University Mental Health Day 2021 is on Thursday 4th March. The day strives to create, encourage and support university staff and students to talk more openly about mental health.
Student Minds the organisation behind University Mental Health day had the below, powerful few lines about the importance of student mental health:
There are over 2.3 million students studying in UK universities, with many experiencing academic, social and financial pressures. We know that being at university can raise a number of unique challenges to mental health and wellbeing. We know that many challenges faced by students have been exacerbated or shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, rather than going away. On top of that are the additional difficulties posed by current circumstances, such as a student’s ability to socialise and make friends, financial instability, and disruption to mental health care. With an increasing number of students accessing support services, the severity of distress and mental illness in young people, students leaving university due to mental health difficulties and tragically the number of student deaths by suicide. However, we believe it does not need to be this way.
We need to work together to improve the university experience, allowing students to succeed and thrive. You can help us to do this.
You can find out more about the day and about student minds by visiting their websites> UMHD & StudentMinds
Our theme for UMHD this year is Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”). It’s a Danish concept that is all about comfort, cosiness, contentment, wellbeing, living in the moment and simple pleasures. Picture this: you are sat on your sofa, cuddled up in a blanket, wearing your favourite fluffy socks, with your hands wrapped around your favourite mug filled with hot chocolate. Feels cosy, right? Well that’s the basic premise of Hygge. It’s a feeling of comfort and contentment. You’re probably thinking it sounds a lot like self-care, and you’d be right. But in Denmark, Hygge is so much more than just a candlelit bubble bath once a week. Hygge is a way of life. And did you know that Denmark was actually rated one of the top 3 happiest countries in the world? So they must be doing something right! Although the high season of Hygge is Christmas, it is actually an all-year round concept. A picnic in the park, a Sunday morning coffee in your garden or a candlelit evening meal with your family, all of these activities ooze Hygge.
This UMHD we want to raise more awareness of Hygge, and we want to see your Hygge! Get involved by sharing a photo of your Hygge moment on social media. Just use the hashtag #LifeLoungeHygge and remember to tag us. No social media? No problem! You can email your photo to lifelounge@bolton.ac.uk (please note, we might share your photo on our social media pages, so please tell us if you’d rather we didn’t!)
You can listen to the full Audiobook ‘The Little Book of Hygge’ for FREE on YouTube here: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well - Meik Wiking | Full Audiobook - YouTube
You’ve probably heard about the link between physical activity and improving mental health. Exercise really does make a huge difference to your mind! The Sports and Wellness team have put together some great tips, videos and blogs on their website, available through the Mybolton app and through their >Vimeo Page . Have you got 30 minutes to spare today? Get your body moving with this 30-minute Yoga Flow video and pay close attention to how you feel afterwards!
Connecting with others is great for our wellbeing. We’ve partnered with Umii, recognising that the last year has been difficult for some students to connect with each other. Umii is a social platform just for students it allows users to connect based on their course, hobbies and interests, over 450+ Bolton student are already signed up. Download the app today by searching Umii on the app store or on google play and sign up using your Bolton uni email address.