World Mental Health Day: Navigating Life

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Today is World Mental Health Day, so our Student Mental Health Champions have shared their thoughts and experiences around mental health to help raise awareness. Check out our other WMHD blog written by Jelly too!

Written by Beth Green, MA Magazine Journalism NTU Student

What makes you happy? It seems so simple, so why is it often the hardest question to answer when you’re mentally struggling? I think for me it comes down to the fact that when I’m at my lowest, I don’t remember what happiness feels like, let alone what causes it. Plus, we can’t rely on other people to know for us; what makes a person happy is unique to them. Perhaps what we need is to approach this differently, break it down, and start back at square one.

The basics:

If we start with the basics, then it’s a place where we can all meet. As humans, we need to eat, sleep, and drink to survive, therefore it is fundamental that these three things are top priorities to get in check. One thing that I often tell myself when I’m having a hard time, is that if I’m doing these things, then nothing else matters; I can attend to the rest later. Trust me, I know how difficult it can be. I’ve got a background with years of eating disorders, so I can completely empathise with those of you that find eating a battle. However, equally, I now know just how much eating regular meals (and plenty of snacks) has benefitted my mental health. If it feels unnatural, a helpful tip that has worked for me is to set alarm reminders in your phone, that prompt you to eat. Routine is key, so if that can be fixed, then you’re already on a roll.

Healthy habits:

Now you’re onto the next step – healthy habits. I don’t want to be that person that tells you to write a list. Instead, I’ll explain how it’s helped me, and from there you can make up your own mind. For a long time, I refused to believe in the validity of making a “goal” list, due to repeatedly failing to meet my own requirements. In hindsight, this was largely because I was being completely unrealistic, for fear that the ‘little’ goals weren’t important enough. Turns out, they’re actually the most important when I’m trying to better myself mentally.

For instance, instead of writing down an essay, keep it short, maximum of five goals for the day. Make sure they’re achievable; expecting myself to wake up and start reading for an hour per day probably isn’t going to happen. If you start small, you can work out your baseline and go from there, for example, reading for 15 minutes a day is less overwhelming, and therefore more doable. Lastly, this is a big one, make sure you write your list before you go to bed. There’s no use waiting until the day of, because you’ll either lose the motivation, manipulate it to fit what you’re already doing, or simply just forget.

The importance of having good people around you:

The next notable mention is the importance of people, more distinctly, the right people. Again, it’s a tough one, I know. When you’re in the dreaded slump, often the last thing you can think of doing is being social, but that’s exactly why you should be. However, what is so important here is that you only give your time to those who deserve it. If you have people in your life who drain you every time you see them, to a point where you end up feeling worse, then I hate to break it to you, these aren’t your people.

It’s all well and good keeping busy, but make sure you’re doing this with the people who raise you, love you and make you feel safe. It’s with them that you can keep up the discourse around mental health; the more you speak about it, the more it’s understood. When you feel supported, the hardest things feel that bit easier, so you push yourself; to go to that event, to go on the date, to apply for a job, or to start a new hobby. All of which are stepping stones on your journey to better yourself.

Noticing the little things that bring you joy:

If you’ve got this far, then maybe you’ve started to notice one or two things that bring a sprinkle of joy to your day. My best advice to you on that is to embrace it, whatever it may be; a morning coffee, an evening stroll, or a midweek Lord of The Rings marathon. These things will help ground you, level out your mind, and create stability in your life. Implement them, as often as you can, speak about them, write them down, and take a picture to remind yourself of that moment of bliss. It seems a little silly, but I’ve found it can be really helpful when I’m feeling lost.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a manual or a little friend on your shoulder telling you what to do (I’ve begged for that one!) There are, however, tips and tools that can aid the process, and I hope some of you can resonate with mine and make use of them. It’s not an overnight fix, it takes time, so stick with it. I believe in you.

For help, advice and resources whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support

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