Our mental health has been challenged pre and post-pandemic, with rises in anxiety and depression, as well as other unrecognised disorders; we can strive to play a role in increasing awareness, signposting, listening to one another and having conversations.
The World Mental Health Day theme is to use spoken words about the different ways we can talk about our experiences. Getting the words out to describe how we feel can be tough at times Mind shows you can confide in advisors, and find online and local communities and other information.
At Edinburgh Napier University, not only are our library help desks here to support you with library-related enquiries, but we are also here to listen to your concerns and provide you with as much support as possible. Napier’s counselling service is here to help your well-being and mental health through practical tools and coping strategies such as CBT and meditation: https://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/student-life/counselling-and-mental-wellbeing
Our Shelf Help collection at Edinburgh Napier University Library is materials chosen by professionals to overcome uncomfortable or stressful thoughts, experiences, and feelings.
Self-care, such as exercise, meeting friends and family, sleep and eating nutritiously have physical and emotional benefits to improving your well-being. You can check out resources on the library blog for further support and building resistance
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”
These words, attributed to an unknown Zen master, are probably the most famous, and arguably the wisest, words ever uttered on the subject of meditation.
The paradox is, of course, that the more you have to do, and the less time you have to do it, the more important it is to stop whatever you’re doing and take time out. Meditation is one of the best, and certainly one of the healthiest, ways to do that.
It can be hard to describe exactly what meditation is or how it feels. I’ve been meditating nearly every day for more than a decade, and I still struggle to define it, but at its heart I believe it’s a way to quieten the mind, relax the body and turn down the volume on the chatterbox in my head that is continuously spouting nonsense.
Types of Meditation to try this world meditation day
There are as many types of meditation as there are practitioners. You may have tried some of them: mindfulness, visualisation, walking meditation, mantra meditation, OM chanting, Vipasanna, and loving-kindness are just some of the many ways to do it. I’ve tried several of those, but my regular daily practice is TM – transcendental meditation. Whatever form suits you, the main thing is to do it regularly. Like any other practice, establishing it as a habit is the key to its success.
The benefits of meditation are well-known. It improves sleep and concentration, relieves anxiety and stress (exams, anyone?), can reduce cravings and pain, helps you to feel calmer, makes you more productive and creative. Some people claim to experience a feeling of bliss when they meditate. I can’t claim that, but I have always felt better after my daily session, and I feel less at peace if I miss one.
We have several books that give greater insight into this most ancient of spiritual practices. Log into LibrarySearch to access them:
This year, Saturday, May 21st marks World Meditation Day. Why not treat yourself to a session? It’ll only take 20 minutes – or an hour if you’re really busy.
By Lesley McRobb
Read more on Mental Health awareness here and here
Mental Health Awareness week is an annual campaign to focus on achieving good mental health. It is part of the Mental Health Foundation that was established 21 years ago.
This year the campaign explores loneliness, the effect it has on our mental health and how we can reduce loneliness. Loneliness is a subjective feeling experienced when the need for social contact and relationships are not met. Although, loneliness doesn’t necessarily always mean it is the same as ‘being alone’.
Throughout the pandemic, many of us have faced isolation under the lockdown rules creating separation from friends and family.
Libraries and Mental Health
Libraries can play an important role in bringing people together, fostering connections and communities. The Shelf Help collection at Edinburgh Napier University Library has been created to help students cope with different aspects of life such as starting university, managing finances, and eating healthily on a student budget. There are a wide range of books in Shelf Help aimed to help students understand and manage their health and wellbeing. These include books on topics such as dealing with stress and anxiety, specific learning difficulties including dyslexia and dyspraxia, and sexuality and relationships. Within Shelf Help there is also a loneliness section where you can find links to books on Library Search which can be borrowed or browsed in the library including:
Navigating Loneliness by Cheryl Rickman
The Cure for Loneliness by Bill Howatt
There is also a link to the ‘The Lonely Hour’ podcast where Julia Bainbridge aims to de-stigmatize loneliness by discussing the importance of finding joy in solitude and connecting with yourself. https://libguides.napier.ac.uk/c.php?g=653422&p=4968443
During Mental Health Awareness Week there will be displays in each ENU Library promoting the Shelf Help collection where you will be able to find books related to loneliness and other mental health topics. Please feel free to borrow the books from the displays!
Picture of books on a library shelf
Here are other ways that can help to tackle loneliness:
· There are group study rooms available for collaborative study at resourcebooker.napier.ac.uk. Studying together can help gain fresh insights into sharing knowledge!
· Join a club, class or even a society! This provides a sense of belonging and awakens that creative spirit. Edinburgh Napier’s Student Association holds societies to meet new people with similar interests. Find more information about the different societies at https://www.napierstudents.com/teamnapiersocieties/atozsocieties/
· Self-care, such as exercise, meeting friends and family, sleep and eating nutritiously have physical and emotional benefits to improving your well-being. You can check out resources
on the library blog for further support and building resistance https://blogs.napier.ac.uk/library/virtual-relaxation-space/
Group Study
See the My Napier webpages for more information on Counselling and Wellbeing Support provided by the University.
During exam time, it’s important to look after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. The library is here to support you and your wellbeing over the exam period.
Relaxation Spaces
Each campus library has a relaxation space where you can take a break and relax on comfy furniture or try a mindful activity like colouring or doing a jigsaw puzzle. Check out our virtual relaxation space here on the Library Blog for some excellent wellbeing resources.
Shelf Help
We also have Shelf Help which is a collection of resources aimed at supporting your wellbeing. There are print and ebooks, tv shows, podcasts and more which we’ve organised into themes. You can find resources to help tackle stress, insomnia, anxiety and low self-esteem as well as cookery books to help you eat well on a budget and ways to deal with procrastination and increase your productivity.
Spotify
If you are looking for some relaxing music to listen to while you study, the Library has some Spotify playlists for you here.
Get Outside
One of the best things you can do is to get outside and have a walk in the fresh air. Although don’t forget to wrap up warm in the cold Scottish winter. Nature is proven to help us feel better. Read more on this with our article on “thriving in nature”
Contact
Library opening hours can be found here You can also contact the library 24/7 by phone and email on 0131 455 3500 and library@napier.ac.uk
The university is here to support your wellbeing and you can find out more about the services they offer here
