It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

…for most people, but for some, Christmas can be rather less than glittery.

I just wanted to bring to attention how Christmas is a danger zone for some people in terms of mental health.

‘’Mostly I'm OK. It's Christmas time that it hits me worst, as that's when he died. Then I stare at his empty chair and feel swamped by an awful, aching loneliness’’ (Mind.org.uk)

Some people might find it harder to deal with the added pressure:

·         More pressure to engage in social activities, which may be difficult for individuals with a range of anxiety disorders who really do not want to dance the night away in a sequin mini
·         Change of routine, again may be hard for those with anxiety problems
·         Fear of being lonely (mind.org.uk), or feeling lonely whilst watching others be together
·         Sad and sentimental at times, maybe missing people you no longer see. This may be particularly a problem for individuals who are depressed
·         Lots of social eating and drinking may be hard if you have an eating disorder- Christmas dinner isn’t the same if you’re sat there calculating how many calories are in a sprout.
·         Seeing other people being happy and feeling bad because you’re just not feeling that way
·         Guilt for not being as happy as you feel you should be- guess this is a viscous circle which may just dampen your party spirits a little!
Also, it’s important to realise that the over-indulgence of Christmas in terms of late nights and cocktails can also take its toll on Psychological wellbeing.

Maybe we should just bear this in mind x 

We hope you have a very merry Christmas, the Hallam Head Space team 

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Exam Stress?

The free time throughout the semester is a wonderful thing. Drunken nights out, whole days to waste on hangover cures and more social contact than you can swing a cat at (or something).

However as the days get colder, the nights get longer and the dreaded deadlines dauntingly hover overhead, you may be forgiven for forgetting what you enjoy about University life.

It's like having a full time job, except one in which for 80% of the time you can get away with a few hours work a day, but in return you must spend the other 20% of your days slaving away, occasionally overnight, in an attempt to transfer a smorgasbord of lectures, seminars, books and journals into one coherent document.

Alternatively there is the examinee's attempt to shovel as much information into their brain as possible, in the hope that they won't be thrown a curve-ball that relies on the one peripheral case or study they just didn't have time for.

Of course there is then the delightful chance that both forms of assessment will be due within a few days of each other. In which case it's a hell-for-leather, all guns blazing, see-you-in-a-week-once-I-crawl-out-of-the-library-whilst-the-sun-burns-my-retinas-which-have-become-so-accustomed-to-indoor-lighting, mentality.

You may think I'm exaggerating, but I know people who have done this. The record amount of time I've known someone to stay in the library is 48 hours, continuously.

This doesn't have to be the case.

There are many ways to survive the deadline/exam roller-coaster, here is the method suggested by the good people at Mental Wealth UK:

• Split the day up into manageable chunks (e.g. Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
• Organise the exact time you are going to spend on each task
• Ensure a 10 minute break after every 40 minute work-period
• Always have a supply of drinks and food
• If you're lacking motivation, do something related, but lighter for 5 minutes first
• Engage in some social time (even if it's just watching TV with house-mates at the end of the day)

Some stress is natural, after all it's what keeps us alert to the task at hand, however too much can do more harm than good. With these tips you will be able to keep on top of things, whilst keeping those grey hairs at bay.