Wellbeing Week money blog day 5 – Give

The very thought of giving when you don’t have any money is stressful……but giving usually has nothing to do with money.

Giving is good for your mental health and general wellbeing, and giving means being generous and thoughtful with your time, your thoughts, and your attention.

If you believe strongly in a principle, you might find you can give some of your time to support a worthwhile cause. Perhaps you care passionately about climate change, or people experiencing poverty, or neglected animals? There will be an organisation which could use some of your time, and the connection you might make with people with similar beliefs could be really good for your own sense of wellbeing and belonging too.  There are plenty of ways you can find an organisation to volunteer for – look them up online, and there is usually a ‘volunteer for us’ choice on the website. In Brighton and Hove there is an organisation called Community Base on Queens Road, which has a list of volunteering opportunities in the area, and probably most usefully, the University’s own Volunteering team can help you find the right volunteering opportunity for you.

Volunteering is also a really good way to meet new people, and potentially making a new friend.

Being thoughtful about your friends and listening to them talk about their lives can bring you closer to them. It is particularly worth thinking about this if you are a new student and feeling lonely – the best way to make new friends is to listen to the people around you and take an interest in what they are saying, thinking about how they might be feeling, and letting them know you are there for them.

You can give your attention to a friend who is unwell or unhappy, by checking in on them, listening and reassuring them. Being a good friend is about giving your attention and thoughtfulness to another person. Even small kindnesses like making them a cup of tea or picking up a prescription for an unwell friend will be appreciated.

If you feel the need for some physical giving, then you could try giving blood.  It’s not for everyone, but if it suits you, it’s a good way of giving to your community and makes such a difference to people’s lives.

With Christmas not too far around the corner, think of different ways you can give to loved ones rather than feeling pressured to spend money on gifts. Look out for our seasonal ‘Christmas for less’ blogs next month for inspiration!

We get so much back from giving, and it’s worth being reminded of this, especially if we are feeling low ourselves.

Student Advice Service