Vicky Thompson, UMSU Welfare Officer
The nights are drawing in, and sometimes, going home after a long day of classes when it’s already dark, can lead us all to feel a bit down.
Your loan hasn’t arrived. Deadlines are approaching. Your job wants you to work extra shifts. Your relationship’s on the rocks. January exams are looming. Stress is that feeling you get when everything seems too much, when you are overwhelmed and struggling to cope.
The best way to stave off stress is to manage your time effectively. This means not procrastinating! If you have the time, start your course assignments as far in advance as possible. Even if you just write 200 words a night over a period of two weeks, you’ll find it considerably easier going than scribbling 2000-odd words down the night before the deadline. And use the library; it doesn’t have all the distractions of your home! Get a diary for planning your academic work and social commitments. It makes sense.
If the problem causing you stress concerns your course and the teaching you are receiving, a housing problem, a VISA problem or financial worries, pop into the UMSU Advice Centre on the 1st Floor of the Students’ Union, where there are trained advisors waiting to help. If you are desperate for money, we can offer a £100 emergency loan too.
Finally, take time to relax. Listen to some chill out music, go to the cinema or pub with friends, have a long bath or take some exercise. Why not pop down to the Martin Harris Centre next Friday 1.10pm for a free opera concert offered by the Manchester University Music Society? Or see what exercise classes the Athletic Union is offering? Exercise releases chemical endorphins in the brain, which are scientifically proven to promote a sense of wellbeing.
Depression, often linked to stress, can usually be characterised by persistent feelings of hopelessness or inadequacy. Symptoms include changes in sleeping or eating patterns, social withdrawal, difficulty making decisions, loss of energy and motivation, and a lack of interest in activities that were previously enjoyed. If this applies to you, seek help. Don’t suffer alone.
If you visit your Doctor (give NHS Direct a call if you’re not yet registered) and talk about your symptoms, they will be able to discuss your options from a medical point of view. It may be that anti-depressant drugs are the best path to go down; equally this may not be. Either way, seeking medical advice, as difficult as that may seem now, is a good thing to do in the long term.
You can access the University’s Counselling Service for free. You don’t need to be referred to get an appointment and the Counsellors are all trained professionals. Don’t go in there with the preconception that counselling isn’t for you, either- you don’t know until you’ve tried it. They’re free and you can find out more online at www.manchester.ac.uk/counselling or by dropping into the Counselling Service, 5th Floor, Crawford House (Precinct Centre).
If you ever feel you need to talk, not with a professional but with a peer, you can always come and visit me, your Welfare Officer. I’m in the Advice Centre and my door is open whenever I’m in. You might also want to give Nightline a call if you need to chat between 8pm and 8am. They operate a friendly, non-judgemental listening service and the number’s on the back of your library card.
Other numbers you can call
Samaritans 08457 90 90 90
Saneline (for anyone experiencing mental health problems) 12pm-2am daily 0845 767 8000
CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably (for young men experiencing depression) 5pm-3am 0800 58 58 58
Get Connected (Directing under-25s to the advice they need) 1pm-11pm 0808 808 4994
NHS Direct 0845 46 47
