5 Steps to Wellbeing
Raising awareness on mental health, advocating against social stigma and highlighting the support available to our students.
To mark World Mental Health Day 2020 we’d like to take the opportunity to raise awareness on mental health, advocate against social stigma and highlight the support available to our students.
Many students and young people suffer from mental illnesses and these can have a negative impact on their performance. This may also affect their interpersonal experiences, which in turn can lead to academic failure and drop-out, difficulties securing employment and other negative social outcomes.
That’s why it’s important to recognise that our mental health is just as important as our physical health – and we all need to take care of it.
Introducing five simple steps to wellbeing
Below are the NHS's 5 Steps to Wellbeing which we can all use to look after ourselves and help protect against stress.
1.
Connect
– connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships.
2.
Be active
– you don't have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.
3.
Keep learning
– learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course, learn a new language, or figure out how to fix your bike?
4.
Give to others
– even the smallest act can count, whether it's a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you build new social networks.
5.
Be Mindful
– be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.
Students, don’t forget support is available
Located in the Academic Office on the ground floor of our building, the ICMP Wellbeing Team are available to all students and offer a range of support, including signposting to specialist services outside ICMP. The team can also refer students to our counselling service. If you need advice or would like to talk with someone in the team, then you can get in touch by emailing studentwellbeing@icmp.ac.uk.
Also, don’t forget that all ICMP students have access to the innovative online mental health service Togetherall 24/7, 365 days a year.