Joining a society is a great way to make new friends and get involved on campus, but did you know lots of societies run wellbeing initiatives as well? For Wellbeing Week, we’ve spoken to three societies on their tips for maintaining your wellbeing as a student and wellbeing initiatives they're running this year.

Open Minds

Open Minds works to help end the stigma surrounding mental health by training university students to bring mental health education to school pupils. Lovena, the wellbeing lead, shared some of her tips for taking care of your own wellbeing as a student:

“Firstly, it can be important to find some balance between studying and socialising (although this is often easier said than done). Secondly, make use of your support network, speak to friends, family or colleagues! Finally, always seek support if needed, don't struggle in silence - speak to someone.”

Lovena also told us more about the initiatives Open Minds runs to support its members and educate the community:

“We run workshops in the first term, led by psychologists or psychiatrists on a variety of topics from eating disorders, depression, anxiety and so on. In the second term, we visit local schools and teach students about looking after their own mental health, where to seek support if needed and encourage dialogue about mental health and wellbeing. We run sessions weekly, on Thursday evenings at 6pm on Zoom.” 

Find out more about Open Minds here.

Wholesome Society

The Wholesome Society aims to help students step away from their busy schedules and make time for fun and fulfilling activities. Haleema, the president and wellbeing officer, told us more about their goals:

“Looking after one's wellbeing as a student is so important. Especially at Wholesome Society, the whole premise of our activities is to ensure our events act as a break from the hectic social environment found at university. We usually host movie nights, arts and crafts events and try to create a safe space where everyone can be themselves. The best way to look after one's mental health after a hectic week at university is to just take a break and take the time to practice your hobbies, whatever they may be.”

Find out more about the Wholesome Society here.

Meditation Society

Suzan, the co-president and wellbeing lead of the Meditation Society, found meditation immensely helpful in her first year at university. She struggled with COVID restrictions and heavy workloads, but even just by setting aside five minutes for meditation, she felt happier and less stressed in her daily life. She told us about how the society can help students find more balance in their lives:

“Meditation Society is here to help you and is the perfect option for anyone who experiences the same struggles as me or anyone who wants to have more alignment in their life. As a society we offer meditation sessions targeted for different goals such as self-love, anxiety, depression etc. There are workshops on breathwork which helps to manage stress and anxiety.”

Suzan also has found yoga helpful in managing stress, and told us that the society runs yoga events as well. “The outcome of yoga is a calmer, stress-free mind as well as a healthier body and a happier soul,” she said. “Everything you let go or fix on the yoga mat will be automatically fixed in your daily life if you do yoga persistently!”

Find out more about the Meditation Society here.

If you'd like to find out more tips to boost your wellbeing, check out the Wellbeing Hub.