With Some Fury Friends

Spending time with animals is another way to reduce stress and improve your wellbeing. Just 10 minutes spent petting an animal can significantly reduce levels of stress hormones in the body. While London may not seem the most obvious place to pet some animals, there are plenty of places to get your fix. KCLSU will be hosting another Doggy Destress event where you can unwind and destress with some canine friends. The event is ticketed, so make sure to sign up!

There are also plenty of other places to spend some time with animals in London, such as the multiple urban farms which are dotted around London. To name just three there’s Hackney City Farm, Kentish Town City Farm and Vauxhall City Farm. Between them they have a range of animals you can visit that you might not expect to see in London. In Hackney, there are the rare breed ginger pigs as well as donkeys and horses. Kentish Town has over 50 different animals, while Vauxhall has three resident alpacas along with various other smaller animals.

One of London’s Green Spaces

London is the greenest large city in Europe with over 35,000 acres of green spaces including parks, woodlands and gardens. As well as being pleasant places to visit, there is increasing evidence that they are also good for you. Regularly visiting green spaces is associated with better physical and mental health, as well as promoting feelings of calm and elevating mood. It has also been found that nature can boost cognitive and memory performance while also reducing stress – a perfect cocktail for exam season!

Our pick of London’s green spaces is Hampstead Heath. While it’s far too cold for most of us to go swimming in the ponds, there’s still plenty to see. Parliament Hill has one of London’s best views, looking out across the City and Canary Wharf. If things get a bit chilly walking around, there’s plenty of café’s (and pubs) surrounding the park in leafy Hampstead and Highgate. The heath is well-connected, accessible from both branches of the Northern Line and the overground.

The Cinema

If it’s a bit too wet for a walk, why not treat yourself to a trip to the cinema. Cinema prices in many places seem well beyond a student budget, so we’ve picked out a few of the best deals. You can catch the latest blockbusters at Vue Islington for £6.99 off-peak (bonus point if you’ve got a 2for1 voucher from Compare the Market), head to Vue Leicester Square for £9.99 or grab a bargain at £4.99 a ticket at Peckhamplex. If you prefer something more cultured, every film at the trendy BFI Southbank is only £3.00 for people 25 and under. All you have to do is register on their website and provide proof of age to get access to the bargain tickets.

To find out more about how to improve your wellbeing, visit our wellbeing hub.