This month's way to wellbeing spotlight is on Be Active.

We'll be producing material to support and promote Be Active, alongside focusing on a different, salient wellbeing topic each week. Please visit the other items in this menu for more details.

Don't forget, if you want to plan your own activity and need inspiration, examples of previous events can be found here. As face to face activities aren't possible during the current situation, we'd love to hear from you with alternative suggestions. Please send these to studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk.

Resources

You can find ready-made resources here or, if you want to create your own, visit the University's brandsite for the assets you'll need (you'll need to scroll down a little to get to them!).

If creating your own, you’ll need to buy InDesign (in Adobe Creative Cloud) from the University's Electronic Software Delivery system.

You should also ask IT to install the University fonts, they can do this simply for you here.

Social media

Don't forget to follow us on instagram: @uomwellbeing.

Every Wednesday the Wellbeing Team will be promoting positive wellbeing to encourage students to take care of themselves during these uncertain times. 

We'll be handpicking different events and activites students can take part in throughout the day at home - from mindfulness sessions to exercise classes.

This will be promoted through our instagram page @uomwellbeing and on our student support website. You can find a clickable PDF schedule for the day here, this will be updated every Tuesday. Further assets for social media can be found below.

If you'd like to run your own activities to promote positive wellbeing and need some inspiration, take a look at this event ideas page. Due to the current situation, we know that face to face activities won't be possible so if you have any suggestions for alternative events, we'd love to hear from you: studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk

Remember to use the hashtag #uomwellbeingwednesdays in any social media posts!

Suggested copy for newsletters etc:

Looking for a wellbeing boost? Every Wednesday your Wellbeing Team will be running ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays!'. These Wednesdays will include wellbeing events and activities that you can take part in from home throughout the day - from mindfulness sessions to live gigs. Follow @uomwellbeing to get involved!

Assets:

(Right-click to save images- social media and instagram story assets will be updated every Tuesday)

Library Assessment Support – Monday 26th April to Wednesday 9th June 2021

As lockdown restrictions ease things are beginning to feel more positive and hopeful, but we appreciate that looming assessments may leave you feeling stressed and worried about balancing assessments alongside other commitments. This is a reminder that these feelings are completely normal and that there is lots of assessment support available during this time.

A good starting point to access this support is the Library website for assessment support. Here you’ll be able to book a drop-in session to get support and guidance on assessments from Library staff and the student team. Specialist Library Support is also available.

My Learning Essentials also has many resources including a quick guide to tackling revision, that you can access in your own time. Check out Start to Finish: Revision. Here you’ll find online resources, peer support, and additional resources all in one place. If you have any questions or need further support, you can contact the Library via uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk or access the 24 hour Library Chat.

Looking after yourself during assessments

It is important to continue to look after your wellbeing whilst preparing for assessments. If you need inspiration, check out the Six Ways to Wellbeing pages for loads of proactive wellbeing suggestions. The Student Wellbeing Team have also made a range of self-help resources around topics including motivation, planning goals and managing focus. There are also a number of planners that you can access to help manage your study time whilst factoring in wellbeing activities.

The Counselling Service  will continue to run their online workshops  before and during the assessment period. You can participate in workshops that explore techniques to manage stress, such as Mindfulness Meditation and Challenging Unhelpful Thinking Habits. 

Remember that there are a number of other Student Support services  you can access throughout and in the build up to the assessment period. Check out the Student Support website for further guidance on taking care of your wellbeing and to find the answers to common queries. If you aren’t sure where to go you can email the Student Wellbeing Team at studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk.

Wellbeing Champions Blogs and TikTok

As restrictions start to lift and the days become longer, we hope you are able to take some time to look after your wellbeing this Easter break.

If you’re in need of some Be Active inspiration over the Easter break, be sure to check out our Student Wellbeing Champion Blogs.

Our Wellbeing Champions have created lots of content including blogposts on Navigating Diversity and Inclusion in the Wellness Industry, Exercise and Mental Health, How going to the gym changed my life and many others relating to the Six Ways to Wellbeing. 

Also be sure to follow the new Wellbeing Champion TikTok @wellbeingchampions, for more student created wellbeing content! 

The Great Wellbeing Easter Bake Off

Do you love baking? Why not take part in The Great Wellbeing Bake Off on Instagram! Our prizes include a £15 and £10 Amazon Voucher for our winner and runner up.

To take part, all you have to do is make an Easter bake and post a picture of it on your story. The winners will be decided by our followers. 

Don't forget to tag us @uomwellbeing @uompodium.

Lockdown easing concerns

The easing of lockdown restrictions makes this an exciting week for some of us as we begin to return to normality. However, it’s okay if the thought of normality scares or concerns you. There are many potential reasons why we might not feel ready for lockdown to end, and after so long living under restrictions, some of us may have adapted to this new way of living more than others. Normality may feel unfamiliar and the pressure to make plans on top of existing revision commitments may feel difficult to balance. If you’re concerned about managing you’re workload out of lockdown, why not check out these tips on workload management. 

Remember to go at your own pace and make whatever adjustments feel right to you. If you’ve learned to enjoy a slower pace of life and have found things in lockdown you enjoy doing, there’s no need to abandon these strategies now that the world is picking up again. You can do as little or as much as you are comfortable with, and take each day as it comes.

National Stress Awareness Month

Stress Awareness Month is held each April to increase public awareness about the causes of stress and how to manage stressful feelings. Change can trigger feelings of stress in many of us, especially as lockdown begins to ease, but stress can also be caused by a build-up of much smaller pressures. It’s important not to lose sight of the smaller pressures that you might be experiencing and be aware of how they are impacting you and your levels of stress. This could include the pressure of university work, family pressures or work commitments.

Be sure to check out the Student Support stress page for some top tips on managing stressful feelings. 

You can also contact The Student Wellbeing Team studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk for more advice. 

The Wellbeing Champion programme is growing bigger and stronger each year. Every two months, the Champions will help amplify our Six Ways to Wellbeing campaigns. Their role is to support the current theme, whether that’s by helping at or promoting a wellbeing event, running their own or creating content for our social media and blog. This is an opportunity for students to take action towards wellbeing and make their student community seen and heard.

We have recently launched our own social media platform @uompodium! Follow for student-led content and resources and keep up to date with our events and workshops!

Over the period of Be Active, we have been and will continue to focus on the inclusivity and diversity of the fitness and wellness space with events and resources on the whitewashing of wellness and the body neutrality versus the body positivity movement.