Mental Health
Mental health is about our emotional, psychological and social well-being. Mental health affects how we think, feel and behave. It also affects how you deal with stress, relate to others and make decisions. If you need support, the Student Health Service offers free counselling for students.
How are you feeling?
Test your health-related habits anonymously and receive advice, tips and tools. You can test your lifestyle habits in seven different areas - mental health, stress, diet, alcohol, physical activity, sleep and tobacco – or take a test in all areas.
All tests are anonymous and based on your answers you will get instant feedback with helpful advice on how to improve your health in specific areas.
Everyone feels bad sometimes
It is normal to feel down from time to time. You may have experienced something difficult, or you may be worried about something. You may not really know why you're feeling the way you are. But there are things you can do to make yourself feel better. Sometimes it helps to take care of yourself and your body, but you may also need professional help.
Low mood
Feelings of depression, anxiety, sadness and hopelessness are a natural part of life. Sometimes there are certain events that make you feel down. You can often feel low without anything special happening. A depressed mood almost always gets better on its own, but it can take time.
Depression
You may have depression if you have been feeling low, tired and listless for a long time, and have lost the desire to do even the things you usually enjoy. Depression means that you rarely or never feel joy or pleasure. Not even when doing things that you normally enjoy. The desire and energy to do things diminish or disappear, and everyday life feels heavy and meaningless. You may also lose interest in most things around you, such as the news, your studies or what is happening in your friends' lives. Becoming depressed does not mean that you are weak or that there is something 'wrong' with you as a person. Depression is common. Seek help early so that you can get treatment.
Anxiety
Anxiety is fear or worry that you feel in your body. Anxiety can be uncomfortable and frightening, but it is not dangerous. There are different ways to deal with anxiety and things you can do to make yourself feel better. It usually goes away on its own within a few minutes. Most people feel anxious from time to time. Some people have severe anxiety that comes back often or lasts for a long time. The more you avoid your anxiety, the more it can affect you.
Anxiety is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is a natural reaction to something that frightens you. The symptoms you experience are caused by the brain sending signals to the body. The body prepares to deal with the situation by increasing the amount of stress hormones in your blood. Your muscles tense up and your heart rate and breathing speed up.
The purpose of anxiety is actually survival. Fear gives you extra energy so that you can run fast and defend yourself or escape from a threat. It is this extra energy that you experience as anxiety. Sometimes all it takes is a thought for anxiety to kick in. It doesn't matter whether the threat is real or not. Your brain cannot distinguish between a thought-based fear and a real threat. Your body's reactions will be the same. You may also feel anxious about certain situations, perhaps because they remind you of something that has frightened you in the past.
This page was last updated 2024-10-10