Five tips for looking after your mental health

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, 10 October 2026, our Mental Health Advisor Christine shares five practical tips for looking after yourself and your wellbeing.

Connect

Make sure you regularly engage with your peers, friends and family. All connection helps – from small conversations while you’re waiting for your lecture to start to planned catchups with friends. Clubs and societies, Be Connected events and even attending lectures (!) are great place to start for meeting new people.

Three friends enjoy drinks and snacks together at a cozy café booth with colorful wooden and brick walls.

Nature

Getting out and engaging with nature is a great way to calm daily stresses. Patterns observed in nature have been proven to reduce stress. We are lucky to have such a beautiful campus, take a walk round the loch and see what wildlife you can spot! Check out our campus walks.

Three individuals stroll along a sunlit path beside a pond, smiling and enjoying a pleasant day outdoors.

Sleep

We are all probably familiar with how we feel after a bad night’s sleep. It can make us tired and grumpy and make it hard to concentrate. Looking after your sleep is a priority in looking after your mental health and physical health. If you’ve been struggling to get enough rest or just want to improve your sleep habits, check out our Sleep for Success workshop.

Eat well

What we eat and drink affect our minds and bodies. Try to eat a balanced diet, lots of fruits and vegetables (tinned and frozen are a budget friendly way to do this!), stay hydrated, limit caffeine and sugar-sweetened drinks.

Eating is not just about food; it’s the social side too. What about organising a meal with friends or having lunch in one of our social spaces on campus?

Two individuals select food from a self-serve counter at a café called "Scran," while a staff member assists.

Move

Move your body! Exercise releases ‘feel good’ hormones that support our mental wellbeing.

You don’t have to force yourself to do a form of exercise you don’t enjoy. Take part in a fun exercise class at the Sports Centre, go for a brisk walk while you listen to your favourite podcast, check out some of our Just Play sessions or join one of the Sports Union’s clubs.

Check out more ideas for staying active.

A person with a beard smiles while holding a green water bottle in a gym, standing near weightlifting equipment.

Bonus points if you can ‘stack’ these tips. Can you organise a walk round the loch with a friend? Can you organise a group meal to get to know your flat mates? Attend a class at the gym? What ways can you think of to stack these tips?

If you’re struggling with your mental health or want to discuss these tips specifically for your personal circumstances, make an appointment with our Mental Health team – they’ll be happy to help.

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