Student Life October 2019

& with Leanne xo
TIPS ADVICE
Q: How do you go about coping with your mental health whilst
trying to live a normal day-to-day life?
A: Not unlike another question I have
answered; I believe it’s all about balance.
We all have our daily routines,
responsibilities, and more often than not
it’s very easy for life to get in the way of
us finding time to relax and wind-down.
Balancing our ‘life-loads’ can be a tricky
and tiring exercise, but one that in the end
will benefit our wellbeing.
levels within our brain. If we are looking
for a boost in those happy chemicals
exercise is a proven method to achieve
that! It also helps us with lifting our selfconfidence
and is also beneficial to our
physical health. This doesn’t need to be
too strenuous, a long walk perhaps, or a
light jog around the block or local park!
Looking after our wellbeing doesn’t have
to be a huge statement, it doesn’t have
to involve a whole day of activities and
consume hours and hours that we just
don’t have. Taking care of our mental
health can be as easy as having a bubble
bath with a cold glass of Dr. Pepper, or
sitting in the garden for 20 minutes.
Humans are complex creatures and there
will never be one overarching answer to
looking out for our wellbeing, however
there are many different self-care activities
that we can participate in which are said to
improve our wellbeing. Please see a nonexhaustive
list below:
Exercise (groan!) – yes some of us
will hate the thought of exercise and
couldn’t think of anything worse.
However, when we exercise our bodies
release the neuro-chemicals known as
Serotonin and Dopamine. Serotonin
and Dopamine help with the balance
and management of our happiness
Make a phone call – Call up your go-to
friend or relative and have a moan! Or
better yet have a chat about the latest
gossip in their lives if you don’t want to
discuss yours. Blowing off steam with a
friend is a great way to focus on things
other than your worries and stresses.
66 • OCTOBER 2019 • STUDENT LIFE