You can also ask yourself the question, “How are you?”. In the midst of all your activities, it’s good to stop every now and then and ask yourself: How am I doing? How is my personal wellbeing? You can even allow a specific time for this.
Below is a list of things each of us can do to strengthen our mental wellbeing. By familiarising yourself with these suggestions, you can start to think about what is important to you at the moment and whether your life includes these elements.
SLEEP + EXERCISE + eating
The familiar triad of sleep, food, and exercise lays the foundation for daily wellbeing. With a balance between sleep, eating, and exercise, you’ll be better able to cope even with uncomfortable things and have the energy to tackle challenges.
Do you allow enough time for sleep?
Does what you eat contribute to your coping and wellbeing?
What kind of exercise gets you moving?
JOYFUL MOMENTS
Fun moments are the little things in everyday life that make you happy and feel good. Listening to music, a leisurely morning, or even a phone conversation with a friend are examples of joyful moments in everyday life.
Noticing the nice moments allows you to focus on what is good in everyday life. They are also relaxing. You can also consciously organise joyful moments. Write down something in your calendar for tomorrow that you are going to do.
What nice moment would you organise for yourself tomorrow?
WHAT DO YOU FEEL?
By listening to your feelings, you will learn to understand yourself; they tell you what’s going on inside you right now. All kinds of feelings are important – even the bad ones. Give space to your feelings: when you recognise them, you can deal with them. Analysing a feeling will alleviate it.
What kinds of feelings have you had today?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
You can think about what kinds of thoughts you have in the forefront of your mind. For example, do you have a lot of “should” or “have to” thoughts? Do you think you should already know this and that at this stage of your studies? You can also ask yourself how you talk to yourself. Do you belittle and criticise yourself? Or do you encourage yourself and consider yourself good enough?
What thoughts do you have about yourself and your life?
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Learning is at the heart of a student’s life. But learning is more than just studying or education. Any means that help us maintain a curious and inquisitive attitude towards the world around us will allow us to learn something new every day.
Get excited and learn something new by trying an unfamiliar thing that breaks your familiar routine. Trying out a new recipe? A course in another field of study? Getting to know a new place in your hometown? Trying new things will give you new perspectives and insights into your everyday life. A quick new thing to do could be, for example, to redecorate your student apartment. What happens when the bed and the table change places?
What new thing could you try tomorrow?
TOGETHER WITH OTHERS
We need, crave, and want the company of others. Social relationships and feelings of inclusion are important for our mental wellbeing. You can think about the important people in your life. Who could you keep in touch with more? And who can you talk to if you have worries? Sometimes people that become important can be found in unexpected places. Feel free to get involved in hobbies or events that interest you.
How do you take care of your relationships?
THE IMPORTANCE OF RELAXATION
Lectures in the daytime, independent tasks in the evenings? Studying can feel like you don’t have working hours: no one is keeping track of the time. Remember to relax once in a while. Give yourself a chance to take a moment to breathe. Relaxation helps us recover, reduces stress, and boosts our ability to study.
What ways of relaxing work for you?