Student Life September 2019

REACHING OUT
One of my biggest support networks for
mental health has been my family. From late
night conversations with my Mum, to heartto-hearts
with my Dad, or advice from my
older siblings, and what I have learnt from
all of these interactions, is the importance
of communication and emotional honesty.
Being away from home to study however,
has shaken that particular network as it
doesn’t always feel possible to properly
express what’s wrong in a text or call late at
night. The physical distance especially, adds
an extra layer of difficulty to comforting
each other.
In order to combat this, I have tried to
develop new support networks. Which has
been a bit of challenge for me complicated
by social anxiety. This anxiety can make
reaching out somewhat difficult as I
sometimes just don’t know what to say or
the best way to put it. However, I’ve muddled
through all of this and managed to make
friends anyway, and by challenging myself,
this has gradually gotten better.
When I was defeated and at my lowest,
wanting nothing more than to just give
up and go home, I saw the true value of
BY GRACE SMITH
these relationships when I reached out and
communicated these fears. While I was
worried that I was overburdening others,
I received nothing but support, and after
exchanging stories and advice about what
they had overcome and how they did it, I felt
ready to fight again and complete my studies.
The best piece of advice I received however,
which gave me the motivation to continue,
was to compare myself to the
past me. That instead of comparing myself
against others’ accomplishments, I should
stop and see how far I’ve come, and that
particular piece of advice meant more to me
in that moment than I can express now.
I’ve found that in order to
maintain a good sense of mental
wellbeing, it is important to be
self-aware and reflective.
I try to do this by keeping a diary/journal to
track my thoughts if I’ve had a particularly
good or bad experience. Because it’s good to
read back and see how I’ve developed as a
person, as well as have a bit of a laugh at my
own expense over some of the silly things I’ve
written when I was in a particular mood.
46 • SEPTEMBER 2019 • STUDENT LIFE