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The second part of our Mental Wellbeing week is about to begin! The ESRC DTP and Heads Together are welcoming Jo Aldridge, Prof of Social Policy and Criminology, who is presenting to us on Health and Wellbeing for PGRs.
Jo will be talking about the importance of holistic health & wellbeing and some simple steps anyone can take to make student life a little easier, calmer, and happier. Jo’s forthcoming book, _Stress-busting for Students_, is out next year but we are lucky to get a taster today!
Heads Together was born with the wellbeing of our PGRs in mind and so we are very excited to be hosting Prof Jo Aldridge’s talk and grateful to @Line_Nyhagen for thinking of us!
Jo begins her presentation with a few recommended ‘DO’s for PGRS: relax physically and mentally, take time away from social media, negative news, and try not to multitask; avoid negative comparisons with peers; think the smaller picture & smaller steps, not big picture/big steps.
We all know that physical health is important, but sometimes we forget. Remember, it doesn’t have to be major and it doesn’t have to be a huge commitment, but doing *something* might help you to get out of your cramped headspace.
Hydrate! Drink water! H2O! It goes without saying but a glass of water with a cup of coffee goes a long way.
Jo also recommends us to be smart and aware about our food consumption - pay attention to the nutrients and food groups we eat and don’t eat. Deficiencies e.g. in magnesium can be easily adjusted and might make a world of difference.
S-L-E-E-P. It is difficult and subjective, but there are things you can try to help you get closer to those elusive 7-9 hours. Without being preachy: try not to work in your bed if you can help it, try not to eat or drink too close to bedtime, avoid alcohol and nicotine…
A key tip is to take time and space away from the things that stress us out. Taking your mind off your work is beneficial to you (and, by extension, your work itself)!
An important point: mental illness is different from wellbeing and self-care. Understanding this difference is crucial - we will all likely experience heightened stress and anxiety levels, but when this becomes chronic and prolonged, it can lead to illness.
Mental and bodily responses to heightened stress are alarming. Symptoms including light-headedness, dizziness, and sweating, can be managed effectively and, in time, we can build resilience through stress reduction methods - meditation, breathing exercises etc.
Control. Your. Breathing. Shallow breathing exacerbates symptoms of anxiety and stress. To elieviate symptoms and to relax: breathe into your belly. This gets sufficient oxygen into your system.
Some fantastic resources and apps are listed at the end of Jo’s presentation and we wish we could share them all here. Jo has kindly opened her inbox to any queries about which meditation and practices she recommends.
As we open our Q&A session, I declare this thread finished! As with last week, to respect the privacy and anonymity of our attendees we will not tweet any of the Q&A session. Thanks to @Line_Nyhagen, Prof Jo Aldridge, and @clo_blackwell for a great session!
