Hello from your Students’ Union Hey, I’m Ahmed, your Vice President Welfare, I’ve created this guide, so you know it is going to be awesome. Our Be Kind to Your Mind campaign works to remind you that your mind is your most important resource and that you can’t Study Well *cough* if your mind isn’t in a good place. By putting aside some time for TLC (tender loving care), you can avoid burning out and find it easier to manage the normal stresses of being a student. In this guide, we’ve put together lots of tips and tools to help keep your mind healthy alongside busy lifestyles. We know that sometimes mental health isn’t just about self-care, and if you feel like you are struggling, whether it is with your work or with other aspects of your life, never be afraid to reach out. At the end of this guide, you can find a selection of the support available for you across the community and Queen Mary. If you ever want to contact me, you can do that here:
su-vpwelfare@qmul.ac.uk @WelfareQMSU @Ahmed Mahbub QMSU
#QMBK 2YM
Hi!
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Managing your wellbeing We can all find it difficult to maintain positive mental wellbeing at times. Coming to University can be a stressful time – and as part of learning to Be Kind to Your Mind is recognising that stress can be a natural emotion. With the right tools, we can learn how to manage our stress and improve our ability to cope. For some, stress can become unmanageable. At that point, talk and seek help. You are not alone; there are people who can help you. There is a selection of the support available for you on the back page. Many people feel anxious some of the time – it’s a healthy response to feel apprehensive or worried about upcoming challenges: it can help you to do well in examinations or assessments, or
when you’re speaking in public or trying out something new. Anxiety can become a problem when it gets in the way of doing things that are good for you, which is when you should seek some help. Talk to others around you as you may find they feel the same, and think about using your nervous energy in a positive way – whether it be exercising or excelling at your next challenge. There are also many helpful techniques online for managing anxiety, such as Mindfulness.
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Campus communities Do not forget that one of the best ways to feel more involved and therefore less isolated is to make the most of our campus communities. You can meet lots of other students who are all sharing similar experiences. We’ve listed a few of the activities that you can get involved with below. Join a club or society
Try something new
We have an incredible selection of clubs and societies that strengthen the community feel we have on our campuses. From Academic to Faith, Cultural and Political societies, there’s something for everyone. There are also specific societies that campaign and work on wellbeing issues, such as QMULMind and Mental Health Awareness Society. If there’s not one you like, then you can also start your own! www.qmsu.org/getinvolved
Our student groups organise meet and greets and events throughout the year where you can give a club or society a go before joining. www.qmsu.org/getinvolved
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Take part in an event We have a huge selection this year so make sure you check online to find the right one for you. Learn how to make bunting, come to a quiz night or even go on a day-trip with your fellow students. www.qmsu.org/events
Give back
Get Active
Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks. We have lots of opportunities to give back such as our volunteering groups and our Community Sport and Raise and Give (RAG) programmes. www.qmsu.org/volunteering
Sport and exercise are proven to help calm your mind, provide stress-relief and make you more productive. Get Active is our turn up and play programme where you can try out a sport for only £2.50. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played the sport before or not, it’s a fun and easy way to get your body moving and switch your mind off. You can also free your mind at a yoga or mindfulness class at Qmotion. www.qmsu.org/sportandfitness
Be mindful Being more aware of the present, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you is called “mindfulness”. This can positively change the way you feel about challenges, such as exams. We’ve added helpful tips, podcasts of free mindfulness classes and classes on campus below. www.qmsu.org/welfare
Top Tip
There’s lots of free food at student groups meet and greets, so watch out for them (I know I will be)!
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Colour me in Take some time out of your busy schedule to chill out and take your mind off things. Colouring in has been proven to help stress levels and to help with concentration. Why not take a photo of your finished picture and share it with:
#QMBK2YM
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Things to do Make an emoji stress ball Getting creative can help your mind to relax and take a break. You can also use this little creation as a stress relieving device or your own 3D emojis to snap your feelings You will need • Yellow balloons • Any Flour
• Permanent pens • Scissors • Funnel
Instructions 1. Stretch the Balloon Blow air into the balloon so that it inflates and stretches. Let the air out of the balloon. 2. Fill It With Flour Using your funnel fill the balloon with flour. Stop putting flour in the balloon when it reaches the neck. Don’t fill the neck. Tie the balloon into a knot. 3. Avoid a puncture Take another balloon and cut most of the neck off using scissors. Stretch the second balloon over the first one as a second layer so if you get a hole in it you can avoid a flour disaster! You can also hide the knot with the first balloon if you wish. 4. Decorate Choose your favourite emoji face and draw on your balloon with a permanent pen.
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Make a pasta bake Food is fuel for your body and it is important that you are fuelling it with healthy food, which can be expensive! Why not try the recipe below for a low cost, big tasty meal which can be made in bulk (did someone say meal prep?!) Ingredients
Makes
600g rigatoni pasta 6 servings 50g butter 50g plain flour 600ml milk 250g strong cheddar, grated 330g can sweetcorn, drained 300g of sliced mushrooms (or 2 x 160g cans tuna steak) Large handful chopped parsley
65p
per serving
Method 1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Boil the pasta for 2 mins less time than stated on the pack. 2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then gradually stir in the milk to make a thick white sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in all but a handful of cheese. 3. Drain the pasta; mix with the white sauce, mushroom, sweetcorn and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and top with the rest of the grated cheese. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese on top is golden and starting to brown.
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Ideas for positive mental wellbeing Everyone has different ways of relaxing and taking a break but here are some ideas from Ahmed.
Take a day to re-coup Take a “mental health day” off when you feel that university life is getting too much.
Go for a walk
The canal is a fantastic place to relax or you can go and explore East London.
Celebrate your wins
You are amazing, let the world know; love yourself like Kanye loves Kanye. Tweet me about it with #QMBK2YM and I’ll give it a cheeky retweet.
Eat well
Treat yourself to a mouth-watering meal – Ground Café, Village shop, Union Shop and Learning café have an amazing selection of high quality food for a relatively cheap price. Watch out for our Meat-free Mondays too where you can get 20% discount in the Students’ Union venues. We’ve also added some vouchers for you to get money off a healthy snack, enjoy!
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Meditate or pray
This was extremely beneficial to me at times of stress, so give it a try – we have great mindfulness programmes run throughout the year (I went to one run by the Psychology Society) and some students find praying a useful way to de-stress from a busy day. The Multi-faith Centre is located on the second floor of the QMSU and is open to everybody.
Make some me time
Spend an hour or two doing something that relaxes you. You could schedule this in once a day or do it when you find yourself needing a little break. Watch a movie, take a bath, read a book or watch cat videos on YouTube.
Bonus Tip
Throw me a cheeky smile and I’ll give you one back – it’ll make my day and hopefully, my goofy smile can make yours!
20% off fruit & bottled water This can be used in any Students’ Union Café, bar or shop.
qmsu.org/visit
20% off fruit & bottled water This can be used in any Students’ Union Café, bar or shop.
qmsu.org/visit
Student Services University can be tough. So if you’re struggling or you start to feel unwell it is important to make changes and seek the right support that suits you. Check out some of the help that the University provides you here. Student Support Contacts
Advice and Counselling
www.qmul.ac.uk/studentlife/ support/contacts/index.html
Confidential, professional support and advice for emotional, psychological, financial and student welfare issues.
Faith
www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk
We have a Multi-Faith Centre, contemplation rooms, a prayer room and a chaplaincy which offers events and is open to all students, regardless of their religion and beliefs. www.faith.qmul.ac.uk
Disability and Dyslexia Service
Student Health Service An on-campus, weekday NHS medical service for students living in QMUL halls of residence, or off-campus but within Tower Hamlets. www.studenthealth.qmul.ac.uk
Learning Development 2,000 students are offered access to reasonable adjustments, e.g. exam Offers one-to-one tutorials and arrangements, dyslexia screenings and targeted workshops on aspects of specialist one to one support. writing, presentation skills, effective reading and exam skills. www.dds.qmul.ac.uk
www.learningdevelopment.qmul.ac.uk
Mind (external charity) Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. www.mind.org.uk
Nightline (external charity) Confidential listening, support and information for all London students. www.nightline.org.uk