We all know just how important looking after your mental and physical health are for leading a healthy and happy life. But it is not always easy to recognise when you may need to look after yourself or how to do that.
In support of the British Inspiration Trust’s annual BRIT Challenge, we are encouraging members of our university community to share activities that help positively impact their own mental health. These stories will be shared over the next few weeks and we hope will inspire people to maybe even try some of those activities and find the ones that work for them.
The first story is from our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane Harrington.
While there are many ways to look after your mental health, running and gardening are the two activities that really help me.
Throughout any given day, due to the nature of my role, I am involved in a variety of different meetings, conversations, and decisions. As a result, my head can sometimes feel full of information and clutter. For me running is a fantastic way to create head space, to make me more effective, and to step back to gain some perspective.
In addition, I absolutely love gardening, especially over the weekends. I can easily spend a couple of hours digging, planting, and weeding. Tending to plants, helping them grow, and just spending the time in nature and working with my hands can really help me feel calmer and more relaxed. It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment to see my work come to blossom and thrive.
Enter your submission to the BRIT Challenge and let us know which activities positively impact your mental health here.
