Mental Health and Wellbeing
Being at university is an exciting and rewarding time, but it can also be stressful and demanding.
Feeling overwhelmed can, if unaddressed, lead to a deterioration in our emotional wellbeing and mental health. This can impact every aspect of our lives, including our sleep, diet, relationships and motivation to do the things that we previously enjoyed. These feelings can be difficult to deal with alone, and sometimes we all need a helping hand.
Support is available through HEART, whether you have a pre-existing mental health condition or not.
Our welfare and wellbeing advisors are on-hand throughout the year to talk with you in confidence about the challenges, thoughts and feelings you may be experiencing. Together, you will be able to discuss strategies that will help you to move forward, as well as set manageable, achievable goals. They can also help you to access a range of other specialist services, either in UCW or in your local area, which you may find beneficial.
We currently use the Student Assistant Programme (SAP) delivered through Health Assured. Available to all students any time of the day or night via a helpline, the SAP can help with stress and anxiety, bereavement, relationship advice and alcohol and drug issues among others and offers immediate counselling support. For details please visit SAP Noticeboard Poster.pdf (weston.ac.uk)
If you think you would find this useful, please contact HEART.
The team (Clem Williams, Jess Darby and Claire Roberts) are available from 8:30am-5pm Monday to Thursday and from 08:30am-4:30pm on Fridays. You can also contact the team by email and on 01934 411 403.
There will also be regular wellbeing sessions running throughout the year. These can give you some ideas about how to improve your overall wellbeing and resilience to the demands of university life, as well as give you the chance to meet new people and try out new activities. We will post the dates and times of these sessions on our social media channels.
Additionally, we have produced these downloadable mini guides to help you with common problems often experienced by students:
IMPORTANT: if you or someone you know is experiencing significant distress and may be in immediate danger, there are people you can talk to who are there to help:
- Speak to a friend, family member or someone you trust. Just the simple act of talking about your feelings or concerns can help.
- Call the Samaritans 24-hour support service on 116 123
- Contact NHS 111
- Make an appointment to see your GP.
- In urgent cases, go to A&E and ask to speak with their Mental Health Team.
A mental health crisis is an emergency and will be treated as such.
Open Day
Come along to our next Open Day to find out how we could help you achieve your ambitions with higher education.
Useful Links
General mental health
Mind is the leading mental health charity in the UK. Their website contains a wide range of resources and advice covering practically everything to do with mental health and wellbeing.
Focusing more on younger people, their website also features advice for students that anyone experiencing university life might find useful.
Expert advice on conditions, medications, and how to access support.
Apps and online self-help
A free app, developed by UWE Bristol, designed to help people with anxiety-related problems.
Another free app designed to help you map your moods and try activities designed to improve your emotional wellbeing.
An online method of monitoring and assessing your mood, recommended by the NHS.
MindBodyGreen breathing excercises
A straightforward guide to using your breathing to relax your body. Particularly useful for people experiencing anxiety or who have experienced panic attacks.
A comprehensive free downloadable booklet offering advice and guidance on being a student.
