4 Tips to monitor your wellbeing
First things first, for those who are going to university, congratulations! It is not an easy achievement and I do hope you are proud of what you have accomplished thus far. Greatness is coming your way! And don’t forget to count your blessings while you’re at it.
Going to university was one of my best experiences of my life. I am freeee….so I thought.
I could go and come as I please; my mother wasn’t constantly on my back. School nights turned into club nights and late nights.
Living by myself (I mean with flatmates) made me really appreciate what my mum does for me BUT it also made me more structured somewhat. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, I cleaned my room and my flatmates and I took turns to clean the kitchen.
Although I had fun (a lot of it), I used it all as a distraction from what was really going on.
Partying was the best cover-up. I was the go-to party girl, or more appropriately named, the turn-up queen. But I was not happy.
Panic attacks were regular and aside from attending university and going to the club, I spent most of my time in the room.
Solitude is what I am used to. I spend probably 90% of my time alone but during university this time was filled with sadness. Now it’s filled with reflection and gratitude.
For those who have anxiety and depression, university is a stressful environment and may be overwhelming at times especially if you have moved away from home.
Below are some tips that you can use to monitor your wellbeing throughout university.
Take breaks
Honestly, my timetable throughout university wasn’t too bad. Some days I would only have a group meeting with my fellow classmates. On other days, I had a 3-hour lecture that started at 9 am.
I definitely slept in those lectures; it was financial accounting can you blame me? After the lecture, I had an hour break for lunch then followed by another lecture.
So it was doable and I rarely had long days during my undergraduate program.
However, my university timetable for my master’s program was different. I had a full day of classes on Tuesday. When I say full day I mean it. I left home around 7.30am in order to get to university before my 9am lecture.
The lecture lasted for 3 hours with a couple of breaks. Then, an hour for lunch followed by another 3-hour lecture, a half an hour break followed by a seminar which ended at 6pm. By the time I got home, exhaustion took over. Although, it was only a day of classes so I had adequate time to focus on other things during the week.
The breaks I did have during undergraduate was adequate. I had time to make lunch, take a nap or go to the gym; which I normally did in the morning.
Do bare in mind, that all universities have different timetables. If you have the option to break your schedule up and spread it across days I would advice doing so.
Prior to solidifying my master’s university schedule, I had the option to move my seminar to Wednesday but I opted not to. Do I regret it? Hmmm, no. Travelling to university was costly but if I lived closer to university I would have defintely switched it around.
Make sure you have time to breathe, eat and time to unwind during the day.
Do you need help managing your time? If so, check out this post.
Visit an onsite counsellor if available
Speaking to someone outside of your social circle could be a great way of venting. Expressing your emotions can be therapeutic. Even if you feel fine, talking to a professional can help to assess your moods, identify triggers and identify things that you would like to work on or need assistance working on.
Counselling has really helped me to express myself. Discussing mental health was not a common thing in my household, therefore, turning to outside sources was the best option for me. I wish I built up the courage to talk about my feelings earlier, but I am grateful that I have now received help. The journey to healing continues.
Incorporate self-care into your daily routine
Having a self-care routine is so important! Self-care means the ability to promote and maintain health and is done so by maintaining a good level of nutrition, lifestyle, within yourself and your wider community.
For me, self-care means making myself a priority and doing what I need and want to make myself feel good. This includes getting adequate rest, making face masks, eating food that I like (in moderation of course) and relaxing without guilt.
Each day, I stretch, I eat healthy food and I drink a lot of water. This makes me feel good! When I don’t cater to myself, I notice the effect it has on my mood. During my time at university, I didn’t make self-care a priority and it showed.
Drinking a lot and going out was fun at the time but it didn’t make me feel any better about myself. By no means am I suggesting that you shouldn’t have fun, but do make sure you have a balance. Ensure that you have time for uni, time for fun and time for you!
Get in some exercise
I have a confession to make, I am an exercise rat and I love it. I enjoy the way it makes me feel, I like to push myself and seeing changes in my body encourages me to keep going!
Since the age of 17, I have been going to the gym frequently (minus the lockdown of course). It is now a part of my daily routine. I use exercise as a way of releasing stress and it is a form of therapy for me.
Exercise has a ton of benefits for our overall wellbeing. Not just physically but mentally as well. If you are not fond of going to the gym, that is ok! Find an activity that you enjoy, to get your heart racing. Why not go to a dance class? Hopefully, your university has extra curriculum activities for you to take part in.
While I was at uni, I was part of a basketball team. Note, I am not the best player but it gave me something to do and I met some amazing people while taking part in the sport.
I hope this post was informative.
Thank you for reading.
Oh and before you go… I have a Youtube Video that gives student tips on how to continuing studying during this pandemic. Check it out below!
