Connect with HealthyU

Connect with HealthyU heading

Connect with HealthyU was a campaign that was ran in semester 1 to support your health and wellbeing during the pandemic. 

We want you to feel part of the university community through active engagement. Connect with HealthyU aims to enable you to develop a sense of control by encouraging and supporting you to be proactive about your health and wellbeing. 

Connect information and resources will assist you to make informed choices, including where to go for help if you need it. 

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Connect with health and wellbeing services 

 

Find out about University and local services and how to access them

Links to services

Resources

 

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Connect with your local community 

 

Find out about what’s happening locally to feel part of the local community  

Travel information

Local councils

 Resources

 
 
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Connect with your friends and peers

 

Find out where and how to connect with others

Networks

Students can meet others from same demographics/ backgrounds

Resources

 

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Connect with your mental health 

 

Proactively taking care of your mental health    

Resources

 
 

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Connect with the world around you

 

Find out how to stay connected with the world around you

Resources

 

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Connect with your physical health

 

Find out ways to stay active and eat well whist at university

Keep active

Physical activity and your mental health

Healthy eating

Resources

 
 

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Connect with your faith 
 

Find out ways to integrate your faith into your everyday life

Resources

 

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Connect with your studies 
 

Some tips to support you to manage your studies

Resource

 
 

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Connect with your rights 

 

Know your rights and where to go if you need help and support

Networks

Students can meet others from same demographics/ backgrounds

Resources

 
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Connect with culture 

 

An opportunity to explore the benefits of cultural diversity

Resources

 
 

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Connect with your future 
 

Find out more about planning for your future

Healthy career decision making - ideas to help you stay positive when considering your future direction

  • Break career decision making down into manageable chunks – try to avoid putting pressure on yourself to come up with all the answers all at once. Instead, identify smaller actions you can fit in alongside other commitments. Our Choosing Your Career web pages will help you to get started and offer a range of bitesize activities and resources.
  • Ask your friends, family and wider network for support - think about who might make an excellent cheerleader when you need encouragement, or who can offer insight and experience when you need wisdom. Your nearest and dearest will want to help, so just ask. Plus, our alumni community are also keen to help, visit our Career Mentoring page to find out more. 
  • Prioritise your wellbeing when exploring career options – it's important to think about what skills and qualifications you have and how these relate to work, but also consider what is likely to keep you happy and motivated in the workplace and research what type of wellbeing support potential employers offer their staff.

  • Try to apply a positive mindset to our current context - COVID-19 continues to have a big impact on all areas of our lives, and understandably you might be concerned about how the situation may affect your career plans. Staying informed and thinking about what it might mean for you can be helpful, but try not to dwell on any negative headlines. Instead, try to spot good new stories and be open to opportunities. Lots of organisations are still recruiting, there are industries that may grow as a result of the pandemic, and there’s still ways you can develop your employability whilst at university. Participate in careers events or the Nottingham Advantage Award to connect with others; use magpie to develop skills that will help you to feel more confident; or talk to an adviser to explore your options and work through any concerns.

Take the stress out of job-hunting and recruitment activities – ideas to help you feel calm, capable, and confident

  • Add structure to your job hunting – spending hours googling, reading adverts, and making endless applications can be draining, and isn’t always very effective. Instead, start by giving some thought to what you’re actually looking for and write down some criteria to guide your search. Then perhaps take a little and often approach so that the whole task doesn’t become too overwhelming. Visit our Work Experience and Graduate Jobs pages for more information.
  • Make time to prepare – uncertainty about what to expect at an interview or assessment centre can make you feel anxious so read any information you’re given carefully and remember that it’s OK to ask questions if you feel unsure about the process. Employers want to see you at your best so they’ll be happy to provide clarity. Visit our Making Applications pages to get more advice about every stage of the recruitment process.
  • Try to reframe recruitment activities as an exciting opportunity – think of an interview as an opportunity to have a conversation with people who already work in a sector you’re interested in, and think of the panel as people who want to help you to succeed.
  • Take a ‘mindful moment’ directly before an interview or assessment – find a quiet spot and focus on the here and now: observe and regulate your breathing, notice and appreciate your surroundings, take a gentle stretch and be conscious of how your body feels and moves. This may help you to let go of any racing thoughts about what may or may not happen.
  • Try using a positive mantra to boost self-belief – pick a phrase that will help you to remind yourself that you are qualified and can do the job rather than dwelling on any doubts. You could try “I can do this job well”, or choose three words that describe your best self, for example, “calm-capable-confident". Repeat your mantra to yourself whenever you need a confidence lift.  

Starting a new job – ideas to help you to maintain your wellbeing and feel happy in the workplace

  • Cover the basics - the wellbeing benefits of getting enough sleep, taking regular exercise, and eating a healthy diet are well documented, yet when under pressure (like when starting a new job) we often let these things slide. Make a conscious effort to build a new routine that allows you to maintain these important aspects alongside your working life.
  • Prepare for early interactions – meeting new people, particularly in a new environment, can be daunting so it might help to have some ‘go to’ content lined up. Give some thought to how you might introduce yourself. Besides ‘hello, my name is...’ think about what else you might like to share, which might in turn help you to find common ground. Popular culture is usually safe territory for building conversation, try music, films, or TV. Or ask for recommendations, like where is the best place nearby to get coffee.
  • Try to maintain work/life balance - starting a job can feel all-consuming and be quite tiring, but where possible try to maintain hobbies, make time to see your friends and family, and do things you enjoy. This will provide important ‘downtime’ to relax and recharge.
  • Check out our Navigating The Workplace pages - here you’ll find lots of practical advice alongside pearls of wisdom from alumni who have recently made the transition to employment.

Where can I get more support?

The Careers and Employability Service can help you to work through any career concerns and provide expert advice.

 
 

 

The University of Nottingham

University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5151
fax: +44 (0) 115 951 3666
email: studentcommsoffice@nottingham.ac.uk