Improving My Self-care – Tips

You may be noticing some signs of needing to improve self-care, or you may just like to think about how you can improve your mental wellbeing more generally.

Acts of self-care often start with basic essentials, such as: eating, drinking, cleaning and sleeping. We have put together some tips for improving your self-care that some students and supporters shared with us. These will likely differ from person to person, and may be linked with your hobbies and personal enjoyment. It may also be a trial and error process, so try different things and see which ones you prefer, and which ones leave you feeling the most comfortable and relaxed!

• Exercise – this can take may forms, so find what works best for you. Regular engagement in exercise reduces stress & anxiety, and improves sleep^1,2
• Meditation/Mindfulness/yoga (just a single session has been shown to reduce stress & improve mental health^3,4 – read more here)
• Breathing exercises – these can be done anywhere (e.g. in bed, at your desk) – we have put together a short exercise for you to follow
• Turn off social media for a few hours
• Go for a walk or cycle in the outdoors – as little as 5 minutes in the outdoors has been shown to improve mood & self-esteem3 (read more here)
• Engage in a hobby or something you enjoy – e.g. drawing/art, listening to music, photography, reading
• Watch your favourite film/tv show

References/Extra Reading:

1.Gerber, M., Brand, S., Herrmann, C., Colledge, F., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Pühse, U. (2014). Increased objectively assessed vigorous-intensity exercise is associated with reduced stress, increased mental health and good objective and subjective sleep in young adults. Physiology & behavior, 135, 17-24.Büssing A, Michalsen A, Khalsa SBS, et al. (2012). Effects of yoga on mental and physical health: a short summary of reviews. Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, 2012:165410.  

2.Kelley, G. A., & Kelley, K. S. (2017). Exercise and sleep: a systematic review of previous meta‐analyses. Journal of Evidence‐Based Medicine, 10(1), 26-36.Pascoe MC, Bauer IE. (2015). A systematic review of randomised control trials on the effects of yoga on stress measures and mood. Journal of Psychiatric Research; 68, 270–82.

3.Barton, J., & Pretty, J. (2010). What is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? A multi-study analysis. Environmental science & technology, 44(10), 3947-3955.