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!
The Importance of Fostering Online Communities
This year has brought a lot of changes to not only to myself but everyone around me. One of the biggest changes has been the transition from face-to-face to online work and school which has presented a new set of challenges, one of which is the stress that comes along...
Liminality: Becoming comfortable with life transitions
I spend a lot of my time reading the news. I’ve learned to pick and choose the types of articles I read in order to avoid a constant inundation of updates on a certain global pandemic. One of my favourite news sources is The Atlantic because it presents...
Establishing Emotional and Physical Boundaries during COVID-19
Hello readers, As the fall term has commenced, many students have flocked back to Victoria to pursue their studies. And, still, many others have decided to stay in their hometowns as for our online semester. Besides the challenges of...
The Impact of Working From Home on a University Student’s Mental Health
Hi everyone!To start off my first ever blog post, I thought I would just say what we've all been thinking lately: working from home can be extremely difficult, and can take a serious toll on our mental health and well-being. In addition to the obvious reasons (i.e.,...
Mental Health Tips and Resources to Use During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented era of adjustment and isolation. Our plans have changed. Our favourite businesses are closed. Some of our family members are ill. During this time, it is more important than ever to check in on yourself. Do what you...
When My Best Doesn’t Feel Good Enough: On Burnout, Failure, and Managing Imposter Syndrome
I’ve been in courses nonstop since the start of 2017, with the exception of taking one semester off due to a concussion that made my head spin when I even looked at a book. There's only one month left until my undergrad coursework ends, and only three until I’ll have...
What I’ve Learned About Exercise and Mental Health
Hey all! I’ve been meaning to write a post for a while on the relationship between exercise and mental health. This is something that I have been trying to learn more about ever since I started a Work Study position for UVic Health Services. My role is to coordinate...
Explaining the FitConnect Program
Hey readers! In September, I started a Work Study position to be a student coordinator of the FitConnect program and I've had an amazing experience so far. The program uses fitness and social connection to support students who have been diagnosed with depression or...
Not Easy Being Green: Mental Health in a Melting, Burning World
The times we’re living in can feel really, really scary. Between the fires in Australia and the flooding in Great Britain, 2020’s news outlets have been saturated with abundant stories of environmental destruction. This heavy, unending onslaught of bad news might...
Finding the Beauty in the Struggle
Being tasked to write a blog post about mental health when my own mental health is less-than-stellar feels semi-ironic. It seems disingenuous to post about simple tips and tricks for decreasing stress levels during midterm season if I don’t believe in what...
Running Away (From) My Worries
Finding the motivation to lace up my runners and drag myself out of the house to go run in the middle of winter with the Triathlon Club at UVic can be difficult. Especially in January, when the sun sets long before we even begin the warm-up. And yet, I keep...
Skin and Self-Care: A Reflection
Dear Readers, I use skincare as a tool to improve my day to day mental health. But how, you may ask, do I do it? Why would I align my mental well-being with an industry that is feeding us the promise of everlasting youth? The beauty industry, as we all...
Mountains from Molehills: When Catastrophizing Gets The Better Of You
This holiday season was a doozie, folks… or at least, I thought it was going to be. My friends and family will tell you that the holidays are usually my thing. From reading break to finals, the Charlie Brown Christmas album is my go-to study tunes. My first cravings...
My Take on Emotional Validation
Hey readers!I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about interpersonal connection during my time at university, it’s the importance of emotional validation. I think it’s a shame that almost no one is talking about it, yet...
Setting Goals for the Next Decade
Ahh, Christmas break. Two or three wonderful weeks during which you’re are expected to recover from four months of stress and social pressures by answering the same “how’s school going” questions from estranged, blank-faced aunts and uncles over eggnog and roast...
Four Ways to Recharge During the Winter Break
Hello readers, Many of you are still in the midst of writing exams, and some of you are already enjoying your winter break. Regardless of your schedule, we are very soon approaching a new semester and a new year. As I have been finishing my own exams and final papers,...
A Scrambler’s Guide to Mount LSAT
Which one of the following titles best states the main point of the passage?(A) How To Nail the LSAT on the First Try(B) The Top 10 Best Mountains in Canada(C) How the LSAT Causes Premature Aging in Students(D) Miley Was Right—It’s All About the Climb(E) Scrambling in...
Be Who You Are, Love Who You Are
University for many is the first-time individuals come to terms with their mental health. I think this is one of the first generations where talking about mental health is not only okay but encouraged. Until university I wasn’t able to understand or accept that I am...
Reflecting on University and Anxiety
Six years later and I am less than six months away from graduating with my BScN. Nursing School and university in general has pushed me to great lengths. It’s hard to believe that six years ago I left my hometown to attend the University of Victoria. The past couple...
UVic’s Hidden Gems: Services You Might Not Know About
Hey, readers! Throughout my time at UVic, I’ve noticed there’s are many initiatives aimed at promoting large resources available to students, namely Health Services and Counselling Services. However, UVic has A LOT to offer and many students don't know what's...