Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

Walk on campus with Sport in Mind - 17 May 

With this year’s theme in mind, Sport in Mind is hosting a gentle group walk around the University of Reading on Friday 17 May, 13:00 - 14:00, Whiteknights campus. Please meet at 12:45pm on the day in the central grass square outside Palmer building and the co-op. 

Wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate attire! Remember to bring a bottle of water and sunscreen if it’s warm out. 

Book your spot by calling 07788993516 or email Kirsty.Bowden@sportinmind.org

Sport in Mind is an independent multi-award winning mental health charity with a simple mission: to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. They have a regular schedule of student events that you can take part in, find the latest activity schedule on the Sport in Mind website.

Fun fitness Fridays at the SportsPark 

Find joy in movement and connect with others at the Fun fitness Friday’s at the Sports Park! Coming up there's Spanish Spin classes and a Taylor Swift themed Glute Camp Class. You can find out more on the SportsPark website

Reading Students' Union Treat Tuesdays
 Every Tuesday of Summer term the SU are hosting arts and craft sessions as a chance to come together and relax with your Students’ Union Welfare Office, Ish Aa!

• 14 May - Flower crown making in Monterey

• 21 May - Cupcake decorating in Lounge room 2

• 28 May - Candle making in Monterey 

 All sessions are free and drop-in. You can find out more, and register your interest, on the Reading Students' Union website. 

Reading Students' Union Get Togethers
Get Togethers are a reflection of our underrepresented student communities, they offer a chance to meet people with similar backgrounds and experiences to you. Come along and make some new friends and connect to other students in our Reading community. 

• LGBTQ+ Students’ Get Together - Monday 13 May, 2-3pm, Mondial, Students’ Union

• Disabled Students’ Get Together - Wednesday 15th May 1-2pm, Mondial, Students’ Union

 Please register your interest on the online form. 

Reading Students' Union - Take a Break at the Petting Farm!

As part of Reading Students' Union Take a Break campaign a Petting Farm will be coming campus. Spend time with animals and have a little fun during exam season. The Petting Farm will be on campus on  Friday 17 May from 12-4pm with a host of furry and feathered friends for you to meet. All the animals brought along are well looked after and very experienced in interacting with crowds.

Thames Valley Kings Wheelchair Basketball Club - Free Taster Sessions

Come along on the 18 May, 1 June or 29 June from 12:00 - 14:00 for an exhilarating experience on the court!

Open to all, these sessions welcome beginners and seasoned players alike. Whether you're curious to try wheelchair basketball for the first time or eager to sharpen your skills, their fully licensed coach with 20 years of experience and a trained occupational therapist will guide you through every step. 

Don't miss out on the fun and the opportunity to embrace inclusivity, sportsmanship, and teamwork. 

To book your place email berkswheelchairbasketball@hotmail.com.  

To find out more, check out the Berkshire Wheelchair Basketball website.

Life Tools | ongoing

The Life Tools programme is a series of free talks designed by experts to help you transition into university life and enhance your student experience. The programme allows you to be proactive and take control of your learning and your personal and professional development. 

Sport in Mind | ongoing

Sport in Mind is an independent multi-award winning mental health charity with a simple mission: to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. They have a regular schedule of student events that you can take part in, find their latest schedule on Sport in Mind.

Compass Recovery College | ongoing

Compass Recovery College offers free mental health and wellbeing workshops for everyone. Visit their website for the schedule this month.

For all student events visit the Me@Reading Student. 

Mentalhealth.org have produced eight tips for talking about mental health:

1. Set time aside with no distractions

It is important to provide an open and non-judgemental space with no distractions.

2. Let them share as much or as little as they want to

Let them lead the discussion at their own pace. Don’t put pressure on them to tell you anything they aren’t ready to talk about. Talking can take a lot of trust and courage. You might be the first person they have been able to talk to about this.

3. Don't try to diagnose or second guess their feelings

You probably aren’t a medical expert and, while you may be happy to talk and offer support, you aren’t a trained counsellor. Try not to make assumptions about what is wrong or jump in too quickly with your own diagnosis or solutions.

4. Keep questions open ended

Say "Why don’t you tell me how you are feeling?" rather than "I can see you are feeling very low". Try to keep your language neutral. Give the person time to answer and try not to grill them with too many questions.

5. Talk about self-care

Talk about ways of de-stressing or practicing self-care and ask if they find anything helpful. Exercising, having a healthy diet and getting a good nights sleep can help protect mental health and sustain wellbeing. 

6. Listen carefully to what they tell you

Repeat what they have said back to them to ensure you have understood it. You don’t have to agree with what they are saying, but by showing you understand how they feel, you are letting them know you respect their feelings.

7. Offer them help in seeking professional support and provide information on ways to do this

You might want to offer to go the GP with them, or help them talk to a friend or family member. Try not to take control and allow them to make decisions.

8. Know your limits

You will have your own limits to the support that you can provide. And it's important to take care of yourself too. Give yourself time to rest and process what they have told you or what’s happened. Try to help them create a support network of other friends, relatives and mental health professionals who can help them too.

Find out more on mentalhealth.org

The Student Wellness Check - A University of Reading assessment tool that asks you questions and gives you contacts for your needs.

University of Reading Student Welfare Team - To help you with any personal difficulties you may experience during your time at university.

University of Reading The Counselling and Wellbeing Team - Free professional counselling, wellbeing and mental health support for students.

University of Reading/NHS Self-Help leaflets - In collaboration with the NHS the University has produced a set of self-help guides for students, they range in topics: stress, sexual health, anxiety, food, eating disorders and more. The guides talk you through each subject and have a range of organisations to contact for further advice and support.

Find a local NHS urgent mental health helpline (England only) - NHS urgent mental health helplines are for people of all ages. You can call for: 24-hour advice and support - for you or someone you care for, help to speak to a mental health professional an assessment to help decide on the best course of care.

Samaritans - Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

NHS Mental Health Crisis Team - If you need urgent help, but it's not an emergency.

Student Space - Expert information and advice to help you through the challenges of university and coronavirus.

PAPYRUS - The national UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

Shout - Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Launched publicly in May 2019 they have had more than 1,000,000 conversations with people who are anxious, stressed, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed and who need immediate support.

Speak with your doctor/GP - It's not always easy to start a conversation about your personal feelings with your GP, someone you may hardly know. And it can be especially hard when you're not feeling well. But it's usually the first step towards working out what kind of treatment and support might help you.

Black Minds Matter UK - Connecting Black individuals and families with free mental health services- by professional Black therapists to support their mental health. Our vision is to make mental health topics more relevant and accessible for all Black people in the U.K., removing the stigma and remodelling the services to be relevant for the Black community.

Mind out - MindOut is a project run by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer people. The staff, volunteers and board of trustees, are all LGBTQ. 

Mind Infoline - Been worried about how you’re feeling for a while? Don’t wait to ask for help – we’re here for you.

Rethink Advice and Information Service - The Rethink Mental Illness advice and information service offers practical help on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, community care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. We also offer general information on living with mental illness, medication and care.

Anxiety UK - Anxiety UK offer support, advice and information on all anxiety, stress and anxiety-based depression conditions. They provide a wide range of services to support those affected by these conditions; from those living with stress or mild anxiety, through to those with more severe, complex and longstanding issues. Friendly volunteers can answer your questions and help find the right resources to manage anxiety.

Talking Therapies - A friendly and approachable NHS service that offers support if you’re coping with challenges like depression, stress, anxiety or phobias. If you’re aged 17 and over and living in Berkshire, we can help you overcome the mental health challenges you’re facing.

Free NHS Stress Less Workshops - Learn strategies to improve your mood if you are feeling low, anxious or stressed.

Boys in Mind (BiM) - BiM is charitable alliance of health and education professionals working in partnership with young people to empower them, particularly young men, to talk about their emotions and express their vulnerability in a safe and healthy manner.

Compass Recovery College - Offering free mental health and wellbeing workshops for everyone

Every mind matters - Every Mind Matters is an evidence-based tool that shows people how to build simple changes into their daily lives – such as reframing unhelpful thoughts, breathing exercises and increasing physical activity.

Support over the exams period

Exam periods can be stressful. Please know you do not need to tackle stress on your own, the University of Reading has a number of support services and resources available to help you.

Stressed? We’ve all been there – dealing with stress in university by Dal Huai

Student Engagement Ambassador, Dal, discusses why managing your stress is important and offers advice on how to manage your stress.

Mental Health Awareness – How nature helps me, by Lara Brittain

Connecting experiences in nature with mental health, how simple things make a positive impact.

Life Tools tips for getting a good night’s sleep!

A good night’s sleep is essential for your physical and mental health, and can help make you more energetic and productive when you’re awake. It’s just as important as getting enough exercise and keeping a balanced diet. Poor sleep will also affect your performance the next day, preventing you from concentrating.

5 Tips for taking care of your ental health while at university

Being at University is a great time for studying, preparing for your future, meeting new people, and socialising. However, it can also be a challenging time for many of us. If you are struggling with your mental health and need some extra support during this time, we are here to help! This blog suggests 5 different ways that you can take care of your mental health during your time at university.  

Coping with homesickness whilst at University

Homesickness can affect students at any time during their studies, so if you feeling homesick know that you are not alone! This blog will discuss different methods you can use when homesickness starts to hit. 

Stress Awareness Week by Bethany Collyer

As students try to juggle University work and leisure, stress is practically unavoidable. Stress is something that affects all of us in our day-to-day lives in varying degrees. I bet most people aren’t aware that this week is stress awareness week.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week by Kenaoel Adamu

Student Life Content Creator, Kenaoel, talks about Neurodiversity Celebration Week and the importance of recognising the strengths that come with neurodivergence.

Wellbeing tips from Compass Recovery College

Practical tips to help with your wellbeing.

Let’s take a walk! Nature & mental health

How nature has help student Florencia with her Mental Health.

What’s it like to be a uni student and work in mental health

What is it like to be a uni student and work in mental health? Our writer Sabita tells us about the challenges of being an online Crisis Volunteer alongside her studies.

My uni experience was moulded by mental illness: Rosie's Story

University can be a very difficult time. For a lot of people, living a completely new life is an exciting adventure. For others, it can be overwhelming. Meeting lots of new people, living in a new place and being given big projects to work on can be exhilarating, but it can also be exhausting. For University Mental Health Day, we spoke to ambassadors on our Step Up: University project to find out what it is like living with mental illness whilst studying. Here’s Rosie’s story…

Mind.org.uk stories

Some helpful articles and information from Student Space, run by Student Minds, which is here to help you find the support and advice that you need:

• Studying successfully with a mental health diagnosis
• Postgraduate research students: Looking after your wellbeing 
• Feeling lonely at university
• Overcoming social anxiety
• Healthy habits can help your mental health
• Money and financial concerns
• Relationships and social life
• Academic stress and pressure

Friends are often the first person that we talk to when we are having a difficult time.

This friendship can play a key role in helping someone live with or recover from difficulties they are facing. We know that providing this support isn’t always easy. It can be hard to know what to say and when to say it.

How to start a conversation with a friend

Tips to look after yourself

Support for specific difficulties

Tips from Mental Health Foundation 

Wellbeing videos themed around looking after yourself and covering a common range of topics you may be facing including anxiety.

Some practical advice to help now:

Focus on your breathing

When you’re having anxious thoughts try focusing on your breathing, concentrating on the feeling of your body as you breathe in and out. It can help you control the thought.

4-7-8 breathing technique

Close your mouth and quietly breath in through your nose, counting to four in your head. Hold your breath and count to seven. Breathe out through your mouth, making a whoosh sound while counting to eight. Repeat three more times for a total of four breath cycles.

Some people find relaxation exercises work too, while others find mindfulness useful.

Get moving

Exercise is a good way of dealing with anxiety. Remember, activity doesn’t have to be vigorous; try some gentle stretches, yoga, or seated exercises. Or just go for a walk. Going for a run, swimming, or taking part in a fitness class can give you something else to think about. It needs a bit of concentration, so takes your mind of the anxious thoughts. Any amount of exercise will help.

The Sports Park are offering taster sessions for the week of Mental Health Awareness Week, sign up using the online form and check out the other events happening on the events section.

Keep a diary

It’s important that we don’t try to ignore our worries. Taking the time to keep a record of what’s happening in your life and how it’s affecting you can help you understand what is triggering your feelings of anxiety. Knowing this can help you better prepare for and manage situations that may cause anxiety.

Sometimes it helps to give yourself a certain time of day to be your ‘worry time’. It could be half an hour first thing in the morning for to sit with your worries and write them down in your diary. When that’s out of the way, you can move on with the rest of your day. This can help you take control and stop anxiety getting in the way of what you want to do.

Challenge your thoughts

Anxiety can lead us to think about things over and over again in our brain. This is called ‘rumination’ and it’s not helpful. When you catch yourself ruminating try to write down the thought and to challenge it. Is what you’re worrying about likely to happen? Are you being realistic? Have you had similar thoughts which have not turned into reality? This can make it easier to challenge the thoughts and stop them from overwhelming you.

Get support for money worries

A common cause of anxiety is money. If you’re worried about not being able to pay bills, are struggling to repay debt, or aren’t sure if you
can cover your living costs, seek help.

You can contact the Student Financial support team for support with money, they provide advice and support on money related matters, whether its regarding your tuition fee or maintenance loan, Bursaries and Awards or advice on how we can support you if you are experiencing unexpected financial difficulties.

Spend time in nature

We know that spending time in nature has a positive impact on our mental health. It can help us feel calmer and less stressed. This can be as simple as tending some flowers in a window box or going for a walk in the woods. Any amount of time doing this is good for us, but to really get the benefit, try to spend a significant period of time – maybe an hour or longer – when you can really connect with nature and immerse yourself. Find out more about the benefits of nature.

We have a beautiful campus to walk around, maybe take a walk around the lake, or Harris Gardens.

Connect with people and talk about how you feel

Anxiety can feel very lonely. Connecting with other people can help a lot. Spend time with friends or meet other people through activities such as volunteering, sport or social clubs, or peer support groups. If you’re able to talk to people about how you feel, it can help to reduce your anxiety. Sometimes saying what’s worrying you out loud can take away its power over you.

Try to get some quality sleep or rest

Resting and having a good night’s sleep is hard when your head is full of worries but there are some things that can help.

If anxious thoughts keep you awake, write them down in your diary. If sleep is still not coming, get up and have a drink (nothing with caffeine!) and wait until you’re feeling more tired before going back to bed.

Keeping a note in your diary of your sleep patterns, what time you went to bed, what you ate, how often you woke up etc can help you work out a routine that will help you get better quality sleep.

Try to eat a healthy diet

For many of us, feeling anxious might cause us to reach for sugary snacks, junk food or alcohol.

It’s important that we don’t turn to unhealthy foods or drinks as a way to cope as they will do more damage in the longer term. Similarly, we should avoid smoking or taking recreational drugs.

Eating healthy food regularly helps us to regulate our blood sugar and gives us the energy we need to live well. Remember caffeine in coffee, tea and fizzy drinks can affect your mood and cause sleep problems so it’s best to have these in moderation and not too close to bedtime. Find out more about how your diet is linked to good mental health.

Further information and support

If your feelings of anxiety are not going away, are having a negative impact on your life, or often prevent you from doing things you need or want to do, seek support. Speak to your GP or healthcare professional about the support available in your area or contact a helpline service.

You can also contact the Student Welfare Team who will be able to help.

Looking after Yourself booklet

One of the most important aspects of university life is giving time and thought to looking after yourself. Here at Reading we have many different Student Support teams and services on hand to help throughout the year. In this guide you will find tips to enable you to thrive at university.

Looking after Yourself booklet

Take advantage of Every Mind Matters 

Not everyone is aware that physical activity can reduce the symptoms of anxiety. For top tips on how to get active to help your mental wellbeing visit Every Mind Matters.

Read our NHS self-help guide to Looking after yourself - Anxiety

Get practical tips and advice for coping with Anxiety with this guide.