This is the time where all of us may feel like University has affected our mental health in a way. Do you feel a bit down, tired or even missing home a bit? Do not despair! Instead get up, dress up and go and enjoy yourself. Focus on your well-being and take care of you and your mental health.
1) When you start to feel a bit overwhelmed, lonely or just like you need to talk to someone, the best thing to do is simply reach out. It takes one message, phone call or walk-in to either our, MDX wellbeing and mental health advisers or just to a friend or family. Christmas time can be hard for some people, so why not support each other by sharing your current thoughts, feelings and state of mind. A culture of openness about mental health is important.
2) Get outside and get involved - find something to do! How about getting into the Christmas spirit by exploring things to do in London like: Winter Wonderland, Ice skating, visit cosy pubs, winter roof-tops, Christmas lights at Oxford street, watching a Christmas show in the theatres or cinemas. Simply doing something like that can really cheer you up!
3) Make time for yourself #Self Care - Use every day as an opportunity to take care of yourself. Plan your days and activities out. Treat yourself to a spa day, go for a walk in the park, read a good book in a cafe, get up early and meditate, go visit an art gallery, spend a day at IKEA? Whatever! It really depends on what would make you happy and improve the quality of your day.
4) Stay Active - Staying active is good for your physical and mental health well-being. How about joining us at the MDX Fitness Pod, which will be open over Christmas time. Well, whether it’s going to the gym, for a long walk, yoga or wall climbing with a friend. Just the effort of dragging yourself out of bed and doing something good for yourself will empower you and already make you feel better about yourself.
5) Christmas alone – It may even be the case that you are spending Christmas alone, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You may want to organise a Christmas dinner with friends who are also spending Christmas alone. Another thing to do could be volunteering, as there are many people and organisations getting involved this year to support our society. It is a great way of giving back and meeting new people.
6) Eating Healthier - You’d think that “eating healthy” was a normal everyday thing, well not necessarily when you’re a student. Use your break from University to get into a routine, of taking care of your body and mind the way it deserves, by changing up your diet for a healthier one. This will have quick results physically and mentally, that will make you feel much stronger and even more motivated.
7) Get enough sleep - Honestly, don’t we all just feel on our A-game when we’ve had a good night's sleep? It’s not that hard and will improve your levels of energy throughout the entire day, meaning more time for you to enjoy yourself!
8) Plan ahead - Plan little things ahead that you are passionate about but avoid unnecessary stress by taking on more than you can handle. It is okay to say no or ask for help. This is time for you to relax and enjoy yourself. Relax, enjoy yourself and start planning for New Year's Eve!
Student lifestyle posts which reflect the interests of our students are written by student interns working within the Marketing department and do not reflect the research, guidance or opinions of Middlesex University. If you have feedback or want to suggest ideas for future student lifestyle posts, please email communications@mdx.ac.uk
