By Keir Goode a current MSc Molecular Microbiology NTU student
Mental Health is a journey. Struggling with it myself its important to find a technique that works for you. There is no one size fits all for mental health coping mechanisms that work for you as an individual. A coping mechanism that works for someone else may not work for you, so it is important to try many things to find something that fits you well.
One of the most popular is mindfulness. There are many tutorials you can find online and various apps to get started. It involves being aware of your surroundings, how you breathe, how your body and mind feels in that moment. There are some key factors to making mindfulness work such as:
- Calming Music (You can find music through streaming services just search for mindfulness)
- Aromatherapy (Using candles, wax melts or even room spray)
- Sitting in a comfortable position (Cross legged on a floor)
After you have done the above steps you can use this to be aware of the sounds you can hear, the beating of your heart, the sound of your breathing, how the floor feels as you sit on it etc. This type of technique helps me to calm those negative thoughts and feelings that we have in our heads. I do this especially on days with long lectures or the morning before an exam as it can help to reduce my nerves and focus. I love the feeling you get after a good session, I feel at complete ease and more confident to start the day and tackle the obstacles life throws my way.
Another technique of mindfulness that I use is yoga. I started by following my friend’s online classes (@Chloebyyoga) and Instagram tutorials. I first started by having a go at some of the poses that she put on Instagram whilst using guided meditation I found myself being more and more relaxed as I practised. It is something that can easily be picked up and is worth giving it a try. It is especially good because it can be done in the comfort of your living space. Whether that be a house, flat or halls.
Links and Apps for mindfulness, meditation and yoga:
- Down Dog
- Headspace
- Calm
- Check out the Headspace series on Meditation on Netflix too!
- Yoga with Adrienne
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.
- Health and Wellbeing resources
- NTSU Information and Advice service
- Wellness in Mind: Advice and support for anyone in Nottingham experiencing issues with their mental wellbeing
- Student Minds or Student Space
- 10 Keys to happiness
- Mind
- Papyrus
- CALM
Healthy NTU 