In this piece, I’d like to discuss some what I hope are useful, practical and positive ways to enable you to manage stress, anxiety, and your mental and physical wellbeing.

An obvious point, but one we often forget, I feel, is that some level of stress and fear is normal – and perfectly fine. We’re hard-wired, from our hunter-gatherer days, to have some level of anxiety in situations (though generally we’re not about to be eaten by a bear these days!).  So, some worrying about an upcoming exam or presentation is really no problem.

A bit of adrenaline to get us focused and kick us into gear is actually good – those necessary nerves that performers and sports men and women get before a show or big game, to help them do their stuff, for example.

The key is to avoid this going over into more long-term and debilatating anxiety, which can stop us doing what we want or need to do and cause us to underperform or feel unhappy more than is average or healthy.  A lot of the students I see are possibly at this point – through a combination of any number of reasons (such as working excessively, lack of sleep, poor diet and levels of exercise and worry over deadlines and exam pressure).

I think that underpinning all of this is the importance of balance.  Find the right balance between independent study, paid work, family/other commitments and looking after your wellbeing and you will have cracked it !

Trying to put things into a logical and accurare perspective is also useful and needed in all walks of life, I would argue.  A low mark, a poor interview or a presentation not going as well as we would like need not be disasters.  Things are all relative and these don’t mean a doomed degree or an inability to ever get a job are the natural result.  Get feedback and learn from such challenges, pick yourself off and go again – thinking that you can do it helps !

I would recommend thinking carefully about your hours of study and paid-work (the uni suggest a total of 35 for the former, including your contact hours and a maximum of 12-15 for the latter).  Ensure that you build in – there should be enough hours if you divide things up properly – time to relax, get some fresh air and some activity !

The ‘Five Ways To Wellbeing’ campaign, championed by mental health charities such as MIND is excellent. It brings a common sense, pro-active and practical approach to managing yourself, your lifestyle and your resources.

Very much en vogue currently are all things concerning ‘mindfulness‘.  This is a technique to make sure you are focused in the moment, calm and aware.  It is something that can be practised, either alone or in sessions, and a lot of people report finding it to be a very beneficial resource in their wellbeing toolkit.  This is a link about Mindfulness from the NHS website, it includes a ‘Mood Self-Assessment’, so you can analyse your mental health.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/mindfulness.aspx

Breathing techniques to aid you in those times when you feel the build up of stress, such as the 4-7-8 method (breath in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds) can also be really fantastic.  The 4-7-8 one has been called a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system”, don’t yer know !

The good news is that there is a great deal of help and support that you can access, free of charge, at the university if you do need to talk to someone.  From the ‘Coaching Service’, to coming to see me – as your SSGT – to the ‘Counselling Service’, it’s all here to help get you back on track mentally and physically.  These links explain more about tapping into this support and show what is available within the UoB to ensure that all aspects of your student life are ticking along ok :

https://www.brighton.ac.uk/current-students/my-student-life/health-and-wellbeing/index.aspx

http://about.brighton.ac.uk/student-life-connector/

If you need more specialist, external support, then an option may be to go to your GP, who can refer you on to these.

As a student undertaking a degree programme you are bright (you have been accepted to the course, so must be smart !) and have what is needed to achieve well.  If you attend your sessions, try to do enough studying whilst aiming for balance in your life, this – allied to your natural ability and potential – should be enough to get you through to those goals of graduating and moving on with your career !

Good luck and take care !

Stuart Bullen, Student Support & Guidance Tutor, BBS.

SSGTBusinessSchool@brighton.ac.uk