By Natasha Kothari, Student Writer
Natasha shares tips on how to cope with loneliness at uni
It takes a great deal of courage to start a whole new life at a whole new place. Will I make any friends? Will I be around people I like? Will the people I like, like me? Will I have friends to hang out with? These are some of the million thoughts that rocket through our brain and to be honest, they really make us afraid of feeling lonely.
Having come all the way from India and it being my first time in the United Kingdom it would be an understatement if I were to say that it was a ‘struggle’ for me to adjust and find ‘my squad’. However, all’s well that ends well and here I am giving you some tips on how to get over loneliness at uni through my experiences!
- Join Societies - When I first came here I realised just how diverse Middlesex University is. The best way to find your kind of people is to join a society where everyone harbours a common interest. I joined POW! Media as an RJ, was part of the Indian society and the Psychology society and boy did I have the best time! Share your passion with someone and there’s no better way to start a friendship. Although here at MDX there are a range of societies all from the Harry Potter Society to the Burlesque and Pole Dancing Society, in case you don’t find one that interests you, you can even start your own.
- Avail Of Campus Facilities - Sometimes just talking to someone about what we are feeling helps a bucket-load. Middlesex offers a range of mental health services, including being able to talk to a mental health professional on campus along with also being able to avail of the services of Silvercloud - a programme that offers online cognitive behavioural therapy tailored to your needs.
- Get involved in work - ‘An Idle Mind Is A Devil’s Workshop.’ I have realised that the more I involve myself in work that I love doing, the less I think about negative stuff that lowers my morale; it’s simply because I’m channelling my energy positively. Join UniTemps and get involved in any temp job that interest you, moreover you can even look up volunteer gigs online, not only will it enhance your CV but it will provide you with some great personal experience.
- Exercise! - Now I know that if you’re a lazy kid like me you’re not going to want to hit the gym. To be honest no matter how boring exercise sounds it is extremely vital to make you feel healthy physically and mentally. You don’t have to necessarily spend 2 hours in the gym, it could be something as small as a 30 minute stroll but it is guaranteed to make you feel good.
- Take care of your eating and sleeping habits - More often than not if our physical health declines, our mental health proportionately declines as well. Not getting enough food and 6-8 hours of sleep every night may seriously bring your morale down and create more problems.
I hope my list of tips are useful, and save you from spending moments of loneliness. I wish you a great year ahead!
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