Now, more than ever we recognise that looking after our physical and mental wellbeing is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and for others.
This week is Mental Health Awareness week an annual campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. The theme for this year’s campaign is kindness.
One huge positive to come out of these strange times we find ourselves living in, is that kindness can have a hugely positive impact on people’s wellbeing. This can be seen in our Lockdown: Staff stories which are a real credit to our BU community. Don’t forget there are lots of ways you can volunteer and share kindness in the community at this time.
So, as we continue to adapt to a new way of living/working/studying we want to make it as easy as possible for you to gain access to different sources of information and support to help you manage your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. On this occasion one size fits all is definitely not the right approach.
Within the Wellbeing pages of the BU website you will find links to suggestions on how you can keep in touch with friends and family, keep active with SportBU, relax with a meditation podcast plus information on where to get additional support should you need it.
You might also like to listen to our Being Well at BU podcast series – an honest conversation about how wellbeing during the pandemic is different for everyone and that not feeling quite yourself is perfectly normal. Plus take a look at the Community pages which highlight some of the ways BU staff and students are coping with the new ‘normal’ in our Day in the Life stories.
Throughout the week we are also providing some additional activities relating to wellbeing:
- ResLife are sharing their take on the NHS 5-steps to mental wellbeing via their social media channels
- Transformational Breath® – guided breath sessions for wellbeing - will be taking place via Brightspace – this is a gentle, simple technique that helps people to open up the full potential of their breathing system for better physical and emotional well-being.
- On Friday 22 May at 10am Paul McGee, SUMO Guy, will be taking part in an Instagram session discussing strategies on how to manage our mental and emotional wellbeing – join in and ask questions.
We hope you find something to inspire you, make you smile and most of all help keep you safe and well.