Student mental health and wellbeing resources | Student Hub

Support and guidance for staying mentally well during the pandemic when working at home or on campus.

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to have an impact on your studies, it is important that you are mindful of your mental health and aware of the support services available to you.

Looking after your mental health at City

The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy for anyone, so it is important for you regularly focus on your mental health. It is ok to not be ok and City has a variety of support services which may be able to help you.

Counselling, Mental Health and Accessibility

As a result of coronavirus pandemic, the Student Counselling, Mental Health and Accessibility Service will only be offering remote support.

The Counselling, Mental Health and Accessibility team offers a range offer services to meet diverse, individual needs and support you to manage your wellbeing and fulfil your potential. You can find additional advice to support your studies and wellbeing on our Moodle page.

The team also manages the @cityunistressless Instagram account, and continue to share a range of relaxation techniques. These include art therapy journaling, a weekly breathe session and self-care tips.

For more information on their services see the Student Counselling, Mental Health and Accessibility Service on the Student Hub.

Faith, belief and culture

The City Chaplaincy Team welcomes every faith, belief and culture and they available if you ever want to chat. Contact them by email in the first instance, but they’re also happy to talk on the phone, or via social media platforms.

You can also follow them on Instagram @cityunichaplaincy where they regularly post with ‘Thought for the Week’, details of faith festivals or general conversation starters.

For more information see the Support from your Chaplaincy Team page on the Student Hub.

City Cares

City Cares is City’s dedicated, comprehensive programme of support for care-experienced, young adult carers, young estranged students and asylum seekers.

They are committed to providing financial, pastoral and educational support, for every student in the City Cares community.

For more information see the City Cares page on the Student Hub.

The Student Centre

For all other forms of support, see City’s award-winning Student Centre .

Their team of friendly advisors can provide both practical and emotional support and can help you throughout your time at City.

For more information see The Student Centre page on the Student Hub.

External mental health and wellbeing support

Mind

Mind is the UK’s premier mental health charity. Their award-winning website has a number of resources for free including an information line, a directory of over one hundred ‘local minds’ and tips for everyday living. They also have information on how to access urgent help and a list of A-Z in mental health.

For more information see mind.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation is a charity that puts prevention at the heart of what they do. They aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive. Their work includes providing podcasts, videos and support information on mental health and wellbeing.

For more information visit Mental Health Foundation

YoungMinds

YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health. Their mission is to make sure all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it. They have created several programs dedicated to supporting young people.

For more information see YoungMinds.

Relaxation and mindfulness

The mental health charity Mind recommends finding ways to relax and be creative

There are lots of different ways that you can relax, take notice of the present moment and use your creative side. These include arts and crafts, DIY, singing or listening to music, writing or meditation.

City’s Centre for Excellence in Mindfulness Research (CEMR) is running virtual facilitated mindfulness sessions, open to all, three times a week, from 12.30pm – 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Join to connect with CEMR’s mindfulness team to make space for community, friendly smiles, and self-care. If you are interested in attending a session, please contact Jutta Tobias Mortlock who can provide log-in details.

There are also many other external offerings, such as the mindfulness app Headspace which offers free meditation, sleep and movement exercises to help you – however you’re feeling.

Keeping active

If you are currently working or studying from home, the mental health charity Mind recommends building physical activity into your daily routine, if possible. Exercising at home can be simple and there are options for most ages and abilities, such as:

Cleaning your home
Dancing to music
Going up and down stairs
Sitting less – if you notice you’ve been sitting down for an hour, just getting up or changing position can help.

CitySport, the University’s sport and fitness centre, continues to provide tips and home workout videos, suitable for all levels, on their YouTube channel, and at @citysportec1 on their Instagram and Facebook channels – helping you to stay active while working from home.

Sport England are sharing lots of tips, advice and guidance on how to keep or get active in and around your home, including workouts from content providers such as Les Mills on Demand and Joe Wicks (The Body Coach).

There are many independent fitness videos and classes on YouTube and Instagram who are providing free access to home workouts including Yoga and Pilates, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), bodyweight exercises and stretching.

Support for working at home

Since the majority of teaching and learning will be virtual, we would like to make sure that you have everything you need to get started and make the most out of your studies online.

We have put together a list of essential software and equipment you will need and where to find out more information. You can read the full list below or download it as a checklist here – please make sure you read through this and check you have all the equipment you need.

Makes sure you have sufficient space for your devices and that you are seated in a quiet study space in a healthy posture while working.

For more information about working from home see the studying online page on the Student Hub.

Support for working on campus

You are able to work on campus if you prefer. You can book individual study spaces in the Library and access PC labs and study spaces in the Pavilion (main Northampton Square entrance), Tait Building (Level 1) and the Drysdale Building (ground floor and lower ground floor).