AIT Student' Union

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Your mental health is, basically, your psychological and emotional well-being. A state of well-being is necessary for everyone to realise their potential, to manage stress, to feel and be productive, and be happy within themselves. Just like your physical health, you or someone you know can become mentally unwell. This can mean either a mental illness or simply feeling mentally or emotionally unwell, stressed or drained. And this is perfectly normal! 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their lives, with approximately 20% of Irish people experiencing negative mental health currently or at some point already.

 

It’s about time we started taking care of ourselves! Here are some tips and advice to better manage your mental health:

 

Interact

Staying in touch or reconnecting with friends and loved ones can massively benefit your mental
well-being. Take time out to strengthen your relationships, or get involved with different clubs and societies to form new ones.

 

Get Active

Exercise releases endorphins, hormones which reduce stress and anxiety, reduce symptoms of
depression and can improve self-esteem and quality of sleep. So get active!

 

Healthy Diet

Healthy eating will improve the way you feel both mentally and physically. For more information on
a healthy diet visit http://www.greatfood.ie/

 

Sleep

It is recommended that everyone needs 7-8 hours sleep a night. This is necessary for full REM
category sleep, the deep sleep we need that contributes to our emotional health.

 

Relax and Destress

College can be hectic at times, so ensure you take time out for yourself to relax, de-stress and do the things you enjoy. Whether its playing music, reading a book or sitting back to watch a film, make time for it and appreciate it.

 

Mindfulness and Awareness

Mindfulness is a practice that humans have been doing for thousands of years, which is seeing a surge in
popularity again in recent years due to the excellent effects it can have on our mental well-being.

For more information visit https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting- started/

 

Ask for Help

Sometimes, even if we do everything we can to practice good self-care, we might need an extra bit of help. AIT provides services that are here to help. Our Chaplin Fr Shay can be contacted at scasey@ait.ie or 0872402514. Our counselling service at counsellor@ait.ie or 090 6468063. Our Vice-President for Welfare (Saoirse) is also available to offer support and advice at suwelfare@ait.ie and can be contacted anytime.

 

Our Health Centre can also offer advice and can be contacted at 090 6468063. 
 

Get in touch, ask your friends, family, or even your GP for help.

It's good to talk.