Stress Awareness Month takes place every April. It’s dedicated to raising awareness of what causes stress and what can be done to reduce it.
Published Wednesday, 17th April, 2024 in University news
Stress is something that affects all of us. It’s a state of worry or tension caused by a difficult situation, for example an upcoming deadline or exam. If you have too much stress, or if it is left unmanaged, it can cause physical and mental health problems.
The Campus News team and City’s Student Mental Health Advisors have joined up to provide practical tips for dealing with stress and point towards the resources available to you at City to help manage it.
Practical tips from City’s Student Mental Health Advisors, Dion and Michael:
Here’s our top five tips to manage stress!
- Go for regular walks in open green space
- Socialise with friends and family (you could combine this with tip 1 and take a friend along for the journey!
- Try breathing exercises (such as box breathing).
- Follow this up with some journalling to get your thoughts on paper.
- Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goals to help relieve stress and feel in control.
City’s Student Communications Assistants’ tips for managing stress:
Sabrina - “Time management is really important for me. I like to prioritise my tasks, assignments and commitments. I then write out a to do list, which I find helps reduce stress.”
Daniel - “Exercising and staying active really helps me. Watching my favourite TV shows also helps take my mind off things.”
Eulalia - “I practise mindfulness. I also find that doing something that takes your mind off what you’re worrying about, like yoga, dance, reading or doing sports is really helpful.”
Ben - “When I’m feeling stressed, I find getting enough sleep is really important for making me feel better.”
Mei - “Treating yourself is really important. For example, do something you know you’ll enjoy, like going to a spa, going for a walk, playing your favourite sport or even buying yourself a cake.”
Resources available to you at City
Student Health and Wellbeing
City’s Student Health and Wellbeing team offer a range of services to meet your individual needs and help your wellbeing.
You can see an overview of the services available to you or book a chat with an Engagement Advisor to discuss how the team can help you through the Student Hub.
Togetherall
If you need a safe place to share how you’re feeling and get support through online courses and resources, City students have access to Togetherall using your City email address.
CityWellbeing App
The free CityWellbeing App helps you create and track small daily habits that can boost your wellbeing and help manage stress. It has lots of resources like wellbeing podcasts and journals to help you manage stress. You can download it through the App Store or Google Play.
CitySport’s gym
Exercise is proven to help reduce stress and boost wellbeing. CitySport's gym membership offer allows you to come to the gym on Goswell Road as often as you like for £30 until Saturday 31 August. A £10 monthly top up gives unlimited access to the studio classes like yoga, dance and bootcamp. You can buy a membership on the CitySport website.
Crisis and emergency support
If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of someone else, please see City’s Crisis and Emergency and Helpline Support pages.