You are not alone, together we thrive.
The UVic Student Mental Health Blog is dedicated to promoting positive mental health and reducing stigma. Hear directly from UVic students sharing their personal stories and tips for maintaining wellness, and learn ways to increase your happiness and wellbeing and decrease your stress as you navigate life as a student!
Tips For Coping With Holiday Stress
Are you stressed about going home for the holidays?For many of us, home is a little or a long way away, and for many, this may be your first time going home for a longer duration of time. Either way, if home is near or far, the holidays can be an...
Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of ADHD on Post-Secondary Students
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We’ve all heard about it and likely know some people who have it. But the stereotypes of the hyperactive young boy who can’t sit still in class often get misconstrued with the larger picture of people who are affected by ADHD....
Addiction: Talking about the taboo
*Content warning: Post contains discussion of addiction and substance abuse*Addiction is a simple term for a complicated set of behaviors. It can be defined as a lack of control over an action, to the point where it can be harmful to you. As well as effecting the...
Lonely & surrounded by others
Hey readers! I hope everyone is able to find some time to breath during this point in the semester. A gentle reminder to nourish yourself too. This month I am writing about being surrounded by people while still experiencing feelings of loneliness....
7 Tips for Socializing when You Don’t Drink
As someone who doesn’t drink, I can say firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate socializing when you’re sober. This is for a host of reasons! First - university social culture puts such a huge emphasis on drinking. I can’t count how many...
Places to Study While Dealing With Claustrophobia
As someone who deals with claustrophobia, studying in a crowded library or café does not work well for me. Over my 3 years here at Victoria, I have been able to find places that allow me to ground myself and study calmly, without the anxiety of a cramped...
Navigating Friendships in University
University is a time of new beginnings, new experiences, new opportunities, and new people. Along with these new beginnings, it can also feel like we are relearning how to do many things. I found making new friendships to be one of those things. Friendships in...
Eating Disorder in University
*Content warning: Post contains content regarding eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Living as a university student means living a chaotic life where we are often struggling to get everything done. Balancing school, work, adulting finances, and a bunch...
Self-Compassion
Hello again! Last month, I mentioned self-compassion near the end of my blog post. I encouraged us all to treat ourselves with compassion right now, as we are in a time of such uncertainty and societal change. However, when mentioning self-compassion, I did not...
When to get help for eating or body image-related issues, and how to do that at UVic
*Content warning: Post contains content regarding eating disorders and body dysmorphia. ‘Eating Disorder/ Body Dysmorphia’. Those diagnoses sound kind of scary, hey? Odds are that if you are a young person existing in the internet age, in college, you have probably...
Support Is Not Saving
When I first heard this phrase, it blew me away.For many of us, hearing that someone is having a hard time causes the immediate response: how can I help? In some cases, it’s easy – going for a walk together, bingeing Netflix, or just giving them a pep talk can be...
Project Spotlight: Growth and Solidarity, Anti-Asian racism support
COVID-19 has changed the world around us in many ways, some for the positive but also some highly negative. One damaging aspect that has been highlighted and amplified by the pandemic is the level of anti-Asian racism experienced worldwide. From 2020-2021, across 15...
Too much of a good thing?
Hey readers! This post is going to be about crossing the line of moderation when it comes to "healthy" habits, and ways the media may enable specific dysfunctions. There are a few core activities that mental health experts recommend for everyone to do in...
Journaling for Self-Care
With midterms and exams coming up this month the feeling of overwhelming, panic, frustration is very common. Messed up sleep schedules and 5 cups of coffee won't be a help either. In fact, these really take a toll on our mental health and wellbeing. It’s easy to get...
Setting Healthy Boundaries
“Everyone is in the middle of a life story and your story is being shaped by what you say yes to and what you say no to”, says Sarri Gilman, a pronounced family therapist.Meeting new people is a fun and exciting time. I remember when I first came to UVic I was...
First Month Burnout
Many of us are feeling emotionally and socially drained after the first few weeks of 'the return to normalcy'. You may even feel exhausted of being exhausted, and that is perfectly okay. The reality is that we just experienced 15 months of isolating,...
Imposter syndrome: these feelings are among us
“How did I get here, I don’t know what I am doing” As a PhD student this is a frequent thought that runs through my head, like a nagging idea that I have tricked my way to grad school. Everyone around me seems so much more knowledgeable and on top of it than I feel....
Recharging Our “Social Batteries” Following Almost Two Years of Social Isolation
Hi readers!Not only has another school year begun (meaning that my monthly mental health blogs will be returning!!!), but, after many many many months of at-home living, we are all returning to in-person life here at UVic.As an "introvert" (which Eysenck [1967]...
Hope Matters: Lessons from the bookshelf
My dad is a big reader who likes to support local bookshops. This means he routinely comes home with a small stack of books in his bag; one picked specifically for me, my sister, and my mother. I secretly think bringing home books for his family is his love...
Depression – My Story
*Content Warning = Content maybe triggering and contains information about depression. Major depressive disorder can be difficult and at times the lows feel like you are stuck at the bottom of this huge cliff constantly trying to climb up but keep falling. In 2015, I...