WORKING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN STUDENTS’ WELL-BEING
On my mind aims to promote student wellbeing through community and peer support activities. Our main objective is to make sure that no one is left alone with their worries.
Welcome!
News and events
Ways to improve your wellbeing
Wellbeing and leisure: turning the spotlight on recovery
(DRAMMA model, Newman, Tay & Diener 2014)
Leisure time is where physiological and psychological recovery from stress can take place. Often people think that lounging on the couch is enough to de-stress but in reality our mind is more complex and needs a diverse recovery plan. If our psychological needs are satisfied during leisure time, we’ll allow ourselves to rebuild and expand resources that were invested during the work day.
We can approach the psychological recovery process through the DRAMMA model which includes six psychological needs (detachment, relaxation, autonomy, mastery, meaning and affiliation) connecting leisure to better well-being. Plus we added one bonus need at the end of the list.
Let’s take a closer look at the DRAMMA model:
- Detachment > (psychological rest) Hobbies and such that take a way your thoughts from stressful situations.
- Relaxation > (Sensory rest) Do something fun that doesn’t strain your mind nor body.
- Autonomy > (Emotional rest) Identifying what makes you happy, what’s important to you; defining your values and living by them.
- Mastery > (Creative rest) Learning new skills or improving existing skills during leisure time, providing your mind with stimulus for ex. forest walk
- Meaning > (Spiritual rest) Doing things that add value to your life. What are your core values?
- Affiliation > (Social rest) Spending time with people who give you energy and with whom you can be yourself with.
- Physiological recovery > remember to sleep!
Source: Virtanen, Anniina. 2021. Psykologinen palautuminen.
Designing your life: take a good look inside yourself
Living a life which is fulfilling and meaningful to you is an important resource when it comes to your own wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to regularly pause and evaluate your life choices: What gives you energy and what takes it away? What brings you joy and adds purpose to your life? Have these things remained the same or perhaps changed?
Being able to identify and clarify values that are important to you, will help not only make daily life easier, but also help you to commit to the goals you set for yourself. In other words, having clear values will help you find the right direction if caught in a storm.
Instead, conflicts between one’s own actions and one’s own values can create stress and feelings of uncertainty. Good self-knowledge helps to build a life that is unique and meaningful to you, instead of constantly trying to chase someone else’s views of a fulfilling life.
When designing a meaningful life, think about the following aspects:
- connection to yourself
- indentity, what makes you you?
- connection to your emotions
- connections to other people
- emotional level and in a concrete way
- consequences of your actions
- create something good
- Future
- set goals, something to look forward to
Source: Salovuori, Samuel. 2022. Merkityksellisyyden voima – Kirja masennuksesta toipuvalle
Taking care of one's body and mind
Community is built together and in interaction: by asking, listening, disagreeing, encouraging, learning, respecting and exploring oneself.
Why does community matter?
A strong sense of community adds value to our lives and to our overall wellbeing. As social beings, all we want is to make connections that make us feel visible and which help us bond through values, attitudes and goals. Essentially, communities create a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose.
Furthermore, a community can turn institutions, like universities, into safe, inclusive places where one can explore, grow and make mistakes. A strong sense of community not only helps us feel valued, it also gives us strength when needed. We can lean on each other when we need support and we can laugh louder during moments of celebration.
Three ways to create a sense of community:
- Build your community by being inclusive and always saying aloud the magic words: “How are you?” “I see you.” “I hear you.”
- Invest time and energy into creating relationships among people. Help create a sense of belonging.
- Have lunch together!
Do you feel that you are part of your student community?
Students’ loneliness – effects and ways to make a difference – YouTube
Do you enjoy reading?
- Burkeman, Oliver. Four thousand weeks.
- Cabanas, Edgar & Illouz, Eva. Manufacturing Happy Citizens: How the Science and Industry of Happiness Control Our Lives.
- Glennon, Doyle. Untamed. Stop pleasing, start living
- Nixon, Stephanie. The Coin model of privilege and critical allyship: implications for health.
- Nyyti ry. Well-being Skills. Training for the Students.
- The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) . Workbook -Put off procrastinating
“I get so lost
in where I want to go
I forget that the place I’m in
is already quite magical”
-Rupi Kaur
Follow us on Instagram @mielen_paalla!