Supporting Student Minds by running through lockdown

At the start of the UK’s third national lockdown, I set myself a personal goal to run every day for as long as lockdown continues. Working from home, my step count has taken a drastic decline as the usual walking commute and campus errands for meetings (and coffee!) were taken out of the picture, so running seemed like a great way to remain active and healthy whilst working from home. As the days went on, I began lacking in motivation and purpose so thought this would be a good opportunity to set a bigger goal and to raise some money for charity.

Working in Student Services at the University, I’m aware of how the pandemic, academic expectations and prospects for the future are weighing heavily on students. There are lots of factors that can contribute to poor mental health at the moment; some students might be experiencing this for the first time, whilst others might be struggling with managing or coping with an existing mental health condition. I also support our team of Residents’ Assistants, student-staff who are balancing supporting their own wellbeing and studies with supporting their peers in accommodation. Therefore, I chose to raise money for the UK’s student mental health charity, Student Minds. 

Student Minds work to improve the mental health of students by giving people the confidence and knowledge to support their own mental health and to support others. Their resources and information are student-friendly, accessible and promote positive wellbeing. To help students get the right support during the pandemic, they have created a dedicated Student Space which includes resources on everything from managing their studies, creating and maintaining friendships, handling grief and loss, to addressing money worries. They also offer one-to-one support via phone, webchat, text, and email.

The Student Space has been a great place to recommend to our student and really supports the great work of our own Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Services. Student Space gives students the opportunity to access support in their own time, with phone and live chat open until the late hours. There are lots of options available to students to get support, with Student Space just being one of them. There are lots of other brilliant resources for students, a lot of which are summarised on our University webpages for mental and emotional health.

What I love most about running during the pandemic is that it has given me an opportunity to explore and appreciate my local area, and having a habit such as running every day means that I keep a routine on the days where the pandemic has altered my sense of time. There are also plenty of encouraging forums and communities to keep you motivated and make you feel supported. With gyms closed, running has been such a popular alternative for everyone, and it’s never too late to start popular plans like ‘Couch to 5k’.

You can keep track of my progress and/or make a donation on my Just Giving page.