, so it would be beneficial to identify what motivates you and if you haven’t done so yet maybe my suggestions could help.

Thank you for reading! A new post will be uploaded same time next week.

-Andrew

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Understanding Your Emotions

Before I go on to this topic, I just want you to remember that there are services and people around for you. They have all been listed at the end of this blog (and previous) posts.

_______________________________________________________________________

Do you really understand your emotions? The reason why I am asking is because being able to do so will help you in your journey to getting better. From experience, not everyone is told how to deal with them, it’s a skill you pick up over time, especially understanding how to deal with intense feelings. Being able to do this will also help you so you can better understand yourself as a person. A lot of the issues we (may) face stem from a lack of understanding of our emotions.

Emotions aren’t actually something that is easy to explain or even define. We just understand them as the feelings we experience every day. Without digging too deep into the scientific, psychological explanations, they are simply the experiences and feelings we encounter (I’ve included links to articles that I think best explain it if interested, at the end).

Emotions also aren’t just the feelings you experience, but also the thoughts that circulate your mind, the actions you do with your body.

There are number of reasons as to why understanding your emotions are important:

1. You can identify the issues that will fester as time goes on. In my opinion, one of the key causes of depression is simply due to living in the past, whether its consciously or subconsciously. A thought would enter your mind and you might start dwelling on it longer and longer, and before you know it you’re in a negative state of mind/mood. Look at it this way:

a.The thought is a seed and you plant that seed in the ground (your mind). The seed needs a source of nutrition – in this case the source is the other negative thoughts that. You keep feeding the seed until it sprouts roots, a stem and lastly the tree (you can see gardening isn’t my thing)

2. Being able to understand your emotions can help understand any underlying issues you’re facing. A lot of people seem to carry a lot of problems around rather than dealing with them, not realising that their feelings are hiding other feelings that are hiding another layer of feelings.

3. Emotions like anger and stress can be detrimental to yourself and your life. When these emotions grow and get deeper, you’ll find it harder to focus on the simplest tasks. You’re at university now, and you’ve worked hard to get here! You don’t want to start flopping because you’re unable to concentrate.

4. There’s a career aspect to it! Being able to understand emotions in general helps build your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is actually considered as a ‘key’ leadership skill. This is because you’ll be able to pick up on cues in other people that your around. So, if you do become a manager, you want your staff to be able to be happy in their work environment

How to understand & deal with your emotions/intense feelings

1. Develop your emotional vocabulary

Doing this will help further pinpoint your feelings. The worst thing you could be in is experiencing something and not being able to describe or identify it. Plus, it will make it hard to do (2) and (3)

2. Talk to someone

This may sound obvious, but not everyone does this. Some may find it harder than others, which is why it’s also important to find the perfect outlet. It could be:

· Your parents

· Friends

· Pastor/Rabbi/Imam/any other religious individual you’re comfortable with

· Therapists

· Your pet

3. Write

Talking to someone may be very daunting, so this can be an alternative. If you hate writing, maybe try recording yourself instead. That way you get the talking element, without having to speak to someone (but I do strongly recommend talking to people). The main aim of options 2 and 3 is to externalise your issues. When you have your thoughts and emotions locked up inside, you tend to blow them out of proportion without realising: they feel overwhelming. But by talking it through you can get a better view of the problem at hand. You might even realise that it wasn’t something worth harbouring inside. Plus, when you talk to others, they can help you with that process – may be even provide solutions on how to deal with them

4. Find a constructive hobby

Sometime talking/writing may not be for you, but you just need something take your mind off it for a moment. Finding something like cleaning/drawing/ or just anything that allows you to feel productive as well as distract you. This may not be a long-term solution, but it is good if you feel too immersed in the emotions to do anything else.

All in all, understanding how you feel and what goes through your mind is important. So please do consider the examples that I have suggested! There aren’t necessarily “good” or “bad” emotions, it’s just how you deal with them.

You’re not alone in dealing with this: there a plenty of people that still don’t know how to deal with their emotions or even refuse to acknowledge it.

Also, if you’re experiencing difficulties, there are plenty people and services that you can access. Don’t suffer in silence.

Sandra x

_______________________________________________________________________

Sources and other links of interest

https://hbr.org/2015/04/how-emotional-intelligence-became-a-key-leadership-skill

http://www.humanillnesses.com/Behavioral-Health-Br-Fe/Emotions.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthunckler/2017/02/20/emotional-intelligence-in-business-and-life/#5be4e6cd7f6c

https://hbr.org/2016/11/3-ways-to-better-understand-your-emotions

https://wire.wisc.edu/YourSelf/Emotions/Understanding_emotions.aspx

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#emotions acs wellbeingwednesdays mental health depression anxiety

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Microaggressions

Hey everyone,

Hope you’re all doing well.

Today, this post focuses on a common experience that university students face; Microaggressions. I just want to highlight a few experiences that many of you may have experienced at University, and hopefully I can give you the language for understanding this issue.

Bristol University is historically a very prestigious university, ranked highly in the UK and globally. It is an amazing university, and I am grateful for the myriad of opportunities and experiences that I have gained from being part of this academic community. But one thing I have realised in my time here is the presence of microaggressions which often lead to my race and cultural background being a source of discomfort. Personally, this has negatively influenced my own university experience and has often led me to feel out of place.

As Afro-Caribbean people we often experience microaggressions. This term coined by Chester M. Pierce (1970) describes indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination or ‘unconscious’ bias against people from marginalised communities.

Personally, I have experienced this throughout my life in scenarios such as being followed around a store or crossing people crossing the street when I walk by. Although this isn’t explicitly harmful it is a symptom of racial prejudice and is a common experience amongst many Afro-Caribbean people. I’m aware that this is common but, I did not anticipate the extent to which microaggressions would inform my university experience.

Experiences such as being thoroughly searched on nights out, to being asked “Where are you really from?” really endorses the notion that I am a threat, or that I do not belong .

Microaggressions have been normalized and are often overlooked because they are not implicit. This does not take away to the impact that it has on our wellbeing and our university experience. Being a black face in a place can often be intimidating and quite isolating which highlights the need for structural and social change to make Afro-Caribbean people feel more welcome in all aspects of society and institutions such as the University.

In all honesty, I don’t have a solution to this problem, but the best way to combat this presently is by continuing the conversation. At this point I think it is important to be aware that this is a problem and hopefully this post has given you the language necessary to understand this issue.

-Andrew

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services

Bristol Nightline - a free helpline you can call between 8pm and 8am. If there’s a time you really need to speak to someone, and you’re not comfortable with speaking to a friend, family etc. This service is only over the phone, and it’s for free. They are like Samaritans. They are 100% confidential and are run by students.

SHERPa

They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

Around Bristol

BigWhiteWall Free service

IAPt - local NHS run service. They are the equivalent of just getting help from the NHS.

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

The fully paid versions

The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

#wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs

0 notes

bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

Text

Self love

Keeping with this week’s theme of self-love, this week’s post is on exactly just that: self-love.

So, you’re probably wondering what that is? The phrase ‘self-love’ is quite subjective, but there are commonalities around what it is. It’s a way of looking at yourself, without judging or punishing yourself, especially when you make mistakes. Its essentially the act of loving yourself and doing things for yourself.

Self-love is quite an important thing to have and to do. It ties in very closely with self-esteem. This article, clearly explains that, having self- love (or self-compassion) is often associated with:

· less anxiety and depression

· more optimism

· better recovery from stress

If you can love and cherish yourself, you’ll be able to be more confident in yourself and your abilities.

A lack of self-love is detrimental to your overall wellbeing. Once you begin to think that you’re unable to do something or unworthy to do something, it starts to hold you back from a lot of other things

Lack of self-love doesn’t only just affect you: it could also affect others around you. You won’t be able to love another person fully if you cannot love yourself. When loving another person, whether its platonic or romantically, you kind of pour yourself into that relationship. If you’re basically glass half full, you’ll just end up being glass empty. So, it is also very important to give yourself a chance to heal before entering new relationships. This video is worth watching regarding this topic.

There are different ways in which you could practice self-love:

Daily affirmations

These are basically repeating positive things to yourself, out loud. Its more effective when you look yourself in the eye in the mirror and repeat the affirmation around 10-15 times. The topic could be anything that you’re trying to turn from negative into positive. For example, you could repeat to yourself “I can. I will. End of story”. This could help with overcoming a lack of confidence over certain abilities. This, alongside the willingness to attempt, is better and probably harder to do, than straight up saying “I can’t”. Other examples that you could say to yourself can be found here.

Setting boundaries

These boundaries could be anything physical, emotional, spiritual etc. I think it’s quite important to set yourself some boundaries, especially in university. Linking back to last week’s topic, the imposter syndrome, you can avoid falling into the trap of doing things that you’re not comfortable with. Being able to have people around you, who truly understand you for you and wont attempt to pressure you into things that aren’t you are sooooooo important.

Other boundaries you could have around you, is to set time aside for yourself. Now, I’m not talking about spending 24+ hours watching season 1-7 of love and hip hop and neglecting your studies but doing having that one moment in the week where you can just ‘log off’ from the world would do you soo much good. For example, if you hate Mondays, turn that into a day that you can look forward to by setting Monday evening a day where you can treat yo’ self

Exercise

C’mon now, this was bound to show up. But it doesn’t mean going to sign up for an expensive gym membership and buying tons of protein shake to the point where your account is finished (but if that’s your thing, then by all means continue, as long as you’re being smart with your money). Doing small daily exercises in your flat can also help. There are tons of free exercise apps, YouTube clips etc. available for you to access. Yoga has also been proven to be something useful to do

Meditation

This is more of a spiritual option that may be of interest to some of you. From what I’ve heard, meditating on God’s word can be helpful, especially in times of need. Your spirit is a part of your whole being that also needs to be nourished and Gods word is essentially what it needs to be replenished. Just like how your body needs food and water.

Limiting the time spent on social media/stop comparisons

We’re in a world where everyone is so engrossed in social media and most don’t realise the negative effects it’s having on them. Particularly in the case of comparing yourself to what you see on a daily basis. This is very harmful in more ways than you could realise. The moment you stop comparing yourself to others, the moment you’ll be at peace. – but it’s not too late to try and curb your use.

All in all, please do try and attempt one of these examples. Out of everything we could say here on #WellbeingWednesdays, This, is probably the most important thing to do for yourself.

Believe in your sauce.

Your yè is definitely different to another’s yè

Sandra x

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#uobacs #Bristol #University of Bristol #wellbeing #wellbeingwednesdays #wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs #mental health #university of bristol acs #ACS #self love #self care #self compassion #meditation

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Impostor Syndrome

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well.

This week’s wellbeing Wednesday focuses on the prevalence of the impostor syndrome at universities.

The reason for this post is that in my own experiences and conversations with my friends I found that it’s a feeling that a lot of students face without realising. I’m hoping to give you the language to understand and process these feelings and hopefully give you some tips to move forward.

The impostor syndrome is a term coined in 1978 by psychologists, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, that refers a phenomenon, common among high achievers, which is shaped by feelings of intellectual fraudulence. Essentially people doubt their accomplishments and intelligence and may also feel undeserving of the opportunities that they have gained access too. People with the syndrome fear that they will be exposed as a ‘fraud’ in a sense that they aren’t as intelligent or talented as people perceive them to be.

Research suggests that it is common among young women and minorities and has detrimental effects on our confidence, self-worth and achievement. It is a symptom of our lack of faith in our ability to succeed and it is caused by some of our internalised anxieties.

I completely understand why people feel like this. We are at one of the best universities in the country and being around so many intelligent people can feel intimidating. This is heightened because we are ethnic minorities, so we question our place in such a prestigious institution that is also lacking in diversity.

My experience of this has led to overwhelming self-doubt, fuelled by the pressure to be the best and feeling like a failure when you don’t achieve something. In my conversations with friends I found that it has an impact on productivity and encourages procrastination and perfectionism. This is also not limited to an academic sense but also in terms of seeking other opportunities such as internships or job applications in which people will deliberately not seek out opportunities, or delay applications because they don’t feel qualified or intelligent enough.

This is problematic, but there are ways to overcome this. Here are a few ways that you can do so.

1. Understand that YOU earned your spot here: You didn’t go through all the stress of exams and revision to get into university or even gain all the knowledge and experience to secure that job or internship. You achieved what you have through hard work alone and you shouldn’t let anyone, even yourself take that away from you.

2. Try not to compare yourself to others: This can be really difficult especially since this institution is built on achieving ‘excellence’. Do not feel discouraged by what other people are doing, go at your own pace, and appreciate the unique insights, skills, or talents that you bring to this university and other endeavours.

4. Don’t hide! These feelings can be intense, and they can make us lose our voice. If you don’t express your feelings it may be difficult to overcome them. Chances are, a lot of people feel the same.

5. Don’t beat yourself up! We are our own worst critics. It is so important to be kind to yourself. You don’t need to strive for perfection. Understand that you belong and that you are deserving of your spot at this university and what you achieve here and/or your other endeavours.

If you want to know more about impostor syndrome, here are a few links.

Listen to a two-part podcast on Impostor Syndrome:

Part 1 - https://soundcloud.com/drssarahcare/self-care-with-drs-sarah-impostor-syndrome-part-i

Part 2 - https://soundcloud.com/drssarahcare/self-care-with-drs-sarah-the-impostor-syndrome-part-ii

Watch a Ted talk about Impostor Syndrome.

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

Take care and be well,

Andrew.

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services

Bristol Nightline - a free helpline you can call between 8pm and 8am. If there’s a time you really need to speak to someone, and you’re not comfortable with speaking to a friend, family etc. This service is only over the phone, and it’s for free. They are like Samaritans. They are 100% confidential and are run by students.

SHERPa

They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

Around Bristol

BigWhiteWall Free service

IAPt - local NHS run service. They are the equivalent of just getting help from the NHS.

#wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs #University of Bristol #uobacs

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Money Management

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXaKIG3j-shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXaKIG3j-shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXaKIG3j-s***PLEASE NOTE***: This particular post will continue to be updated when new sources of funding are found. Please do let us know if you find anything of use!

_______________________________________________________________________

Student loans dropped 1 month, 14 days, 19 hours and 0 mins ago (and counting). And in that time, you were probably living your best life, not realising (or ignoring the fact) that the next student loan will drop in over 2 months?

In this week’s post, we’ll be focusing on the importance of staying afloat, how to manage your funds and where to get help if needed.

Money tends to be the main source/trigger of a mental health issue. Trying to avoid dealing with it would only just exacerbate your problems., esepcially if you’re stuggling to stay afloat in other aspects of your life. Being a university student, theres a huge debt looming over your head, but it doesnt mean you cant find ways to make things easeier for yourself.

You may have now noticed that Bristol is acautlly an expensive place to live in, especially with the amount of funding the governemnt gives to students who dont live in London. So, having a good budget and extra sources of income will come along way!

Budgets

Creating a weekly/monthly budget can go a long way. Yes, it may be long and boring, but its not by force to continue a lifestyle of just indomie (I mean indomie bangs, just not for a daily meal for 3 months straight). Heres an example.

Having a budget has many benefits, such as:

· You’ll have greater control of what comes out of your account

· You can see where your money is going (them £5 here and there for lunches really do add up)

One of the key issues that many students face is their finances. Having very low income can play a significant part in your overall wellbeing. Therefore, it is very important to keep track of such.

Amending rent plan

Most of you will be in halls and would’ve set up a payment plan with the accommodation office for your rent. You would have noticed that the first payment is significantly higher than the last two payments. This can be amended. If you have already paid the first instalment, but feel that you still need to amend it, you can contact the student funding office and get it sorted. This can be quite helpful as your last student loan payment tends to be the highest out of all three.

Unidays, Totem (NUS extra), Student beans etc.

Make use of these student discounts, they are designed to make student life easier!

Health/Medication

If you know you have to get prescriptions often, there are two options for you. Either get a Pre-Payment certificate (PPC) or “Help with NHS Costs” HC1. PPC is paid for, but in the long run, you’ll save more money if you have to get two or more prescriptions a month. The HC1 form entitles you to free NHS treatment i.e. prescriptions, glasses, dentist etc. The process takes up to 8 weeks but can be very helpful!

Funding your studies:

Getting a Job

You really thought I wasn’t going to mention getting job in a money related post. Obviously, this is good if your contact hours aren’t intense and you can manage, you’re time efficiently (click here for tips). The university has a “temporary staffing service” that is essentially the best for students. They have suitable term time positions if you want to get a job. Have a look at the stores/restaurants Bristol, a lot are looking for staff especially for the Christmas period.

Make SMART use of your student overdraft

This doesn’t mean that go neck deep in overdraft to get those Balenciaga’s...

University bursary

By now you should have received notification on whether you’re entitle to the bursary and how much. you can check on MyBristol>Fees and Funding> Bursary and payments. If not. And you believe you’re are entitled, you can contact the student funding office. On most occasions, if you’re entitled but and haven’t received notification/not showing up in bursary and payments is because you told SFE that they shouldn’t share info about your application with the university. This is how the university assesses if you’re entitled to further funding or not

University loan

The university has set up a scheme where any student can get a loan of up to 350. They are there to help in instances of falling short, but you’ll DEFINITLY have money coming in SOON to help pay back. This should be a last resort, as its money that you HAVE pay back within 30 days. Failure to do so can result interest being added. The first 200 can be given without questions asked, the last 150 or asking for 350 in one go, you’ll have to explain what its for and how you plan to pay it back. Bear in mind, the university can prevent you from sitting your exams if you owe them money. So, like I said before, only do so if you know you’re going to get enough money to cover that and survive i.e. bursary/student loan

Financial assistance fund

This is another scheme the university has set up to help those in need. They aren’t guaranteed and they do assess your outgoing (as in they will like at your bank statements to see where your money is going). The process can take up to 6-8 weeks, but if you’re successful its very helpful!

Sponsors

I’ve heard about stories where students were able to secure funding from firms. But obviously this is if you have solid connections/managed to network effectively

Scholarships/Grants/Bursaries from the university: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/fees-funding/search/

Local authority bursaries and the likes

There are few charities and local councils that offer extra funding for a variety of reasons. I’ll try to keep this page updated as soon as I find any new sources of funding that may be of help

Londoners!

This section is for you. The list mainly consists of opportunities for students who live in the relevant boroughs.

Barking and Dagenham

https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/financial-support-for-pupils-and-students

Croydon

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/adult/financial-support

Greenwhich

https://www.thedrapers.co.uk/Charities/Grant-making-trusts/Sir-William-Boremans-Foundation.aspx

Lewisham

https://www.thedrapers.co.uk/Charities/Grant-making-trusts/Sir-William-Boremans-Foundation.aspx

Southwark

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/southwark-scholarship-scheme

http://localoffer.southwark.gov.uk/youth-offer/money/19-25-education-money/

Scholarships/Grants/Bursarys based on degree

Computer Science

Google: https://www.employ-ability.org.uk/internships/google-europe-scholarship-for-students-with-disabilities-2019/712/

Medicine

NHS student Bursary: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/816.aspx

Law

Denise Coates Scholaship: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/fees-funding/awards/denise-coates/

Other Scholarships/Grants/Bursarys

The Vegetarian Society: http://www.vegetariancharity.org.uk

Graham Trust Bursary Scheme: https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/graham-trust/

Leverhulme Charity: https://www.leverhulme-trade.org.uk/grants-undergraduate-study

Yellow Jersey University Triathlon Scholarship: https://www.yellowjersey.co.uk/yellow-jersey-university-triathlon-scholarship/

Scholarships/Grants/Bursaries for International Students

Australia

The Australia Day Foundation UK Trust: https://www.theaustraliadayfoundationuktrust.co.uk/

Canada:

https://www.scotland.org/study/saltire-scholarships

Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships:

http://www.mkingscholarships.ca/index-e.html

US students:

Those that are here for a semester/short period: https://www.internationalstudentloan.com/study_abroad/

For those who are/will be here for full time: https://www.internationalstudentloan.com/foreign_enrolled/

Saltire Scholarship: https://www.scotland.org/study/saltire-scholarships

Marshall Scholarships: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/

Fulbright Commission: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/going-to-the-uk/postgraduate-student-awards/awards-available

Non Country Specific

(THIS ONE IS TIME SPECIFIC. DEADLINE IS TOMORROW): http://www.chevening.org

Commonwealth scholarship: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk

That’s all for this week lovelies.

Remember, a wise man once said “STAY IN YOUR FINANCIAL LANE”.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXaKIG3j-s)

Sandra x

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs #bristol #university of bristol #university of bristol acs #university #studying #money #finance #wellbeing #wellbeingwednesdays #mental health #studying in the uk

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Take a break! You deserve it.

The importance of taking a break!

Hey guys,

Take a break! You deserve one.

We’re now going into the 6th week of the academic year Your schedules are filled, and you have many demands and commitments to fulfil. I know a lot of you are deeply feeling the pressure of academic life and some of you are doing are doing just fine. Wherever you fall on this spectrum just know that its okay to take a break, you deserve one.

The fact that university life is so busy, some of you might feel as if you are too busy to take a break, and this line of thought can make one think that they are underserving of one. Breaks are so important for your wellbeing: physically and mentally. Hopefully this post will make you realise that. I hope to make you understand the importance of taking breaks and why you shouldn’t feel guilty for taking one.

Why should you take breaks?

I can think of two good reason as to why you should take a break. These reasons can be applied to when you are studying and other tasks that you undertake.

1. Breaks can help to improve your productivity.

A small break every hour so when studying can significantly improve your productivity and improve your ability to perform tasks. Working for long periods of time without a breather makes it difficult to concentrate. According to a study from the University of Illinois, “brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods.”

2. Breaks can help you manage your stress.

The stress we experience can sneak up on us, and often we are less able to recognize when we feel overwhelmed and this puts us at risk of burning out. This isn’t ideal so early in the year. Burning out is less likely when you take frequently.

STOP FEELING GUILTY ABOUT TAKING BREAKS!

Yes, it is necessary for me to put this in all caps. I’m very guilty of it and I’m sure a lot of you are too. If taking breaks have been proven to help us reduces stress, improve our focus and productivity why do we still find it difficult to take one

At uni, it is easy to feel this guilt because there is constantly work to do and there is pressure to constantly be productive and meet the demands needed for your course and extracurricular activities. Breaks are essential for your overall wellbeing and feeling guilty about taking one doesn’t do you any favours.

Breaks don’t have to be goal orientated, but it must be stress free in order to feel relaxed! It could be something as simple as going for a walk, watching a tv show, or even taking a nap (20mins, not 4 hours yeah) are all appropriate ways to recharge your mind and body so that you can feel refreshed.

You’ve worked really hard so far and its important for you to keep going. Please take a well-deserved break.

Andrew

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services

Bristol Nightline - a free helpline you can call between 8pm and 8am. If there’s a time you really need to speak to someone, and you’re not comfortable with speaking to a friend, family etc. This service is only over the phone, and it’s for free. They are like Samaritans. They are 100% confidential and are run by students.

SHERPa

They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

Around Bristol

BigWhiteWall Free service

IAPt - local NHS run service. They are the equivalent of just getting help from the NHS.

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

The fully paid versions

The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

#wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs #university of bristol #university of bristol acs

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

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Do you know how to learn?

Weird question isn’t it? Something that you’ve essentially been doing since birth, yet here I am asking you do you know how to do it? The reason why I ask is because, you may be doing it wrong or not fully utilising the available resources to get that 2:1/1st (come on, we’re here to be high achievers, no pressure!). For many of you, reading week is around the corner and you have a mountain of work to get through: lectures to catch up on and review; reading lists to get through; essays to complete etc. Utilising you’re time effectively is crucial at this point, as you don’t want to slip further behind (if you are) or be unnecessarily stressed.

Before we get into how to learn best, lets first understand what it means. According to this article, learning can be defined as a process. A process which occurs through several mediums: it’s active; builds on prior knowledge; and requires the learner’s motivation and cognitive engagement. So in essence, it’s a constant process that you have to be proactive, attentive and of sound mind. The latter is why we stress that it’s important to take care of your mental health.

In my experience, before coming to uni, I had a vague idea on how I learnt best: through repetition and through chunks (study for 20mins, then a 5 min break). But what I didn’t know was how to learn from lectures and seminars etc. At A levels, the content is basically spoon fed. But at uni, most lectures only give you the outline. In first semester, I believed I had it down, just show up listen and review later. If you saw the notes I made in the review stage, you would know that I was mad. From just one lecture, I could make a 10-page word doc. At the time I definitely believed that I was “learning”, not realising in actuality, I was wasting my time and setting myself up for mediocrity. Looking back on this, it was definitely not an efficient and sustainable method.

So, what did I do? I spoke to my tutor, wondering if he had any tips on how to get lecture notes. His suggestions were just print out the slides in a 3-slide format (screenshot below) and just make notes from there. Through this method you’re being selective with what you write and are forced to be attentive. Anything I missed or didn’t understand, I could just use re/play to review the lecture.

I did the lecture reviews re/play asap – max a week after the lecture (should be straight after, but not all replay videos appear that quick). Then, type them all up on OneNote (I will explain further down in the post). For me this stage is crucial, from here I can tell if I didn’t understand the topic: I can’t summarise something that I didn’t understand or explain it. From there is just repeating the process until I can condense it into flashcard format. This is extremely helpful when it comes to exam season: ain’t no-body got time for cramming.

I’m guessing you’re wondering on how to find out how you learn best? I took a quiz, this one, to find out what type of learner I am. There are several different quizzes you could take that would create a starting point for you. Just remember, that you might not find what works best overnight.

Tools that I use, that may be of use:

BeFocused App

https://xwavesoft.com/be-focused-pro-for-iphone-ipad-mac-os-x.html

This is a timer app available on iOS and Mac (alternatives for android are below). The purpose of the app is to spread my study time. I know that I have a short attention span (most people do loool), so I can only productively work for 20/25mins at a time, before I get distracted. This app lets you schedule a timer for the study sessions and breaks. It also allows you to see how much time you’ve spent studying.

There’s a free and paid version.

Notability (or Goodnotes) iPad app

http://gingerlabs.com

Since getting my iPad, I’ve been using this app daily. Listen, if you have the iPad and the Apple pencil, this app is a must have. It’s steep for an app (£9.99) but it has been my saviour. I don’t have time to be constantly printing out my sides to then write on them, file it etc. By the end of term, I’ll just end up with hundreds of sheets of paper everywhere. It has been proven that you learn content better/remember more by writing rather than typing. So, it’s a good way of saving the planet and keeping all your notes stored in one location.

I understand that this is only helpful if you have the iPad pro. So, it doesn’t mean go and finish your student loan on new tech! Printing out the presentation, in a handout format, is just as helpful. Just be organised with your work!

Microsoft OneNote

https://products.office.com/en-GB/onenote

This is free with your uni email. This is similar to Evernote, just Microsoft’s version. During my summer exams, I discovered this beauty. It can be your electronic version of a notebook. Keep all your notes organised and easily accessible

Microsoft Excel

Everyone should have this. On here, I just create a study timetable to try and organise my time. Being a student, a committee member, learn a new language, and having a part time job, time can easily slip by. Therefore, it’s important to try and keep track of what’s happening when and where. For study sessions, I just highlight everything in red, if it’s not complete. If it’s in progress, I change it to yellow/amber. When complete, then it’s changed to green. This gives me that small motivation to keep going, as its similar to checking things off a list.

The screenshot below is how I normally arrange it:

A good site to find out what type of learner you are:

http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/

Suggestions I’ve heard, but not yet tried:

Forest app: similar to BeFocused, but it allows you to plant (fake) trees until you have a full forest. Just gives you a little incentive to keep going!

https://www.forestapp.cc/en/

Hold App: encourages you to be off your phone and collect points overtime. The points can be used to purchase rewards.

https://www.hold.app

If you have any tips and/or suggesttions that you think is super helpful, please do share! We would love to explore different ideas.

Remember:

If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

Sandra x

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

0 notes

bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

Text

Finding a balance.

Hey Everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well and adjusting to the new academic year.

It’s now week 3 of uni and by now your workload should have increased. Some of you might be finding it difficult to strike the right balance between studying, socialising, keeping active, working, and (also) finding some time for yourself.

I’m finding it quite difficult to do all these things myself, but hopefully this post will hopefully show you how you can make the most of your time at university without neglecting your academic work. Perhaps it will also encourage me to take my own advice.

University life presents you with a great number of challenges: not only are you trying to meet the expectations set by the university, but also those that you set for yourself personally, academically, and professionally. This can often leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Here I want to emphasise the need for finding a balance and address the fact that it is essential for your overall wellbeing.

I can best illustrate this through a personal anecdote.

I was by no means the best student in my first year at Bristol. I was overly concerned with living my ‘best’ life and enjoying my newfound independence. Being presented with this freedom can be very overwhelming; especially if you’re like me and lack self-discipline. If only someone came to me at the beginning of first year and told me to fix up I wouldn’t have spent the first six months of uni finding my feet. I could have saved a lot of time, headaches, and guilt over how I was spending my days. I probably would’ve done less all-nighters too.

I was able to overcome my struggles to find a balance (to some degree) but I also concluded that finding your feet at university doesn’t happen overnight. It involves trial and error(s) as well as a great deal of self-discipline and organisation to feel balanced meaning well-managed time and appropriate amount of time to rest.

Here are a few tips to help you find a balance at uni.

1. Sticking to a schedule: Being on top of your work at university becomes so much simpler if you create a schedule and stick to it. A daily or weekly schedule will help you organise your time well and allow you to plan around your schedule. This way you will make fewer sacrifices and make time for socialising, exercise, and some time to chill.

The problem with scheduling is that there is such thing as too much planning. It’s all good planning every hour of everyday but this doesn’t account for when life gets in the way (which it will). Make your schedules realistic and watch some of the stresses of life melt away.

2. Know your peaks and dips:

In order to find a balance at uni you will need to think carefully about how you work best. Do you work best during the day or at night? What environment do you feel most comfortable working in? Knowing the answer to these questions will hopefully allow you to work more effectively.

3. Make exercise a must-do not a should-do:

It’s easy to cancel the gym or that exercise class to do whatever else. I can’t stress this enough, please make sure exercise is given as much priority as going to a lecture or going clubbing. Exercise is important for your physical health, your energy, and your overall mood.

4. Take a break and socialise:

Breaks increase your productivity and your creativity. There is a lot pressure to constantly focus on your academics and extra-curricular activities especially after first year. Working for long stretches without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion. Taking breaks refreshes the mind and improves your overall mood. Socialising with your friends c

5. Make time for your mind:

Practising mindfulness techniques could help you feel more at peace. “Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga.” (Mentalhealth.org.uk). For me practising mindfulness techniques helps me process my thoughts and feelings better helping me get a greater sense of control and stops me from being overwhelmed.

Thank you for reading, hope this helps! A new post will be up, same time next week.

Andrew.

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.uk or 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#bristolacs #acs bristol #wellbeingwednesdays wellbeing mentalhealth university bristol acs

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bristoluni-acs · 7 years ago

Text

What is Mental Health and why it’s important & looking after yourself

Hey Everyone!

Firstly, I just want to say Happy Mental health day!

I hope you all had a smooth start to the new academic year! And let the year be filled with good grades and good vibes!

Before I begin, please remember that all the blog posts are from personal experiences and/or opinions. This isn’t to replace any professional recommendations/assessments. It’s simply an opportunity for you to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling and that you can overcome any obstacles that come your way!

Now on to the reason why you’re here: mental health.

What is mental health? nowadays, that term seems to pop up everywhere you go. Finding a clear-cut definition seems to be long. One definition I found online:

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.”1

Mental health is a vital part of your overall wellbeing. “A healthy mind leads to a healthy body”. When talking about mental health, I’m not just referring to the diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar etc. but also for the days you are feeling, upset, angry or just not yourself in general. Your brain is just as fragile as any other organ in your body, so ensuring that it is in good working order should be a top priority.

For many of you, coming to Bristol would be the first time you moved away from home, and may be struggling to deal with that, which is absolutely normal. How you deal with that is what makes the major difference. Here are some suggestions:

• Join societies - *ahem* ACS (lool)- and try to attend their events

• Talk to the people on your course/flat/floor/building. It doesn’t matter if you look like a ‘beg’, how else are you supposed to make friends?

• Attend networking sessions (Sounds serious, but it’s how it’s how I met my close friend)

• Attend halls events

• Attend pres - even if you don’t drink, you will find someone else who doesn’t drink and still attended to socialize

From the suggestions that I have listed, all have a focus on being social. There have been studies, such as this one, that prove that socializing with other people is one of the few natural ways to increase the serotonin (a chemical in your brain that regulates everything from your appetite to cognitive function) levels2. Remember to balance studying and social time (a relevant post on this will be up soon). However, one rule that I ask you all to remember, don’t change who you are as a person, just to fit in with a crowd. This will just exacerbate the situation: you will make ‘friends’ based on the act you put in. That will just drain you physically and mentally. In times of need, you won’t have genuine people to turn to, and carrying problematic emotions around with you will do more damage than good.

Coming to university, you are faced with various aspects of life that you may have not been prepared. Again, this is very normal. However, university is all about learning. so, take each day as a new challenge that you will overcome.

Thank you for reading! A new post will be up, same time next week.

Just remember that, you are will always be loved and important to someone.

Sandra x

_______________________________________________________________________

References:

1. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health

2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/kc/serotonin-facts-232248

3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470910902955884

_______________________________________________________________________

List of available services at University of Bristol, around Bristol and online services. All those with the asterisk (*), means that they have a long waiting list for treatment:

Uni:

Student Wellbeing Service* - they offer counselling, CBT and other services http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/student-wellbeing-service/

http://bristol.nightline.ac.ukor 01179 266 266

BigWhiteWall Free service (through the uni)

“It is a digital support and recovery service for people who are stressed, anxious, low or not coping. It provides an anonymous online community who share troubles and support each other.”

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/big-white-wall/

SHERPa - They offer emotional regulation classes i.e. help you find ways to understand and deal with your emotions. However, they are only accessible via the GP

More help, that is provided by the uni, can be found here:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/services/

Around Bristol:

IAPt* – a directory of NHS backed services in the UK. The link below should take you to all the services available in Bristol

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Psychological-therapies-(IAPT)/Bristol/Results/1068/-2.588/51.455/10008/2909?distance=25

Online:

Headspace

With headspace, there are several ways to access it:

• The have a Free version/trial if you don’t want to commit yet

• The fully paid versions

• The fully paid version, for free, if you have Spotify premium on the student discount

https://www.spotify.com/uk/headspace/student/

#acs bristol #acs #bristol #worldmentalhealthday #mental health

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