Written by Daiane Vaz Martins Sanha, a current HealthyNTU Placement student.

My name is Daiane Vaz Martins Sanha and I am a second-year student currently studying public health and health promotion. As you all know, moving to university from your home city can be a very exciting and new experience. Feelings such as loneliness and anxiety, can however very easily creep in on you and make you feel as if you are alone in this journey. During times where you feel your mental health is being affected, it is crucial to remember that there are many things that can be done to help cope with the stresses of university. Besides the amazing student services support, a way in which I cope with my mental health is through fitness and staying active. During my first year of university before I joined the gym, I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and constant stress. I felt lost and almost like I didn’t fit it anywhere. I have been going to the gym consistently for nearly 2 years and I would say it has definitely benefitted me overall but especially in terms of my mental health. Staying active and exercising is a form of self-care which gives us a sense of achievement and satisfaction. The benefits of staying active go beyond just the physical aspects and can benefit you to a great extent when it comes to dealing with mental health!

Here are some tips that I would give to someone that is looking to get into fitness as a form of self-care:

1. Try out different things

You do not have to be a gymgoer or sign up for a marathon in order to stay active. The best way to do it is to find an activity that you know you would enjoy doing whether that is boxing or swimming or walking. This is important because the more you enjoy doing an activity then the more sustainable it will be for the future. A great way to try things and see what you like could be through attending different trial days for some sports societies to get a taster of what the activity is like!

2. Embed your fitness into you daily routine and try your best to stay consistent

Having a routine for you to carry out and practice your self-care activity will help you build healthy habits and allow you to have a solid structure to your day. Even if that is taking 15 minutes of your day to enjoy a walk twice a week. Although it may not sound like a lot, these habits will ensure that you have time for yourself and allow you to release natural dopamine to reduce stress levels. Having a routine and being consistent also creates a sense of familiarity and control so that means that you can elevate your mood whilst also being in control of your time and life.

3. Push yourself out of your comfort zone

The great thing about fitness is that there is nearly always an opportunity to socialise and get to meet new people. Whether that is speaking to a familiar face at your gym or that you see during your walks or even having a group session with your peers. Even though it may be scary at first, pushing yourself to have these little interactions can allow you to meet new people that have a similar interest to you and even make new friends! From my experience, I feel a sense of community going to the gym and seeing the regular people and staff.  The gym community for me is very positive and supportive and I would say the little interactions and conversations have helped to improve and build my confidence. I know that it can all be intimidating when you first start doing an activity but always remember to try and push yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone because that is the best way for you to grow!

These are just some key tips that I would give to anyone looking to improve their mental health through staying active, I hope this blog helped. Staying active is just one of many things you can do to help cope with mental health. NTU has a great student services team that can help students access any help and support that they may need.

For help, advice and resources whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support.
Support from NTU
Self-Care books in NTU’s libraries
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