As young people across the country return to university or start their degree courses, student life is looking very different from the usual. With local student lockdowns, online lectures and the 6 person rule, many students might be feeling unsettled, anxious, lonely or disconnected. If you are feeling this way, you are not alone. The following tips from mental health expert Dr Krause are here to help you.

  1. Keep connected – be sure to keep in virtual contact with family and old school friends whilst making in-person connections with the ‘bubble’ of people in your halls or accommodation. Get your technology set up as soon as possible to make sure you are not isolated.
  2. Keep routine – having a routine not only gives us purpose throughout the day but is also calming. Make a plan including eating, exercising, studying, and socialising as regularly as you can. Give yourself enough time to sleep, but try to build a routine so you do not sleep through the day. If you are not self isolating, try to allocate some time outside.
  3. Keep safe –  following health guidelines works, so be sure to keep the hands, space and face rule in mind.
  4. Keep control – separate what you can control, and let go of what you can’t. This means focussing on managing any negative thoughts, thinking through the consequences of your actions, focussing on strategies to boost your physical and mental health, and building on existing relationships.
  5. Keep up self care – maintain activities that help you to manage your stress and rest. Alcohol often plays a big role at university, especially during freshers’ week, but it is important to avoid spending excessive amounts of your time drinking in your room.
  6. Keep informed – stay up to date with what the latest student or university advice might be, and what steps others are taking to keep safe. Make sure you know about the online support services available, or pick up with the ones you left behind at home. Give yourself time to settle in.
  7. Keep looking forward – try to see the current challenge as a ‘bump in the road’ to where you want to get to. You are not there as yet, but you will be, just at a slower pace than you had expected. Write down your goals and break them into steps. Then think about how you can begin to implement them now, as well as when things change. 

For more mental health and resilience tips, check out stem4’s resilience page here.

You can also use the Clear Fear app to manage COVID related anxiety, learn how to use the app during the pandemic here & download it here.