Is Uni life making you stressed?

With exams and many deadlines around the same time of year, it’s no wonder that most students feel the impact of stress at some point during university life. Current and up to date statistics show that you’re not alone if you are feeling some form of mental distress as a student.  With stress being the most common form of mental distress (80% of students that they have experienced stress during their time at university) , it is important to recognise when things might be becoming too much, and make yourself aware of what can be done to help (more than you might think!).

Why do students feel stressed?

 

There are many reasons why university can be a stressful time; moving away from home, getting used to the experience and the rising cost of being a student to name a few. The majority of reasons behind why students in particular are likely to experience some form of mental distress are primarily course and work related. Balancing studying and other commitments can be difficult, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming, and like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Other contributors to mental distress in student life include financial difficulties, and trying to find a job alongside studying. There are many other contributing factors, and reasons for feeling low/distressed vary from person to person. However, one of the more shocking statistics is that 12% of students, when asked, felt that the reason for them feeling like this was that they did not know where to go to for support.

 

What does this mean?

The NUS mental distress survey results show that unfortunately, just over one quarter of students experiencing mental distress do not tell anyone. This can often lead to the problem or situation getting worse, and these results on their own show that students are not alone in this.

So, what can you do?

Even though talking to someone about how you’re feeling can be the most challenging step, it is more often than not the most worthwhile. There are plenty of people that you can talk to at university, such as academic staff, advice and support services at university or students unions, or even making the first step by starting the conversation with friends and family. Nightline can be called ( 0114 222 8787), if you feel like it’s too late to talk to someone but there are things worrying you and stopping you from getting a good nights sleep when you need it the most.

 

University is a challenging time for all students, and it’s important to try and keep in mind that most people will be feeling the same uncertainties about it at some point during their studies. Most importantly, it can sometimes be productive to step back for a minute and remember the positive reasons for you choosing to come to university, what your aims and positive ambitions for the future are, and how far you have already come to get in to university.

 

After all, university is supposed to be a fun time, and before you know it you’ll be graduating – so it’s important to make the most of it!

Mindfulness.

You’ve probably heard this word before. It’s rather popular at the moment, and the term is regularly bashed around.

I bet you’ve got a fair idea of what mindfulness is. For this reason, I won’t launch myself into a literature review. Just to clarify, for those who aren’t familiar:

Mindfulness is living in the moment.

Let me explain…

Most of the time, we aren’t actually present in the current moment. For example, when you’re at the pub with your friends, you might actually be thinking about all the work you have to do tomorrow (living in the future), or how you should have finished that essay before you went out on the town (living in the past). Mindfulness helps you to live in the only moment that really exists: the present one. This helps you to keep ruminating thoughts about the past (which feed depression) at bay, and ward off anxious thoughts about the future.

How it’s done…

There’s loads of ways to practice mindfulness, but for now, let’s start with something really simple. A while ago, I went through a ‘rough patch’ and saw a psychologist. She told me to concentrate on my breath; such as how it feels in my nose, my mouth, my chest etc… and really concentrate on those feelings. She told me to breathe deeply and imagine how it feels to get oxygen to my tense muscles. She also suggested that I think about how the ground feels under my feet, or which parts of my legs are touching the settee.

This takes you away from ‘cognitive overdrive’ and reminds you of the presence of the rest of you- that you are made up of more than just thoughts! It brings you back to RIGHT NOW.

I love this technique because it can be done without anyone knowing you’re doing it, like a special ‘secret weapon’ against stress. What’s more, you can do it anywhere, any time: on the train, in the pub, right before an exam…

Remember though, it is a new skill, and therefore takes practice! The more you do it, the more effective it will be for you! If you start now, you’ll be a ‘pro’ by the January deadlines!

Enjoy living in the moment :-)

By Megan Bean

Worried about starting back at uni?

Have you got mixed feelings about returning to uni? Are you worried about the coming year? About friends? About academic achievements and expectations?

Or are you wondering how things are going to be with your friends because you have fallen out in July about the last bill in your house, and you haven't spoken to them since then?

Or worried about accidentally bumping into your ex-girlfriend/boyfriend at uni, or on a night out?

Here's a simple recipe I've found online, it may not be scientific, or proven to work, but just remind yourself of all the good things and the things you're looking forward to, and you will find that going back to uni is making you excited and happy.

And just remember: if you have any problems, you can contact Student Wellbeing and go to a Drop in or - if at night - call Nightline Sheffield on 0114 222 8787 .

 

 

We are looking forward to seeing everybody back!

 

Making the most of your summer and looking after yourself

Great ways to make the most of the weather

Picnic at the park – take a blanket and some lunch and enjoy a summer picnic in the sun with some family members, friends or a partner. Not only is this low cost but it is a good way to socialise and enjoy the sun.

Bike rides – as we all know, the cost of transportation is increasingly expensive. Cycling is a free mode of transport, whether you choose to ride to work or to meet friends, or just enjoy the sun in a local cycle route with a friend. You are able to relax and enjoy the weather while treating your body to some enjoyable exercise.

Barbeques – this is a great way to socialise in the sun as well as encouraging a balanced diet with different meats and salads; helping to provide the body with the energy it needs to withstand the current temperatures. Get a few friends over and enjoy a good knees-up with some drinks, food and music.

Camping – camping is brilliant for those who want to enjoy the hot days and the cool nights. Many camp sites are cheap and some even offer the showers and facilities we are all accustomed to having at home.

Road trip – if you know anyone who can (and will) drive, that’s great! However, simply jumping on the next train to Blackpool or Wales isn’t out of the question. Enjoy the summer sea, site see, build sand castles, go on fair rides or even walk down the pier. Whatever you do, you will have a great day out in the heat of the sun and the cool, soft breeze of the sea.

The Importance of looking after yourself and staying hydrated

The last thing that anybody wants on their summer holidays is to end up in hospital with severe heat stroke or worse. There is no reason to allow your body to suffer just to get a tan. The following describes some issues that are common in high temperatures.

1.       Sunburn

Sunburn is the damage of skin due to overexposure to the suns UV radiation. It is beneficial for your skin to spend a small amount of time exposed to the sun as vitamin D will be absorbed which helps to control the calcium and phosphate in the body. The less melanin a person has, the less natural protection they have against the UV rays, meaning they will burn or tan more quickly.

To avoid sunburn, it is beneficial to avoid being out in direct sunlight around the midday hours when the sun is at its most powerful (11am until 3pm). However, whether you avoid the sun between these hours or not, sun cream is always recommended to prevent damage to the skin. Ensure the sun cream is being applied as directed on the bottles and reapplied regularly as well as after contact with water. Covering up the skin with loose clothing and a hat helps to prevent direct contact with the sun.

If however you do end up with sunburn, it is important to treat it carefully and correctly. Cold towels will help to cool the affected skin, moisturisers (especially those containing aloe vera) will help to keep the skin moist and will soothe the pain. To soothe the itching and soreness, calamine lotion/cream is recommended.

2.       Heat exhaustion and heat stroke

Heat exhaustion occurs when the body temperature rises from 37°C to 40°C, at which point the water and salt levels in the body will begin to decrease and symptoms such as nausea and excess sweating will occur. It is important at this point to get the affected person into a cool area, remove any excess clothing and ensure they sip plenty of water; given half an hour, improvements will be seen. However, if untreated heat stroke can develop.

Heat stroke is where the body temperature rises above 40°C; this causes the body cells to break down and organs will begin to fail, brain damage can also occur if left untreated. The worst case scenario can be death in some cases. In the event of heat stroke, the emergency services should be called immediately, and they should be told as soon as possible that the person in question is suspected to have heat stroke.

Heat stroke and exhaustion is easy to avoid; drinking plenty of water throughout the day and night will help to keep hydrated and cool, loose clothing will help to prevent too much direct contact with the sun, keeping energy levels up with a good balanced diet and preventing dehydration and sunburn can also help to prevent heat exhaustion.

3.       Dehydration

Dehydration is when the body has lost 2% of its weight due to lack of water. Dehydration can occur at any point in any climate at any temperature. However it is more likely to occur during exercise or in hotter weather, it is therefore important to take these factors into consideration in regards to the amount of water intake you have.

Drinking water before exercise will help to prevent this, as well as keeping up the intake of water during exercise. It is the same for hot weather, it is important to maintain a good level of liquid intake throughout the day and even at night. Many people wake up in the night due to the heat; this is a good opportunity to have some water as the body has been neglected of such a privilege throughout the time you were asleep.

Symptoms of dehydration can include:

·         Thirst – by the time your body tells you that you are thirsty you will already be starting to dehydrate. For this reason, it is better to sip water regularly throughout the day.

·         The colour of urine – the darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. If it is light you should maintain the amount of water you are currently consuming; if it is darker, you should increase your water intake.

·         Headaches and dizziness can occur when dehydrated. The pain of the headache can be similar to that of a tension headache and can be prevented through a reasonable intake of water.

·         You may begin to feel weak or have fatigue as well as muscle pains, this is because of the loss of water and salt in the body.

Alcohol consumption must be taken in moderation and alongside plenty of water as alcohol is a dehydrator as it can cause an excess of urination, removing the body’s water. Alcohol also interferes with the water mechanics of the body, so it is very important to consumer as much water as you do in alcohol.

A bottle of flavoured water contains a third of an adults recommended intake of sugar. Sugar an increase the body’s temperature to defend itself from what it thinks is being under stress, which will cause excess sweating, as well as many long term health problems such as diabetes and increased heart rate.

Where to find help

If you find yourself in need of medical help, there are doctors and nurses available at Student Health at SHU. The open times, phone number, and address can be found on the following link:

http://www.studenthealthatshu.co.uk/

By Sally Clegg

Impact

Hallam Head Space is affiliated to Mental Wealth UK, a charity committed to promoting positive wellbeing on university campuses.  Hallam Head Space was started in January 2012 and is fully student-led.  Head Space have aimed to “Break the Silence” on mental health issues among students and so far, we appear to be succeeding.  We have run a variety of events with the aim of providing an outlet for students to talk to others in similar situations, get involved in various activities and ultimately – to tackle stress.  We have developed a ‘Survival Guide’ containing advice on: eating well, exercising, budgeting and seeking help and we frequently give away revision materials, including: pens, notebooks and bottled water.  Recently we have hosted a petting zoo at both campuses in order to provide students with a break from exam stresses. 

Hallam Head Space has been dedicated to breaking down the barriers between students and the wider community.  We started by tackling the barrier between students and university services.  Since January 2012, we have run events in conjunction with Student Wellbeing, developed relationships with the Careers and Employment Service, and made contacts within the Development and Society department. 

Due to the external volunteering work of the Group Leader at the time (Rachel Staniforth), on 8^th and 9^th May 2013, Hallam Head Space succeeded in cementing ties within the community.   A local charity called Survivors Of Depression In Transit (S.O.D.I.T.) held a mental health conference in Sheffield city centre entitled “Bringing Communities Together” at which Head Space ran a stall.  This in itself was a fantastic opportunity, as Head Space were able to speak not only to other local charities, but also to the local IAPT team, independent practitioners and service users about our aims and achievements so far.  Additionally (and again attributed to the external volunteering work of the Group Leader), Head Space were asked to run a workshop for attendees of the conference, entitled “Mood and Food”.  Five members of Hallam Head Space (Rachel Staniforth, Sammie Taylor, Megan Bean, Pippa Smith and Kathy Steward) worked together to design and deliver an hour long workshop that was both informative and interactive, and which ran twice each day of the conference.  Community ties were further strengthened as Change for Life Barnsley provided some materials for the workshop and leaflets to give out to attendees.  Around fifty people attended the workshops, and approximately 200 people attended the conference overall.

Hallam Head Space now has community contacts directly resulting from their work at the Sheffield mental health conference “Bringing Communities Together”.  We believe that we have found the key to community integration: getting involved!  By seeking out volunteering opportunities within the community and monitoring events coming up, it is possible to raise the profile of student mental health.  Student’s are people too!

Rachel Staniforth

14.5.13

February: Eating disorder awareness month

Imagine you’re doing your weekly shop at your local supermarket, you have your mental shopping list and go through each section in the shop. You remember you mainly need potatoes, milk, cereal, pasta, cheese and toothpaste.
You know that every shop is a new chance for you to get better, to get where you want to be. But thinking about all the carbohydrates that are resembled by the potatoes and pasta, or the sugar that one finds in the Coco Pops you normally really like, the fat in cheese… it makes you feel unwell.  ‘’You’re not worth it, you don’t deserve to eat that’’. A cold sweat shivers down your back, your head spins and you feel sick. You suddenly become aware of your own body again, you think of all the parts of your body that you don’t like: the belly that isn’t flat enough, your legs and arms that you don’t like and your cheeks, you hate how fat they make you look. But worse, you think of the control you will lose if you eat. So much is pinned on your body. You truly believe that if you gain weight, everyone will hate you, and you will fail your exams. You remember last time you ate high calorie food. You only did it to prove to people you were fine. You remember the horror, the shame, the furious anger, and the vomiting until there was nothing left but blood. You are so frightened.
You remember your friends and family saying you’re beautiful and don’t need to watch out for calories that much that you need to start eating proper food again.  You remember your doctor telling you that if you don’t start to gain weight again, you won’t be able to function normally anymore and may have to face a clinic.  If you carry on like this, you will die…
You can’t do this, not today. You go to pick the toothpaste up, already having made the decision that this is the only thing you’ll be buying today. You go to the check outs and pay, you  leave the shop and walk back to your flat.
You’ve decided you won’t get better today, that there’s always another chance tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or…

This month is eating disorder awareness month, do you know someone who suffers an eating disorder?
It’s time to talk about it.

1.6 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder, 11% of the sufferers are male.
It’s time to change, it’s time to talk.

Think maybe, just maybe, people do it to be ‘fashionable’ or for attention? Trust me, there’s nothing fashionable about hiding sick bags in your hand bag. Not great confidence boost, trust me; been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Eating disorders are a living Hell.

Are you worried about someone, your friend, your brother, your flat mate? Talk to them. Break the silence!

 

Blue Monday

A Note on “Blue Monday”

Many of you may well have read various news stories relating to the idea of “Blue Monday”. Simply put: today is the day we, as a nation, get terribly depressed. Such a fact came from the rigorous scientific prowess of Sky Travel, who had no other motivation to perpetrate the fact than general helpfulness, so that was nice of them. Now that we all knew when we were gonna get depressed, we could book a holiday to avoid it, perhaps fly out to somewhere hot, courtesy of...oh, I dunno....Sky Travel? 

Of course Blue Monday is codswallop, folly or straight up nonsense, depending on your favourite colloquialism. For those who want to devour the tasty tasty science, Ben Goldacre has written a brilliant piece on the issue.

The main issue is that depression, whichever form it takes, is not something that just shows up, steals all your tea and biscuits (which is British for “happiness”) and then vanishes the next day, leaving you glad you won't have to go through that for a year. Sure, people have bad days, where every conceivable thing goes wrong, and these can be difficult, but they do not occur to everybody on the same day.

Such thinking can be dangerous. Those with serious conditions can be brushed off with “it's just Blue Monday”, or “it's January, everyone gets a bit sad in January”.

The truth is, the “everybody goes through that, you'll get over it”attitude is not conductive to a person's health. Often the winter can be times of great mental distress, with the lack of natural light and an increase in cold temperatures resulting in an overall downward trend of social interaction.

Those experiencing a decrease in mood should not just wait it out. There are options available to everyone, especially to students who can take advantage of free counselling and services such as Nightline.

The important thing here is to know that you do not have to blame depression on "just that time of year", regardless of what the patronising "Blue Monday" brigade would have you believe.

Returning After the Winter Break

Returning After the Winter Break

First of all we at Hallam Head Space hope you’ve had a merry Christmas and wish you a happy New Year.

As the emphatic ingestion of food turns into padding for winter, conversations change from “how is Uni” to “how was home”, and the alcohol turns less festive and more into “what’s cheapest at Tesco”, it’s time to look forward to 2013.

At this point we could easily just open a can of clichés supplemented with quotes from anyone other than the inspirational figures they are accredited to, but that’s what Tumblr is for.

Instead we’ll just offer some sound advice.

Now that the excitement of the festive period is over, post-holiday blues are not uncommon. The best way of dealing with these is to socialise. It may seem like the last thing you want to do, but just a short conversation with one of your flatmates can do the world of good, even just lounging in the living room with a few mates watching dodgy telly can do the trick.

Remember Student Wellbeing are also there for you. Last semester they saw 413 students, helping to disparage individual worries and fears which naturally occur during the University experience.

If you don’t feel like going anywhere, you can call the brilliant Nightline for help with pretty much anything.

As for us, we’ll be here, regularly updating the blog and various social media with more tips and advice to help you make the most out of your university experience.