Looking after the mighty mind
We’ve made it through the winter blues. Now, it’s March. The weather is not much better (it may even be worse), deadlines are still looming, experiments are going wrong, the pile of papers you promised yourself you’d read at the start of year is still growing and we’re not even half-way through the second term.
This can all be a bit overwhelming. I definitely cope better in the summer when I can venture outside in the sunshine (…or rain) and go running, cycling, hiking or rowing. So, at the moment I just feel a bit ‘meh’ which isn’t great, but it’s leaps and bounds better than how I felt this time last year. There are numerous times we neglect our mental health for our work, academic studies and other life commitments. It’s as if it’s not important because we’re not physically ill, so ‘we must be fine’ and should just ‘man up’ and carry on. This certainly should not be the case.
Postgraduates are one of the most effected professional groups that suffer from poor mental health (you can read about it in this article). In recent research, it has been recorded that one in two PhD students experience at least two symptoms of poor mental health. Two of the main factors for this are the high levels of work and work-life conflict.
Luckily, the University of Birmingham has support services in place and is well equipped to help students with their mental health and well-being, keeping you all healthy and happy.
Here are some examples of the support available:
- Each School has a Wellbeing Officer(s) who you can talk to. During term time there are drop-in sessions and outside of term, you can book appointments directly with your Welbeing Officer.
- Well-being check ins – These are great, as you attend four 30-minute sessions that run on first-come-first-served basis. You then speak to a well-being practitioner about your concerns. They’ll then talk you through the appropriate support that is available to you.
- Group sessions & Workshops – The groups are run by experienced well-being staff. Sometimes you may prefer being within a group as it can reduce the attention and pressure on you. The workshops are one-off sessions that can provide you with some tips and tricks for relatively common issues.
- Personalised Support – These sessions are run by psychological practitioners that tailor the session to suit you. The sessions are for those of us that may be suffering with our mental health to a serious extent.
- External sources – Maybe you already know what you would like to engage with, and the university provides a few recommendations.
Aside from these options, there are also opportunities to do meditation and yoga. I have found these to be brilliant ways of keeping my mental health and well-being in check!
Westmere runs mediation, yoga and mindfulness events throughout the year. Just check their twitter or follow visit their university intranet page.
Mindfulness could be for you
I am a big fan of mindfulness (although I was a bit sceptical at first). Four months ago, I started my mindful journey and I do not regret it one bit! I kind of fell into it due to my PhD. Initially, I didn’t start practising mindfulness because I thought it would help my mental well-being… One of my studies was going to implement a mindful intervention to stop athletes from breaking under pressure.
However, it turned into so much more. I now do ten minutes of mindful meditation most days. You don’t have to do this sat still with your legs crossed and ‘mmming’ your heart out (not really my style either). It can be out walking, running, cycling or stood up on my commute. I currently use the Headspace app. I definitely recommend downloading it, and if you’ve got a student Spotify account, you get it absolutely free – class, right?! It has definitely boosted my mood, I am less reactive to things, I don’t overthink as much, I’m more productive (still have a few papers piling up) and I’m more sociable.
Take care of your mighty mind!
So, before I go, please, please, please, look after your minds just as well as you look after your physical health. You don’t have to start meditating to do this. Just make sure to check in with yourself and take breaks from work. Go and see your friends, your family, go on spontaneous adventures, play a sport. Remember, your PhD is only one aspect of your life. You’re so much more than it… You’re the funny friend, a best friend, a daughter/son, a sister/brother, a dog mum (not just me, ey?), a footballer maybe, a guitarist of a local band, a trash TV lover… There’s a big wide world out there that you can explore and enjoy, so go get it and feed that trash TV obsession for a bit (remember, only the most intelligent watch this kind of TV).
Thanks for reading!
Katie