As part of our wellbeing initiatives, the Sport and Active Lifestyle team have put together five top tips to help with mental health and keeping your body active:

Connect –This is all about meeting people, whether they are from your course, housemates, or meeting new people through joining a sport or society run by the Students’ Union. Connecting with a wide variety of people can help increase your feelings of happiness and self-worth.  

Be Active – You don’t have to go to the gym to be active -  taking a walk or even taking the stairs rather than the lift on a regular basis can help with your mental health. There are plenty of sports clubs and teams around that you can join in with. Believe it or not, giving your room at University a good spring clean can also help you keep active!

Give – Do something nice for a friend, or even a stranger. Volunteering your time can help improve your wellbeing, whether that is part of a community group on a regular basis, or just spending time with family or friends you don’t see very often.

Be Present – this doesn’t just mean mediating or doing breathing exercises. It’s about your state of mind to help you concentrate and de-stress. Being present also means thinking about others, for example asking a friend how they are and listening to them.  All this helps you stay present and think about the positive things in your life.

Keep Learning - ​A comfort zone is a cool place but nothing ever grows there. We have lots of extra-curricular activities for you to get involved with outside of your studies, from trying out a new hobby or sport, to Volunteering and Mentoring, Learning and Information Services, Study Abroad, campus events and talks, Careers and Employability, becoming a Student Ambassador, or speaking to your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) about department or course opportunities. 

Get the best out of your time at Chester and take advantage of all the additional help and support that is available to complement your degree. You could also expand and improve your CV through our CareerHub and on-campus job bank, UniJob.

If you want to find out more about the University of Chester, why not come and visit us at one of our upcoming Open Days.