Student Wellbeing

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We recognise that thriving at university will be determined as much by your wellbeing as it is by your academic ability: if you feel healthy and content within yourself and your environment, then you are far more likely to perform to the best of your academic ability.

Studies shows that there are five simple things that you can do as part of your daily life, both at work and at home, that can build resilience, boost your wellbeing and lower the risk of developing mental health problems. Why not take a look for yourself, below, and see how you could incorporate the Five ways to wellbeing into your day to day activities.

Collage of 2 | Woman laughing | Student playing the violin

Be active content

Be active

Be active

Regular physical activity has been shown to lower rates of depression and anxiety.  Exercise is essential for promoting wellbeing and slowing age related decline in cognitive function.

It does not need to be intense for you to feel good, a gentler paced activity such as walking can have social benefits as well as physical ones, by providing the opportunity to interact with others whilst exercising.

Why not think about the ways in which you could be physical today.  Perhaps you could:

  • Go for a walk at lunchtime
  • Take the stairs rather than the lift
  • Get off the bus one stop earlier, or park further away from the building
  • Walk to class, perhaps with friends so that you are able to socialise as well
  • Join in with an online fitness class
Connect content

Connect

Connect

Good relationships are good for mental wellbeing. They can help you build a sense of belonging and self-worth, and give you an opportunity to share positive experiences. They can also provide you with emotional support, whilst allowing you to support others.

Why not do something different today to make a connection.

  • Talk to someone instead of sending an email
  • Say hello to someone you pass on the street
  • Ask how someone's weekend was and really listen to their answer
  • Join a group or society that does something that you are interested in
  • Visit a friend or family member who needs support or company
  • Make the most of technology to stay in touch with friends and family. FaceTime and Skype can be particularly useful

Spiritual support 

Spiritual support is offered to religious and non-religious students (and staff) to help with pastoral support and deal with questions of faith. 

Get in touch studentengagement@uhi.ac.uk

Give content

Give

Give

Commiting an act of kindness once per week has been shown to have an increase in wellbeing.

Acts of giving and kindness can help to improve your mental wellbeing by:

  • creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
  • helping you to connect with others
  • giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth

There are many ways you can give.  Including:

  • Volunteering - Volunteer Scotland
  • Give yourself a break
  • Give someone your time - offer to do their shopping, help them with their coursework or a project.  There are some many possibilites!
  • Give to charity - find out what charities and projects we're supporting on the UHI Just Giving page or check out the Charity Choice website, the UK's largest directory providing detailed information on over 160,000 registered charities
Learn content

Learn

Learn

Continual learning throughout life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction. This in turn can lead to a more active life. Setting goals has been shown to have higher levels of wellbeing.

Take notice content

Take notice

Take notice

By paying more attention to the present moment, you can improve you mental wellbeing.

This can include your thoughts and feelings, your body or how the world around you looks. This is sometimes known as mindfulness, and it can help you to enjoy life more and understand yourself a bit better. This can have a positive impact how you feel about life and how you might approach challenges.