Experiences of anxiety and low mood are different for everyone, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What’s important is finding out what works best for you. Start small – sometimes an important first step is just to acknowledge and accept the feelings you are experiencing. From there, sharing your feelings with someone you trust can feel like a positive step forward…

Share your feelings with a friend, family member, or health professional. University counselling services offer free, professional, and confidential mental health support specifically designed to help students cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues. These services typically include one-on-one counselling, group therapy, workshops, and resources and have been shown to reduce anxiety and low mood among students [3].

When was the last time you took some time just for yourself? Calming activities like meditation, mindfulness, and yoga  can have a big impact on reducing anxiety and improving mood [4; 5]. Whether it’s gentle stretching, a hot bath, or just a few deep breaths, find ways to focus on the being, rather than the doing. The very fact that you took some time for you sends yourself an important message. As a society, we tend to overlook the importance of rest and relaxation. The feeling that we have to be productive all the time to be useful, worthy, or to succeed is ingrained in many of us. Being productive is great, but overworking (or simply feeling the pressure to overwork) can leave us feeling anxious, jittery, wired, restless, or unable to wind down. In turn, being unable to meet impossibly high standards can make us feel low. Not only is rest a basic need, but taking breaks actually makes us more productive, not less. Give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing now and again – how does it feel?

Exercise is a powerful tool in not only managing anxiety and low mood, but in helping to prevent these feelings from occurring in the first place. Walking, swimming, and running have been shown to boost mental health and relieve stress [6], and participating in sports can also be a great way to make friends and feel a sense of community [7]. But, you absolutely don’t need to jump straight in to a full-on workout routine. The trick is to find something you genuinely enjoy and look forward to, and that doesn’t feel like a chore! Remember that it’s not about perfection, it’s about noticing opportunities for a little extra movement, and taking them, whether that’s taking 5 minutes to stretch in the morning, walking to university instead of catching the bus, or dancing to your favourite song. These small steps can have big impacts because they can kick-start a positive cycle…

Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are all connected. For example, a thought like ‘I’m never going to get through this’ can make us feel hopeless or overwhelmed, which in turn can make us avoid doing anything at all. Small, positive actions can break these negative cycles and replace them with positive ones instead. You could choose something calming and relaxing, or to move your body as previously discussed, or perhaps you feel like calling a friend or family member, or spending an hour on a creative hobby. While actions are a great way to gain a little more control, it’s important to be aware of our thoughts, too…

We can’t control what happens in life, but we can control how we think about things. One of the central theories of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is that we have more control over our emotions than we might realise, because we can influence our feelings via our thoughts. When we feel anxious or down, negative thoughts can take over our inner self-talk. These thoughts can happen so automatically that we barely even notice them, which is why they are called ‘negative automatic thoughts’. The first step in addressing them is to simply notice. Some people find it beneficial to keep a thought record or diary, but it could be as simple as identifying the kinds of thoughts that tend to pop up around the times you are feeling anxious or down. Some common ones that we all experience from time to time include ‘I’m not good enough’, or ‘I’ll never get this done’. Ask yourself: is this fact or opinion? Where is the evidence? Could there be another, more realistic way to look at the situation? By interrupting these thoughts, you might find that you are being harder on yourself than you need to be. Remember to show yourself the same compassion you would show to others…

We all make mistakes or have off days, but anxiety and low mood can make us hold ourselves to impossible standards. Whatever you’re going through, try imagining what you would say to a close friend in your shoes. Would you blame them for their feelings, or tell them off? More likely, you’d offer them kindness and understanding. Start practicing the same kindness towards yourself, and practice is the key word here. It doesn’t come naturally to many of us, which means that it’s more of a journey than a destination. Being hard on ourselves for being hard on ourselves is not the goal! Instead, simply notice that you’re not being as kind to yourself as you could be and celebrate the fact that you even noticed – this is a huge step in itself. Then, simply ask yourself: what would I say to a friend?

When anxiety or low mood hits, having a go-to strategy can help to interrupt these feelings before they can escalate even further. One simple method that you can use anywhere, any time, is deep breathing. Take (at least) three deep, belly breaths, each followed by a long, controlled exhale. On the exhale, completely empty and try to relax your shoulders. As you breathe, focus on the quality of the air and the sensation of it travelling down into your belly and then up and out of your nose or mouth.

We all know the basics of self-care – sleep, exercise, eating well, and drinking enough water [8]. The paradox is that, although these things can seem obvious (even to the point of seeming patronising!), they really are the first things to slip when we are not feeling our best. Then, not taking good care of ourselves makes us feel even worse, and the cycle continues. Next time you’re feeling out of sorts, check in with yourself: How did I sleep? Have I been moving my body enough? Have I been drinking enough water today? Learning about sleep hygiene or how to prepare quick and affordable meals might help.

Something less obvious is that self-care is not just about the basics. It’s also about finding moments of joy, laughing, taking breaks, rest (proper, actual rest), and connecting with yourself, others, and the natural world. Prioritising your wellbeing in these ways can bring more balance to life.  

Connecting with others who share similar experiences can be a powerful way to make a positive impact. Peer support involves people with similar experiences coming together to form a supportive community with mutual understanding and shared knowledge. There may be organised peer support groups at your university or through external organisations like Mind. Peer-led support groups can positively impact student mental health [9].