Losing yourself in a book can have a profound impact on body and mind, akin to entering an altered state of consciousness. The effect is rapid, too. After reading for just six minutes, the average person’s stress levels fall by two-thirds as the mind is taken away from its habitual thoughts and the body relaxes. Reading works can relax you even faster than listening to music.

Working early or late has some benefits – there’s always space to spread out, it’s quieter, so you can concentrate without distractions, and it’s a good time to wander over to the Library and get stuck into some serious study. Yet, you need to stay hydrated and fed even when you’ve exhausted your snack box and the local coffee shops have closed (or not yet opened). Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.

Christmas can be an exciting time for some but a trying time for others. Whether you are wondering how to keep yourself entertained in Portsmouth over the holidays or facing a return home you would rather forego, entertainments, help and advice are all on hand. Whatever you need, there is something or someone who can help.

Libraries are a staple of the university experience. They make conducting research, writing essays, and revising for exams so much easier, but they can also provide benefits outside of academia. Being a student isn’t always easy, and when things get tough, libraries can be incredible sources of support.

In this guest blog post, we explore the various ways libraries can help sustain your mental health.

Looking after ourselves means taking time to care for bodies and minds together. It doesn’t matter what you read or what exercise you do, only that you enjoy what you are doing. As I was once told, “life is not a rehearsal”, so make the most of your time. Enjoy every moment you can, and if you can’t, see if there is anything obvious you can do to make life better.

Many thanks to Zarah Vernham in the Department of Psychology for pulling together the most comprehensive list of support services we have been able to promote to date. Need urgent support? Shout Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text-messaging support …

Mental health and wellbeing resources for all occasions Read more »

Have you thought about the ‘new (academic) year – new you’ yet? I was reading the Metro paper the other day and an article by Susan Griffin on productivity caught my eye. Here is the resolutions list she devised: Start …

We come up with New Year’s resolutions, why not for the new academic year, too? Read more »