Being Healthy - Mentally and Physically is key!

Some of us might find university more challenging and worrying than others. Some of these challenges are out of our control and prolonged uncertainty is very stressful and can put our mental health and well-being at risk. It is important to do our best to control what we can in this situation and there are a number of things we can do to decrease our stress levels and improve our mood. We all know that how we feel mentally has a huge impact on our general sense of well-being so let's do our best to give our body and mind the best chance to master the challenges of the next few months.

Video - Minding your mental health

Reflection - your own mental and physical health

During busy periods of our lives, such as starting or returning to university, we can often let healthy habits and routines slide. That’s why it is extra important to tune into your self-care needs as your circumstances change and to develop a self-care routine that addresses your evolving needs. Consider how you spend your time across the 24 hours of your day and think about how your daily activities nourish or deplete your battery.

There are many different thing things to take into consideration, for example, are you getting outside enough and spending time in the fresh air? Have you scheduled some down time to have fun or to take a moment for yourself? Are you getting enough sleep? Having a consistent sleep pattern can really help you to maintain a routine that works for you.

Check out the UCC infographic and make a note of things you would like to include in your own individual Self-Care Prescription!!

Your Self-Care Prescription

Self-care is anything that you do to take care of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Self-care will mean different things to different people at different times in their lives. It is not a one size fits all.

Your self-care prescription:

Self-care is any activity that is restorative to you and your needs. Why not take some time now to write out your own self-care prescription? Your prescription might include exercise, mindfulness, reading, watching funny movies, listening to a podcast, baking, going for a coffee or FaceTiming a friend. Remember to renew your self-care prescription regularly. You could put a reminder into your phone to do so or team up with a friend to review your self-care activities on a monthly basis.

Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Self-care here.

Self Compassion

Now, take a look at how you can develop self-compassion! Self-compassion doesn’t mean feeling sorry for yourself, it means giving yourself the same kindness and care you’d give to a good friend, especially when you’re having a difficult time. It is accepting that life can be hard at times and that everyone has ups and downs. Follow the infographic below to explore the elements of self-compassion.

Be a friend to yourself!

During your tough times, tune into the way you talk to yourself. Would you talk that way to your best friend? Just imagine how you would feel if you were overwhelmed and a friend or loved one walked into the room, gave you a hug, sat down beside you, listened to your distress, and then helped you work out a plan of action. That mindful and compassionate friend can be you. (Neff & Germer, 2018)

Adapted from the Graduate Attributes PDF on Self-compassion

Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Self-compassion here.

Nutrition

Eating well is important. Introduce a wide variety of food to your diet. This can be an exciting time to learn about your tastes and explore food with your own personal twist. Check out this excellent poster that will take you through some top tips and don’t forget to keep up to date with UCC’s Keep Well Website.

Good nutrition is an important component of a healthy lifestyle and a sound nutrition plan:

helps you maintain a healthy weight
reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease
improves your ability to learn, your memory and alertness

Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Nutrition here.

Physical Exercise

We all know that keeping physically active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies and minds healthy.

Being physically active doesn’t have to mean running a marathon or training every day at the gym. Your ideal activity is one you enjoy doing and that fits into your schedule. The amount of physical exercise you should do differs for everyone and it’s important you only undertake what feels right for you currently, depending on your own personal circumstances. Check out UCC’s Keep Well website for advice on how much and what kind of physical activity is right for you.

So what are the benefits to keeping fit?

- Better self-esteem & self-confidence
- Better mood & ability to manage stress & anxiety
- Better immunity & overall health
- Better quality of life
- Better memory,concentration and capacity to learn
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Lower risk of developing life threatening diseases or conditions
- Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Physical Health here.

Physical exercise is one of the best things that you can do for your body and mind. Here in UCC you will be amazed by the variety of clubs that you can join; everything from mountaineering to sub-aqua, soccer to sky-diving and everything in between. Make sure that you make your physical exercise something that you enjoy. There are some excellent side effects too! It will help you sharpen your mind, maintain a healthy weight, put you in a better mood and help you sleep better!

Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Physical Health here.

Sleep

Sleeping well can directly affect your mental and physical health. Neglecting it can take a serious toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance and even your weight. Not only how much sleep you get matters, but also a regular sleep routine can really help you stay on top of all the things that you need to do every day. Check put our sleep infographic to see what small changes you can adapt to your evening routine.

Download the full PDF by Graduate Attributes on Sleep here.

If you would like to explore all of these topics a little more remember the ‘Everyday Matters’ series is available as a digital badge here in UCC.

It explores some practical everyday aspects, based on the latest scientific research, that you can do to support yourself as much as possible during this time of change, to establish healthy habits and routines, enhancing your successful transition into and through higher education. The series explores how you spend your time across study/work, leisure, self-care and sleep and how you can cultivate positive habits of mind including mindful self-compassion, growth mindset and joy and gratitude. You will learn how to create and maintain daily habits and routines that support physical and emotional wellbeing for learning and life.

You can express your interest in this course by emailing skillscentre@ucc.ie .