Look after your Mate

In conjunction with ‘Student Minds’, the Counselling Service are offering a special 2-hour workshop on ‘University Mental Health Day’ 3rd March between 12 -2pm (HUMSS G10) to give you the skills and confidence to support friends who may be struggling with their mental health.   

The Workshop includes key practical tips for supporting a friend:

Spotting signs in a friend
How to start a conversation
How to support a friend: Listening and learning
Signposting to support
Looking after your own wellbeing as a supporter

 

This workshop is particularly suitable for any students who already have or are thinking of volunteering for a welfare role within the University or are thinking of a career in one of the ‘caring’ professions such as the health service, social work, therapists, health visitors, teaching or human resources.  It is open to all, but you need to register for a place.

To sign up, please register here:  

http://goo.gl/forms/QNNvSyTv8n

For more information, contact: counselling@reading.ac.uk or visit the Counselling & Wellbeing’s Blackboard Pages.

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THE WELLBEING CAFE

Deadlines looming? Exams to prepare for? Social commitments to make? Worried about fitting it all in? Come along to this friendly seminar (1.15 to 2pm) to get some tips on how to manage your time effectively, study ‘smarter’ and avoid procrastination.  Sonia from Study Advice will be sharing some useful tips, advice and planners to help you ‘make time for everything’ and meet those assessment deadlines.

Drop by and have a coffee…  Wednesday 2nd March 1 to 2.30  In the RUSU Study (behind Cafe Mondiale)

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Achieving Your Potential

In addition to the talk on sleep tomorrow (Tuesday at 1.00pm, Palmer 103), there will also be a second ‘Life Tools’ talk this week about  ‘Achieving your Potential’.   The talk is on Wednesday 2nd March at 2.00pm in Carrington room 101.  At this session, students will learn how to understand and develop their personal strengths and maintain their wellbeing.  Part of focus will be on practical ways to improve motivation and attendees will learn how to identify their own personality style.   

Here are some examples of feedback from the last talk:

 

‘Very helpful – particularly for easing pressure regarding exams’

‘Provided ideas and practical structures on dealing with goals and everyday life’

‘Helps you to understand yourself better and how to focus and increase productivity/motivation’

‘It is a useful approach to help with large workflow or to cope with group work’

 

If you haven’t been to a ‘Life Tools’ talk – then perhaps this would be a good one to start with!  There is no need to book a place –  just come along on the day.  The talks last about 45 minutes and there is usually time for any questions at the end.  This talk is one of a series run by Student Wellbeing.

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Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

At Student Wellbeing they have had a large number of students coming in to talk with them about the problems they are having sleeping!  Getting to sleep, sleeping through the night, disturbed sleep patterns – all can have a hugely detrimental effect on the ability to concentrate, to study, to attend lectures and hand work in on time.  So what can be done about this problem?

Interestingly, there are many things you can do to improve your sleep pattern and sleep better.  To find out more students just need to come to the next ‘Life Tools’ talk:  Getting a good night’s sleep’ which is on Tuesday 1st March, at 1.00pm in Palmer Room 103.  At this talk, Dr Claire Gregor will provide practical resources including relaxation and mindfulness tools such as a Body Scan, and tips on improving the quality of your sleep and sleeping better.

This is what students who have attended this talk in the past have said about it:

 

“Gives advice with direction to multiple techniques and resources”

“Full of useful, practical advice.  Definitely worth giving a try”

“Really handy tips and ways of improving your thinking so you feel less worried about getting to sleep”

“It makes reference to scientific studies and proven psychological methods”

“Go to this talk!”

The talk is open to all students and there is no need to book – just turn up on the day.

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THE WELLBEING CAFE

Wednesday 24th February 1 to 2.30 In the RUSU Study (behind Cafe Mondiale)

Worried about personal problems affecting your studies?

Family illness, bereavement, or financial stress impacting on managing your workload?

1.15 -2.00pm –  Louise from the RUSU Advice Service will be giving an overview of the University’s Extenuating Circumstances policy, and other related issues such as exam resits, DNS, suspension and withdrawal (this is a different Louise, not me!)

Drop by and have a coffee… and find out more about the systems the university has in place to support students struggling to meet coursework deadlines and exam timetables.

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Workload survival guide for academics

A brilliant article with contributions from multiple authors has been published today in the Times Higher . Here they discuss how to copy with a heavy workload, and when to say ‘no.’ I think this article will resonate with many people!

‘The downside of university life is that clear leisure time does not exist. There are no weekends with nothing to do. I have always thought that a key purpose of a PhD is to destroy a young person’s ability to enjoy leisure. Presumably, this is what it is like to be in the SAS. Once you have passed through extreme training, most normal activities are no longer stimulating, because your brain’s standard for what counts as excitement has been raised, and indeed can never go back……………… (Andrew Oswald Professor of economics at the University of Warwick)

Although the article is focused on academics, it also applies to PhD students, and indeed many staff in a University!

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Mindfulness and Wellbeing

During week 7 there are two  ‘Life Tools’ talks  which both have the same aim:  to provide students with the essential tools to manage the academic demands effectively and improve their resilience when life becomes challenging.

The first talk, on Wednesday afternoon is  ‘An introduction to Mindfulness – part 2, keeping going’.   At this talk, you will learn some ‘Mindful’ activities and find out how to make Mindfulness part of your everyday life.  You don’t need to have attended part 1 to be able to come to this talk – so why not come along to find out how 5 minutes of Mindfulness in your day can make a real difference to your wellbeing.  The talk is on Wednesday 24th February at 1.00pm in Palmer 103.   You can find out more about Mindfulness at Health and Wellbeing’s blog:  http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/health-and-wellbeing/

Here are some students comments on the recent Mindfulness talks:

“Lots of valuable strategies to relax”

“Really refreshing to try a new way of thinking, relaxing experience”

“A lovely way to take a bit of your day to just focus on how you feel”

“It is very calming and worth a try since the practices are easy but highly effective”

 

Our second talk, which follows immediately after the Mindfulness presentation (but is in Palmer G03) is about managing anxiety and dealing with stress.  At the 30-minute ‘Introductory presentation from Counselling & Wellbeing’ you will learn ways to manage when you feel anxious or stressed    This talk is particularly relevant for anyone seeking an appointment with Student Counselling or who is waiting to see a counsellor or mental health advisor and wishes to be proactive in getting support. The talk is on Wednesday 24th February at 2.00pm in Palmer G03.

Both talks are open to all students at all levels of study and there is no need to register for either talk – just come along on the day.

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Key committees to have 30% women members by 2020

The Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell has announced new targets to promote stronger gender and racial representation on all key decision-making committees.

On gender, our targets for 2020 are to:

  • have at least 30% of either gender in all key University committees and boards, including the University Executive Board (UEB);
  • maintain the current baseline of at least 45% of either gender in the overall University Leadership Group – including UEB, Deans, Assistant Deans, Heads of School and Heads of Function;
  • have a gender-balanced professoriate, with at least 40% of professors of either gender. Current baseline is 30%;
  • reduce the pay gap that exists at senior (professorial and Grade 9) levels. Current baseline is 11% (there is no significant pay gap at other levels currently); and
  • achieve University-wide Athena SWAN Gender Charter Mark Silver level recognition, with all STEM Schools holding awards and all other Schools working towards Gender Equality Charter Mark  recognition.

See the full story to read more.

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‘Life Tools’ programme: ‘Look After Your Mate’

Free Training Workshop:

3rd March, 12 – 2, HUMMS G10

In Student Wellbeing, we know that most students talk to their friends when they are having a tough time.   They do this because they can talk to friends in confidence and they know that they will help to keep challenges in perspective. The truth is that although University life can be brilliant, there are also unexpected difficulties – both academic and personal – and when we are in these situations we really need our mates to be there for us.

Friendship can play a key role in helping someone live with or recover from any difficulties they are facing. But it can sometimes be hard to know what to say when a friend is struggling.

On Thursday 3rd March from 12 – 2pm we will be running a FREE workshop:   ‘Look After Your Mate’ in HUMSS G10 that will give you the necessary tips and tools to help you to support a friend in need.

The Workshop includes key practical tips for supporting a friend:

Spotting signs in a friend
How to start a conversation
How to support a friend: Listening and learning
Signposting to support
Looking after your own wellbeing as a supporter

 

This workshop is particularly suitable for any students who already have or are thinking of volunteering for a welfare role within the University or are thinking of a career in one of the ‘caring’ professions such as the health service, social work, therapists, health visitors, teaching or human resources.  It is open to all, but you need to register for a place.

To sign up, please register here:  Look after your mate

For more information, contact: counselling@reading.ac.uk or visit the Counselling & Wellbeing’s Blackboard Pages.

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Meditation classes

All Staff and Students welcome to de-stress over lunchtime on a Wednesday with a free meditation classes in the Senior Common Meeting Room, upstairs in Park House from 1-2pm.

‘These free meditation classes on campus are based on The Living Meditation series which provides a comprehensive introduction to meditation and mindfulness, offering guidance at all levels for developing and deepening a meditation practice. Presenting meditations to relax body and mind, find inner peace, achieve mental clarity, and develop a kind and compassionate attitude towards others.  Each class consists of two guided meditations and instruction. The classes run for 50 minutes.  Anyone can practice meditation and everyone is welcome to attend. There is no physical exercise involved and seating is on chairs. These classes are suitable for all levels of experience’

The Teacher: Gen Kelsang Wangmo is a western Buddhist nun and the Principal Teacher of Shantideva Kadampa Buddhist Centre in Reading. She has been studying and practicing Kadampa Buddhism for over fifteen years.

Time: Wednesdays 1 – 2pm

Venue: Senior Common Room. Park House, Whiteknights Campus, between Eat (Square) and Student’s Union building.

Class fee: No charge.

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