10 Tips for Boosting Academic Wellbeing & Mental Health
Mental health is the engine that drives your focus, effort, and energy. Without practices and habits to promote mental health, you become overwhelmed by the stressors of school and other commitments, eventually burning out.
It’s also important to note that these practices do not prevent negative thoughts, nor is mental wellbeing about avoiding negativity. Rather, the goal is to bounce back from negative experiences and demonstrate resilience, grit, and persistence.
In order to promote your mental health, it is important to view mental health in a holistic way, focusing on three components: mindset, physical wellbeing, and emotional wellbeing. These three components contribute to your overall mental health and support.
PHYSICAL WELLBEING
Physical wellbeing is the first pillar of mental health. Your mind is in your body, and without your body, your mind cannot function or take any action. To make your body the best vehicle for your mind, it needs healthy nourishment, rest, exercise, and fun.
Healthy nourishment may include avoiding foods that cause large fluctuations in energy levels or mood. Foods with sugar and caffeine can help keep you awake and focused, but they are also likely to result in a large dip in your energy and focus, which can impact your mood as a result.
Sleep is essential for mental and emotional restoration, and a lack of sufficient sleep can lead to increased stress and difficulty in managing emotions. Establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a calming bedtime routine to improve the quality of your rest.
Physical and mental health are closely intertwined, and taking care of your body can have a profound impact on your overall well-being. Regular exercise is not only beneficial for your physical health but also releases endorphins, which are natural mood boosters.
Having fun is not just a frivolous pursuit; it is a crucial aspect of maintaining good mental health. When you take the time to do things you enjoy, whether it's spending time with friends, pursuing hobbies, playing sports, or simply laughing at a funny movie, you are giving your mind a break from the daily pressures and challenges.
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Emotional wellbeing is the second pillar of mental wellness; it is about understanding and expressing our emotions in healthy and constructive ways. If we bottle up our feelings, we are more likely to become stressed and anxious. Therefore, having ways to process and express our feelings through healthy outlets can be essential to our overall wellbeing.
Journaling: Feelings fuel our thoughts, and then our thoughts tend to refuel our emotions. Writing your thoughts and the emotions you are feeling can help you see them on paper, often reducing the intensity of your emotions and providing relief and clarity to move forward.
Hobbies and Creative Pursuits: Whether it is painting, playing an instrument, or knitting, dive into a hobby or creative pursuit that can help take you out of your mind and ground you in an activity that allows you to channel your emotions.
Time in Nature: Spending time in nature - away from your devices - can be a helpful way to process big emotions. Whether it is time at a park or going on a hike, endeavor to do something outside where you can run, read, or hike a trail.
Communicating with Friends and Family: Sometimes, we need the help of our family and friends to process what we are thinking and feeling. Aim to find time to be with friends and family to do an activity together or to catch them up on what is going on with you. Sharing what you feel comfortable with; often another perspective can be insightful and offer us ideas that we did not think about.
MINDSET
Mindset is the last – not the least significant – pillar of mental health. It plays a significant role in shaping how we perceive and respond to challenges and affects our overall mental health. Cultivating a positive and growth-oriented mindset can lead to greater resilience and an ability to navigate difficult situations with determination and adaptability.
Practicing mindfulness is another effective tool to improve mental health. Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment without judgment. Engaging in activities like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga can help you reduce stress and improve focus, allowing you to approach challenges with a clear and calm mind.
It is important to note that mental health is an ongoing endeavor that we work on continuously. Implementing mental health practices into our routine can feel like one more additional thing we ought to do when we have so many other pending tasks on our to-do list. When considering adding mental health practices to your routine, consider the following strategies to help make incorporating the strategies a smoother process:
Do 1% Better: You don't need to do everything all at once. Consider making a 1% change (something small) that you can commit to doing consistently. Rather than practicing mindfulness regularly for 10 minutes every day, aim to do one minute of mindfulness. You'll find that you are more likely to do more when the expectation is low.
Replace Old Habits with New Ones: You may naturally grab your phone while drinking coffee. Replace scrolling on your phone with reading a book or listening to music while drinking coffee. Pairing a new habit with an old habit helps anchor the new habit and leads to us doing the new habit more consistently.
If you would like more assistance with incorporating new habits and skills into your routine to improve your performance at school, reach out to the expert study skills and academic tutors at North Avenue Education.
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