Winter is usually hard to survive. We all feel that the “deadline” of the end of the year is near, and it’s time to find out if our performance this year was good or at least – good enough. What we have done, what we have to postpone to the “maybe-later-land”? It’s a good process to check how did you do this year. No judging, just to check what to improve next time, what changed in your career, or plans, or life.
But don’t forget about the one thing that we all have a tendency to forget. Check your mental health wellbeing! It’s as much more important (or even more) than every single thing you have achieved. Wellbeing has a direct influence on your performance!
In our previous article, we already shared with you 50 ways to improve your wellbeing and we also published a guest article from Keira, where she shared her tricks to keep wellbeing in check. Today we prepared some other approaches to support your mental health wellbeing.
Table of Contents
What is student wellbeing and why is it important?
According to Wellbeing People, the term “wellbeing” represents “healthy, contented and prosperous condition we all aspire to“. What does it mean? In simple words: feeling good about your healthy, happy life.
It will mean something different to each one of us. We have different needs and dreams, and possibilities. Of course, when you’re doing your PhD or working full time, it’s easy to just focus on one thing, then come back home, turn on Netflix to relax, and go to sleep, because tomorrow is exactly the same day. Probably this method will work for some time, but this is one way to the burnout. And if you can still prevent it, take care of your mental health!
How to improve student wellbeing?
There is a lot of different methods and approaches to improve your wellbeing. We’d like to share with you one, very easy and effective way that we’ve tested ourselves and it has proven very effective.
Here’s the solution: find a hobby. Something that will be different from that what you’re doing daily. If it is possible – away from the screens. Even better: find a group of people that do a similar thing and will help you start or just keep going. We don’t exist in the vacuum, so I’m sure there is somewhere someone who likes things similar to your taste!
Student wellbeing activities – list of 15 low-cost, home-friendly hobbies you can try even today
To help you improve your wellbeing, we prepared a list of 15 low-cost, home-friendly activities that help you relax and improve your mood. You can do it alone or you might need some friends 🙂 I don’t like doing pointless things. Even if I have some fun, I like them to have a real influence on my life, improve my skills, especially when I don’t have to actually work on them. Besides the relaxation, those hobbies actually will help you work better!
1. Board games.
It’s kind of old-school, but it became very popular again. There are countless options, depending on your preferences: you can become a strategist, or look for gold, or just build a train line across Europe! Or maybe even chess? Do you remember how popular it became after Netflix’s Queen Gambit? In the background, it might help you develop skills that will help you with project management.
2. Puzzles.
More on the calm side but it will improve your focus and ability to pay attention to the details!
3. Paint by colours.
You like your hands dirty, but you have a white empty paper freight? Not to worry, you can find printed materials with the exact colours you need to create your first masterpiece. The outcome will surprise you! It helps to improve focus, patience and paying attention to the details.
4. Learn to play a musical instrument.
It’s rather a long-term commitment, but I’m a living example that you can learn to play the ukulele via YouTube tutorials. Instruments like the ukulele are easy, small, quiet enough to play in the flat and not to bother people around. It’s also not very expensive! It will help you to build focus and the music community is always a wonderful place to find friends 🙂
5. Cooking!
It’s time to try food from every place on earth. In time we can’t really travel that easily, we can do the next best thing: try to learn it yourself! YouTube offers a range of people who can teach you step by step how to make everything from Polish pierogi (dumplings!), Turkish pide, to sushi, ramen… Opportunities are countless, and it all depends on how much do you like to eat!
6. Sculpting in clay.
Clay is a quite afford