Tips & techniques for managing low mood

We all have mental health and wellbeing, which are connected and can change often. This continuum demonstrates how all of us, no matter our background or difficulties, can have optimal wellbeing with good self-help and support in place.
 

• Optimal mental wellbeing with mental health difficulties
  • A person experiencing significant mental health difficulties, can manage these well and have good support in place, allowing optimal mental wellbeing.
• Optimal mental wellbeing with minimal mental health difficulties
  • People who are not experiencing mental health difficulties still benefit from looking after their mental wellbeing.
• Minimal mental wellbeing with minimal mental health difficulties
  • The challenges of university life can lead us to have minimal mental wellbeing, in the absence of mental health difficulties.
• Minimal mental wellbeing with mental health difficulties
  • Challenging mental health difficulties and a lack of support, can lead to minimal mental wellbeing.

Evidence shows that creating a plan for when and where we will take time to do an activity means that we are far more likely to follow through with it.

Choose one exercise from the tools and strategies in this article that you will do this week and decide when and where you are going to do so.

Complete the following sentence to set your intention:

• The exercise I am going to try from this guide is:
  • I will do so on [insert day]
  • at [insert time]
  • in [insert place]
  • I will tell this person for added accountability and support [insert person]

There are times where low mood may persist for long periods and/or worsen. This may be a sign of depression.

Depression is a common mental health problem. At least one in ten people will experience depression at some time in their life. In its mildest form, depression does not stop us from leading a normal life, but the most severe depression can be extremely distressing with thoughts of death or suicide.

Common signs that you may be experiencing depression include:

Psychological symptoms

• Continuous low mood or sadness that have persisted for two weeks or more
• Feeling hopeless and helpless
• Feeling tearful
• Having low self-esteem
• Having no motivation or interest in things
• Not getting any enjoyment out of life

Physical symptoms

• Changes in appetite or weight
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Lack of energy
• Low sex drive
• Disturbed sleep

Social symptoms

• Avoiding contact with your friends and taking part in fewer social activities
• Neglecting your hobbies and interests
• Having difficulties in your home and family life

Personal tutor: If your mental health is impacting your studies, you should speak to your personal tutor, who can check in with you while you access help, and work with you to determine if there is further support you can access at King’s, for your studies as well as your mental health and wellbeing.

Find out more in What do I talk about with my personal tutor?

Mitigating circumstances: Mental health difficulties are a valid reason to apply for mitigating circumstances for assessments if you are particularly struggling.

Find out more in What are mitigating circumstances?

• For details of specialist services, please refer to What specialist mental health services can I access?
• If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, please refer to Concerned about suicidal thoughts for yourself or someone else?

Emergency support
If you feel like you cannot keep yourself safe and you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or attempting to take your life:

• Go to the closest Accident and Emergency (A&E Department).
• Call 999 to request an ambulance if you cannot go to the hospital yourself.

King’s Residences provide an in-house welfare team at every residence, with a member of staff who is on call out of hours.

If you are in a hall of residence, you can access emotional support and discuss how you’re feeling with a Residence Welfare Lead who will listen without judgment and connect you to helpful support services at King’s.

You can contact them by asking reception for their details or finding the notice board with this information in your residence. Find out more at King’s Accommodation: Welfare.