Our Loughborough campus is a wonderful place to enjoy nature and this week there are guided walks through Burleigh Woods to see the bluebells in full bloom. The Fruit Routes walk from the Barefoot Orchard is also running next week.

If you are based at our London campus, the Queen Elizabeth Park is home to many parklands and wildlife. You can check out a number of trails – including ones suitable for children, and others inspired by art and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – which are available to walk, run and cycle here.

More information on the events running for Mental Health Awareness Week can be found here.

How the University can support you

Supporting staff and student wellbeing is a priority at Loughborough and we offer a range of services, both run by the University and by external organisations:

Services

• Counselling and Disability Service – counselling is available to staff and students, giving you the chance to talk and reflect with a professionally trained counsellor.
• Centre for Faith and Spirituality – chaplains are available to anyone, irrespective of religious or spiritual background.
• The Employee Assistance Programme (staff only) – provides confidential, unlimited support by accredited counsellors and information specialists on any matter that may be of concern to you.
• Togetherall – an external, anonymous and confidential online portal available to staff and students providing 24/7 peer-to-peer and professional support plus a range of courses and tools to help self-manage wellbeing.

Resources

• LU Wellbeing App – offers podcasts, written articles and external resources to positively influence your wellbeing. Available via the App Store or Google Play.
• Health and Wellbeing blog – features articles on a variety of topics including mindfulness and self-care. Staff and students also write articles sharing their personal experiences with mental health and what they do for their wellbeing.
• The Yellow Book – an online resource created by rethinkyourmind, offering tools and techniques to combat stress in written and audio format.
• The Mental Health Foundation – hosts of Mental Health Awareness Week. They have range of resources available on their website including tips on connecting with nature as well as podcasts, videos and blogs.

More information on the support services available to you can be found here.

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Manager, Sarah Van-Zoelen said: “The pandemic and associated lockdowns have impacted us all. The Office for National Statistics has reported that half of all adults in the UK have stated their wellbeing has been affected by the pandemic and 81% of those have experienced increased anxiety symptoms. A focus on health and wellbeing has never been more important.

“To celebrate the gradual easing of the lockdown restrictions we are supporting Mental Health Awareness Week. Our campuses are beautiful and encouraging our employees to get outdoors safely and engage with the natural world has proven mental health benefits.”

Be sure to take photos of the outdoor areas that help your wellbeing and share them with us by tagging @lborouniversity on Twitter and Instagram.