Mental resilience is an individual’s ability to adapt well to difficult points in life. Everyone has different thresholds of what they can cope with in life, but if you’re repeatedly finding yourself struggling and unable to cope with what life throws your way, here are some tips on how to become a little more resilient.
Make lifestyle changes:
Making just a few adjustments to your daily life can really help with being more resilient when things may go wrong.
A few things that you might want to focus on could be:
- Try being more assertive when communicating with others, especially if you feel they are making unreasonable demands or comments.
- Practice mindfulness or relaxation – do you have something you like doing that makes you relaxed, like having a long bath or going for a walk? Making more time to do these things will really help with your stress levels and in turn more able to cope when things go wrong.
- Find a hobby you enjoy – finding time to figure out what you enjoy to switch off from everyday stresses and pressures is important. If you are struggling with feeling isolated perhaps a hobby that encourages you to meet and interact with people or friends. Also ensuring that you find the right balance between things like uni, friends, hobbies and perhaps a part-time job is quite difficult to do but also important in coping with your everyday pressures.
- Make time for friends – sometimes when life gets stressful, we find it difficult to see or talk to our friends. However even just talking to a friend on the phone can help us get perspective on the things we are struggling with and support us through the difficulties.
Look after your physical health:
Making sure that you get enough sleep, being active and eating healthy will all help with how well you cope with everyday stresses. If you’re struggling with motivation to exercise, why not try out a social sport with a friend at our Play For Fun sessions for just £2!
Give yourself a break:
If your stress levels are lower due to you being kinder to yourself, it can help you control the amount of stress you feel in different situations.
Reward yourself for your achievements by going for a nice coffee, taking a walk or even buying yourself a nice bath bomb.
- Get a change of scenery, even if just for a little while. Sometimes a change of scenery can be really good for your mental health.
- Take a break or holiday. Perhaps on a weekend when you won’t be timetabled for uni, find some time to get away for a long weekend. Being in Nottingham we are really close to lovely places in the Peak District that are great for some time away from the busy day-to-day! Even just a day trip out of your normal routine can help you feel refreshed and more able to cope.
- If possible, resolve any conflicts you may have. This may feel difficult and awkward but speaking to a peer or family member about problems in your relationship can help you both move past the problems.
- Forgive yourself when you feel you have made a mistake or did not get the grade you wanted. Remember that mistakes are useful for learning and improving, and putting extra pressure on yourself only makes you feel worse.
Build your support network:
Remember that whatever stresses you are going through you don’t have to go through it alone.
- Speak to your friends or family. Sometimes just sharing the load and letting someone know that you’re struggling can make a massive difference.
- Talk to your tutors when things are getting a bit much, and know that you can also speak to your schools Student Support Advisor too.
- If you struggle to talk to people you know, perhaps having a helpline like Samaritans on hand would really help. Contact the Samaritans on 116 123 and if you don’t feel comfortable talking on the phone, perhaps an online chat service such as 7 Cups
For help and advice whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support.
Support from NTU
Silvercloud: SilverCloud is our online system designed to help with a range of mental health issues.
Depression advice
Counselling
Wellness in Mind: Advice and support for anyone in Nottingham experiencing issues with their mental wellbeing
Struggling at Uni? Go to Student Minds
10 Keys to happiness
We are always looking for NTU students to write for our blog so if you are interested please do get in touch at healthyntu.@ntu.ac.uk
Healthy NTU 