Mental Health Awareness Day this year is focussing on the injustice when it comes to accessing Mental Health support with the mission that “if we all do one thing, we can change everything”. Even though Mental Health Awareness day is on Sunday 10 October it's important to look after your mental health everyday. Whilst we have a range of sessions and activities available throughout the week to help raise awareness and support you, we'll also be here all year round to ensure you're looking after both you're physical and mental wellbeing.
Alongside all of our activitites and sessions coming up over the next week, we'll also be giving out wellbeing goodie bags for all students on all campuses on Monday 11 October so make sure you head down to one of the campuses to grab one before they're all gone.
We fully support the missoin of “if we all do one thing, we can change everything” so we've put together some ideas on how you can do one thing to practice a little self care.
Attend a Mental Health Awareness training session.
This course includes activities, film and discussion to explore 4 areas of Mental Health: illness, stress, stigma and wellbeing aiming to improve your confidence, skills and knowledge to allow you to support yourself and others.
We run multiple Mental Health Awareness sessions throughout the year, but you can book on to our latest session via our What's On page. If for any reason, you can't make a session please feel free to attend one of our other Mental Health Awareness sessions.
We also are running a Mental Health First Aid course that is free for all students. Teaching an in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing and much more. We have two courses scheduled for the next few months so book your place today.
Check in with mates.
Have a sit-down that, grab a bite to eat together or just send a text to see how they’re doing and let them know you are there for them if they need you.
Visit the Advice Centre.
The Advice Centre is a confidential place for students to go if they need help, advice, or just someone to talk to. Today would be a great day to head down there and introduce yourself to our friendly team, pick up a leaflet about their services or speak to a member of our friendly team and see how they can help you.
Tel: 01494603016 (HW), 01494605180 (UXB)
Email: suadvice@bucks.ac.uk
Open up to someone.
Join one of our Tea and Chat sessions with Vice President Education and Welfare Tash Neal to have a chat about anything affecting your welfare. You can find dates on our What’s On page
Educate yourself.
There are many diffrent websites and resources availble for free online to access and read. Read the links below to find out more information:
Bucks Students' Union Mental Health Support
Student Minds
Share your experiences.
It is great and important to be open and disucss.
If you would like to publicly share your experiences, we can anonymously publish these for you in the Student Newspaper. Email your experience to Melissa.lamerton@bucks.ac.uk. These will remain confidential.
Your Sabbatical Team have shared some of the way they like to take care of their own mental health, everyone is different but it's always great to try something new.
Relaxation exercises – Read, have a bath, watch a favourite movie, try a new recipe, stretch, breathe deeply, play an instrument, listen to your favourite music, dance, bajke, sew, take time off your phone, watch some comedy
Journaling - Journaling helps to release stress by leaving your anxieties and frustrations on the page. It can feel good to let out your worries and can be a great technique for getting something off your chest. It is a good alternative if you do not feel ready to speak out loud about what is on your mind. You can find a free journal at our Help Your Shelf – This can be found at the SU reception in High Wycome and is filled with paper, pens, books, colouring and stress relief toys. These are free of charge and can be taken and used as and when needed. Come down and see what we have available to you.
Get in to nature - Getting exercise and also fresh air can help with your mental health, there are some lovely walks around all three campuses avalble for free for all students, below is a list of walks around all campuses.
High Wycombe – Rye River or Hughenden Woods.
Aylesbury: Heritage Walk.
Uxbridge – Fassnidge Park
If you'd like to listen to something whilst you're out on your walk or taking some time to relax, we've got some great podcasts you might find helpful
Mental Health Foundation podcasts:
General mental health: The Positive Psychology Podcast,
Anxiety: The Anxiety Podcast,
Short for time: Meditation Minis,
Comedy: The Hilarious World of Depression,
Dealing with trauma: The Trauma Therapist Podcast,
Complex topics: Tara Brach
These are just some suggested tips to help improve your mental health and it is important to remember that everyone is diffrent. We are here for you all year round, not just on World Mental Health Day, we have our amazing Advice Centre or if you just want a chat pop down to the SU office and speak to one of our Sabbatical Officers, their doors are always open. We have committed to Student Minds Mental Health Framework and more information can be found under Mental Health Support. Don't forget to come down to one of our three campuses and grab yourself a wellbeing goodie bag.