Mental Health & Wellbeing.

Physical activity is a great way to increase your endorphin levels and creating a long lasting mood boost. Regular exercise will help to establish this over a long period of time. Mental health first aid recommends 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. This may be a walk, gym, swim, yoga or sport.

Sleep is really important when it comes to mental health. Sleep is the way that our minds process information after each day, recuperate energy and helps us to remain emotionally fit. Scientists aren’t sure exactly why, but if we don’t get enough sleep, our levels of anxiety, depression and emotional disturbance worsens. Sleep also helps us commit information to memory, studies show that if you revise and then sleep the night before a test, you will remember more information the next day, than if you stay awake to revise.

Student Minds recommends the following things to improve your sleep routine:

• Regular sleep and wake times.
• Reduce screen time before bed.
• Do something relaxing before bed like yoga or reading.
• Use an alarm clock rather than your phone, to reduce temptation to sit and scroll in the morning.
• Keep your room tidy and change your bedsheets regularly.
• Write down to-dos and worries before bed so it’s easier to switch off.
• Diet

What you eat and drink can have a significant impact on your mental health. Read more about how diet impacts mental health here.

Eat regularly – maintaining your blood sugar levels with meals at regular intervals helps to prevent irritability, tiredness and depression. Foods that release energy slowly will also help to prevent mood declines. Slow release foods include: wholegrains, oats and nuts and seeds.

Keep your liquids up and stay hydrated – water is one of the best ways to do this and is cheap and healthy, but other fluids like tea, coffee, juice and smoothies also count towards your daily intake. You should aim for about 6-8 glasses per day.

Get your 5 a day – fruits and vegetables contain vital nutrients that help your body produce a healthy balance of chemicals which not only keep your body healthy, but your mind as well. Try and keep things colourful, and don’t forget that frozen and tinned fruits and vegetables also count towards your 5 a day.

Look after your gut – there is an increasing amount of research that indicates a link between gut health and mental health. How we feel emotionally can also speed up or slow down our gut, to maintain a health gut you should eat lots of fibre and have plenty of fluids. Probiotic yoghurts are also a great way to improve gut health.

Protein – protein contains amino acids which are vital to regulate the chemicals which control our emotional state. Good sources of protein include: lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, legumes (peas, beans and lentils), soya products, nuts and seeds.

Caffeine – caffeine is a stimulant which can increase the energy levels temporarily but can also increase anxiety and depression. It is also prone to disturbing one’s sleep pattern which also has a negative impact on our mental health.

Friends and family can be extremely supportive when we’re struggling. Opening up to people you trust can lift a huge burden and open you up to new methods of coping. It can also help when you no longer have to hide how you are truly feeling in front of other people.

However, not everyone wants to open up to others or is ready to. Being around friends and family is still a positive action to take as there are numerous benefits to being around people. Make sure you keep in touch with friends, try joining a society or sports club, or just ask a friend over for a coffee. If you’re worried about missing time from studying, why don’t you ask a friend if they want to have a study session in the library with you?

You can find more resources and information about mental health self-care at these sites:

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is something that we all feel at some time. It is a natural response to potentially dangerous situations and helps us to avoid them. Anxiety also manifests itself as the ‘fight or flight’ response which creates the urge to run away or fight the possible danger. An anxiety disorder differs from the anxiety that we all feel in the following ways:

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, the main ones are generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. You can read more about these on the Mind Uk website here.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders

Anxiety can manifest itself in lots of different ways, both mental and physical, and can even cause physical symptoms in isolation- that is, without the persistent worry that characterises anxiety. Some of the key symptoms are listed below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and every individual will experience anxiety in a different way. You do not need to have all these symptoms to have an anxiety disorder.

Physical symptoms:

• Palpitations, rapid heartbeat, chest pain
• Hyperventilation
• Dizziness, headache, sweating, numbness
• Choking, vomiting, frequent urination, nausea, dry mouth, diarrhoea
• Muscle aches and pains, restlessness, tremor and shaking

• Unrealistic and/or excessive fear or worry
• Mind racing or going blank
• Decreased concentration/memory
• Difficulty making decisions
• Irritability/impatience/anger
• Confusion
• Restlessness/feeling on edge/nervousness
• Exhaustion/lethargy/sleep disturbance
• Unwanted repetitive thoughts

• Avoidance of certain situations
• Compulsive behaviours
• Distress in social situations
• Urge to escape situations that cause discomfort (phobic behaviour)

WHere to find support

If you think that you may be experiencing anxiety, you can access help by:

• Contacting the Student Advisory and Wellbeing team at the University by emailing supportingyou@royalholloway.ac.uk - they can offer advice, and direct you to the most appropriate service within their team
• Speaking to your GP about any concerns you may have. You can register with the on-campus GP surgery here if you haven’t already, or find other local GPs here. DocReady is a website offering a practical guide to get you ready to talk to a doctor about your mental health for the first time.
• You can self-refer to the Berkshire Talking Therapies service here - they also have self-help resources available on their website.

Other resources

• Anxiety Care UK offers mutual support groups, counselling and recovery support- get more information by calling 07552 877 219 or emailing admin@anxietycare.org.uk
• Anxiety UK has a helpline open 9:30-17:30 on 03444 775 774 or by text on 07537 41690. They also have a range of support groups and therapy available at a reduced cost
• The NHS has some self-help tips on their website to manage the symptoms of anxiety.

In case of a crisis:

• The Surrey and Borders NHS Crisis Mental Health Hotline is available 24/7 on 0800 915 4644 or for those with speech or hearing difficulties, text 07717 989 024.
• Samaritans offer 24/7 support, just call 116 123, or email them at jo@samaritans.org
• No Panic offers a helpline from 10am-10pm every day on 0300 7729844, and a 24h recorded message to guide you through a panic attack on 01952 680835. They have relaxation resources available on their website as well.

Worried about a friend?

If you’re concerned that a friend may be struggling with their mental health, then there are a number of steps you can take to offer them support.

Check out our resource about starting conversations about mental health here for a good starting point. You may wish to share the support resources above with them, and e.g. offer to accompany them to a doctors appointment to make it less daunting.

Alternatively, if they are a student you can contact the Wellbeing team to report a concern- read more information about this here.