What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy. It is largely a subjective judgement of how you feel about yourself and your situation.
What one person considers as just ‘OK’ could be experienced by others as amazing or terrible. What you find stressful or unlucky can be perceived by others as exciting or fortunate. There isn’t an absolute state of perfect wellbeing: you are the judge of what is right for you.
Many factors contribute to wellbeing, such as good health, nutrition, friendship, mental health.
Whilst some factors are more under your control than others, you can decide the on the following things, which can take you towards or away from your vision of wellbeing.
- Actions
- Thought patterns
- Habits and routines
It makes sense to be well-informed about key aspects of wellbeing and to make plans to help you achieve your vision.
Why is it important to students?
Student life brings great opportunities and can be a fantastic experience. It is also challenging, making demands on time, finances, relationships, sleep, your sense of self, of being in control, and many other aspects of life.
Managing your overall wellbeing is the best way of coping with these challenges: it is associated with higher grades, better health and a better all-round student experience.
Demands on your time as a student can mean that aspects of your wellbeing become overlooked. Maintaining a wellbeing journal helps you to keep everything in balance and gain a greater sense of control in your life.
Understand the connections
Promoting one aspect of wellbeing impacts other aspects. For example, good sleep affects our immune system, helping us to fight off disease. It affects digestion and energy levels, making it easier to be active, which in turn supports fitness, health and our mood.
When we feel good, we are less likely to seek out unhealthy foods. Managing screen time and media experiences well improves sleep, concentration and learning. Conversely, neglecting some aspects of wellbeing undermines other aspects. A balanced holistic approach works best.
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Respect feelings and moods
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Normalise problems
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Keep things in perspective
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Celebrate yourself
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Affirmations and inspirations
Acknowledge what you are feeling so you can recognise your moods and how they might be affecting you and others. Respect your feelings without letting them dominate your life and interactions with others.
Create quiet time to sit with them and identify what lies behind them.
Acknowledge what you are feeling so you can recognise your moods and how they might be affecting you and others. Respect your feelings without letting them dominate your life and interactions with others.
Create quiet time to sit with them and identify what lies behind them.
It’s easy to lose perspectives when we are stressed, under slept or on our own a lot.
Find a place of calm to think things through, before making any big decisions. Talk things through. Gain others’ points of view.
Give yourself credit for what you achieve, such as for sticking with your weekly plan, or following through on your goals, or for small victories that might be meaningful only to you.
Don’t focus only on what you could have done better. List your successes, every day and each week. Capture your favourite ones by making a ‘Proud of that!’ list. Browse your lists to boost your confidence and motivation.
Take time to give yourself inspiring and positive thoughts to take into the day, and into sleep. When something or someone (or your own thoughts) inspire you, note them down and draw on them for inspiration and motivation.
Build your confidence
Many students struggle, at times, with self-confidence.
At such times, it is easy to forget your past successes and underestimate your potential. Try remembering these things to help you move forwards.
- List your successes, strengths and the challenges you met. Ready through these from time to time and add to them.
- Ask people who you trust to remind you of your strengths and best qualities.
- Be your own person. Don’t compare yourself to others. Do things your way, at your speed, respecting your values.
- Give yourself enough time to build friendships and networks that suit you.
- Talk through how you managed to get things done when you really needed to in the page, and how that might help you now.
- Focus on your next steps. When our confidence wanes, it is easy to lose motivation and go adrift. Use your weekly and daily plans to give you focus.
The Student Wellbeing Journal: pre-order now!
This is the ideal tool to help you develop the habits and self-knowledge to support your overall health and wellbeing.
- Undated so you can start it when you like and use it as often, or as little, as you want;
- Supportive with helpful information about managing stress, looking after wellbeing and setting goals;
- Structured, including weekly and daily sections to capture your plans, priorities, moods, thoughts and progress in the moment and over time;
- Tailored to your needs and flexible to reflect individual priorities and experiences.
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