Our A to Z of wellbeing resources

Everyone feels angry sometimes. It is not a 'bad' emotion, sometimes it can even motivate you to get something done or put something right. Anger can be a problem though if it makes you feel out of control and starts to affect your life in negative ways.

You can view a full list of the signs and symptoms of anger on the NHS controlling anger page.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

The following resources can provide information and tips on how to manage anger:

• Mind - How to cope with anger: How to recognise when anger is becoming a problem and tips on how to manage your anger.
• American Psychological Association - Controlling anger: Understanding anger and ways to deal with it.
• Mental Health Foundation - Anger and how to deal with it: Information about anger.
• YoungMinds - Anger: What to do when you are feeling angry.
• NHS Controlling Anger leaflet (PDF, 1.26 MB): A self help guide on managing anger.

External support

The following helplines can offer support: 

• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): Call 0800 58 58 58 to talk to someone. Open daily, 5.00pm to midnight.
• The Haven: Call 07483 141 310 to talk to someone when you are experiencing emotional distress. Open evenings, 6.00pm to 11.00pm.

Everyone feels worried sometimes, but if your feelings are interfering with your life and you have persistent worry and panic that stays with you, it could be a sign that you need help managing your anxiety. 

You can view a full list of the signs and symptoms of anxiety on the NHS anxiety web pages.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about anxiety:

• Mind: Information about anxiety and panic with self care tips.
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists: Information, videos and recommended support lines.
• NHS Anxiety leaflet (PDF, 1.6 MB): A self help workbook.
• NHS anxiety information: Information about managing anxiety.
• Mindfulness sessions: Our Chaplain runs free weekly mindfulness group sessions, which are non-religious mental exercises to help you develop simple skills to cope with life's difficulties by training you to focus on the present in an accepting, non-judgemental way.

External support

Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose anxiety or panic so if you are worried please see your GP. You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies Service can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

You can also get support from these helplines: 

• Anxiety UK: Call 03444 775 774 for support, help and information. Open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm.
• Saneline: Call 0300 304 7000 for specialist emotional support. Open daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our University community contains a rich and diverse mix of people and from time to time disagreement and conflict will arise.

The terms bullying and harassment are often used interchangeably. In general, they can be defined as: behaviour directed towards an individual, that is unwelcome, uninvited and causes a detrimental effect.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is when someone behaves in a way which makes you feel distressed, intimidated or offended and the behaviour is of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Sexual harassment is not okay and has no place in the University community.

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race, religion or perceived religion, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender. An act which is not an offence may be treated as a hate incident. Any allegation of hate crime is likely to invoke disciplinary procedures.

If you are at risk now and fearful for your immediate safety you should: 

• Call 01904 876 444 for the Campus Security team (on campus incidents only).
• Call the police on 999.
• Take yourself to a safe place, such as a friend's house or the library and be around people. 

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss the issues you are facing.
• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.
• Email HA@yorksj.ac.uk to speak to a Harassment Adviser about support, options and University policies.

How you can help yourself

It is important to talk to someone about your situation. This could be family and friends, someone from the Students' Union, your tutor or Head of School. 

Make sure you keep a record of every incident that occurs. Keep all emails, texts, letters and social media correspondence. Taking screenshots is really useful. Write down a brief account of what happened, noting the date, time and any witnesses to the behaviour.

You can also tell the person to stop contacting you and block them on your phone and social media accounts.

Use the following resources to help:

• Report and Support: Make an anonymous report of an incident to the University.
• Student Harassment and Bullying Policy: Find out more about the University's approach.
• Hate crime: Information about hate crime and the support available.
• Sexual harassment: Information about sexual harassment and the support available.
• Paladin Service: Information about how to recognise stalking and the support available.
• North Yorkshire Police: Just a Kiss: Follow the story of Mia, a student in York who becomes a victim of stalking.

External support

You can contact the following organisations for support:

• Police Community Support Officer (PCSO): Call 101 and ask to speak to Katie Lowther or email Katie.Lowther@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.
• IDAS: Call 03000 110 110 for excellent support, advice and guidance here in York. Open 8.00am to 11.00pm.
• Bridge House - Sexual Assault Referral Centre: Call 0330 2230 362 for a service for women and men who have been sexually assaulted or raped recently or in the past. You can make a self referral to them and their website offers useful information.
• Family Lives: Call 0800 800 2222 for support, advice and resources.
• Supporting Victims: Call 01609 643 100 for advice and support if you think you are a victim of hate crime

The following helplines can offer support: 

• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Your community is important to us and your personal safety is paramount. For this reason, York St John University works closely with North Yorkshire Police's Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team. Within this team are Police Community Support Officers (PCSO). They provide a visible and reassuring presence within our community and are available to students to gain advice and guidance on crime related issues. PCSOs can: 

• Security mark property such as a bicycle, laptop or phone to prevent theft
• Aim to reduce antisocial behaviour e.g. increasing patrols in certain areas
• Give you advice on keeping safe
• Meet with you to give you advice on any concerns you may have around safety or a crime related concern

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to find out how to contact a Police Community Support Officer.
• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about staying safe from crime. 

• Crime prevention in North Yorkshire: Police advice on keeping yourself safe,
• Crimestoppers: Information about crime and keeping safe.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone but it is important that you educate yourself on the signs and try to seek support.

You can view a full list of the signs of domestic violence on the NHS domestic violence page.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss the issues you are facing. 

How you can help yourself

• Report and Support: Make an anonymous report to the University.

External support

The following helplines offer support: 

• IDAS: Call 03000 110 110 for excellent support, advice and guidance here in York. Open 8.00am to 11.00pm.

According to the NHS choices website, peer pressure, cheap student bars and the freedom of living away from home all contribute to the choices students make.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss the issues you are facing. 

How you can help yourself

• Track your alcohol consumption if you are worried.
• Drinkaware: how to stay safe at uni: Some easy steps you can take to stay safe on nights out.
• Drug and alcohol education video: Information about drugs and alcohol including drugs and the law and what happens if you need to phone an ambulance.

External support

• Talk to Frank: Call 0300 123 6600 or text 82111 for friendly, confidential drug advice.
• Speak to Changing Lives: Based in York, offering advice and support to those who would like help with their unhealthy relationship with alcohol and drugs.

Eating a balanced diet can help protect us against feeling low and help us avoid prolonged anxiety. While it is almost impossible to eat healthily all of the time, it helps that we are mindful of the kinds of foods that can help us stay fit and healthy.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support, especially if you feel your eating habits or diet are becoming a way of coping with feelings or situations that are making you unhappy, anxious or distressed in some way.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about healthy eating:

• NHS Eatwell Guide: Shows us how we can eat a balanced diet.
• Sugar, the facts: Find out about how sugar affects our health.
• NHS Food for Thought: A self help guide that suggests some ways to healthier eating habits.

External support

If you are worried that your eating problems are more deep rooted, make an appointment with your GP or Practice Nurse at your doctors surgery. They can give you help and advice on diet or food related problems that you feel unable to fix yourself through simple changes to lifestyle. 

You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

You may feel worried because you have moved away from home and are separated from your familiar surroundings. Being homesick is often a sign that you have happy, healthy relationships with people back at home and that you are missing these important people. It is really important to remember that you will not be the only person feeling homesick at university.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to help you manage feelings of homesickness:

• Students' Union activities: Check out the activities available to you as a York St John student. Joining a society will help you start to build new relationships and feel connected to other students
• Mind's guide to student life: A really helpful guide about how to look after your wellbeing as a student. It gives all sorts of tips and advice, not just about coping with homesickness but student life generally

External support

If you are feeling homesick and just want to chat to someone, the following helplines offer support:

• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Living with others can become stressful sometimes and this is normal.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser if you are facing any serious issues in relation to private rented accommodation, such as serious difficulties with your landlord.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about managing living with others:

• Living with others guide: Our practical tips and advice
• Tips on living with others (YouTube): Watch our video to hear advice from our Welfare Advisers.

At times in our lives we all experience loss of some kind. Grief is a natural emotional response to loss and a process that allows us to adjust to a new situation.

Although grieving is usually associated with the death of someone, similar emotions may also be felt with other types of loss, for example, loss of a relationship, health, a friend, a pet or financial security.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about coping with loss:

• Guide to coping with grief and loss: Tips on healthy ways to deal with the grieving process.
• The Grieving Process video: Watch this YouTube video for advice on dealing with loss.
• NHS grief information: Where to get help for a bereavement.

External support

• Cruse Bereavement Trust: Support for you after a loss.

Everyone feels down sometimes, but if your feelings are interfering with your life and you have a persistent sad, low mood that stays with you it could be a sign that you are depressed.

View a full list of signs and symptoms on the NHS depression pages.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about low mood: 

• Students Against Depression: A brilliant site for university students including a self-help first steps programme.
• MIND's guide to understanding depression: A very good guide that encourages people to talk about their depression.
• NHS Depression and Low Mood (PDF, 1.67 MB): A self-help workbook.

External support

Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose depression, so if you are worried please see your GP. You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

You can also get support from these helplines: 

• Papyrus: Call 0800 068 4141 if you have suicidal thoughts, are worried about others or affected by suicide. Open weekdays, 9.00am to 10.00pm, weekends 2.00pm to 10.00pm.
• Saneline: Call 0300 304 7000 for specialist emotional support. Open daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you are a perfectionist, it is likely you learned early in life that you were valued mainly for your achievements. As a result you may have learned to value yourself only on the basis of other people's approval.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel your perfectionism is becoming an issue that is impacting on your normal day to day activities.

How you can help yourself

• Perfectionism fact sheet

External support

Perfectionism can occasionally lead someone to develop unhealthy habits and behaviours such as obsessions or compulsions. Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose obsessive compulsive disorder, so if you are worried please see your GP.

You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

Finding out you are pregnant can cause a number of emotions whether it is planned or unplanned.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss your pregnancy with someone who will offer non-judgemental, objective information and signposting, and help you start thinking about any implications for your course and studies.

How you can help yourself

• Pregnancy (pdf 71.1KB): Factsheet with information about the support available to you at York St John.
• Speak to your Head of Programme and Academic Tutor to find out about deferring modules or taking time out of study.
• Seek advice from the Funding Advice team to find out about implications on student funding.

International students can get additional advice on access to NHS services and visa implications by emailing visa@yorksj.ac.uk.

External support

Make an appointment at the Student Medical Centre or with your GP to discuss your next steps.

You may also find it helpful to contact an outside agency:

• Reflect: Based in York, providing support with unintended pregnancy, post abortion support, miscarriage and help for men.

Keeping yourself safe is extremely important to us here at York St John.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss the issues you are facing. 

How you can help yourself

• Access a personal safety alarm from the Student Information Desk in Holgate Centre or the Students' Union.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse or rape and have been dealing with the consequences of this alone it may be time you sought support, advice or guidance. There are options available to you which you will have control over.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser to discuss the issues you are facing. 

How you can help yourself

• What to do if you have been sexually assaulted (PDF 0.2 MB): Our useful advice and guidance.
• Report and Support: Make an anonymous report to the University.

External support

If you are in immediate danger or wish to report an incident to the police, please dial 999 or contact North Yorkshire Police to discuss your concerns on 101.

The following agencies can also offer support: 

• Bridge House - Sexual Assault Referral Centre: Call 0330 2230 362 for a service for women and men who have been sexually assaulted or raped recently or in the past. You can make a self referral to them and their website offers useful information.
• Speak to Survive: A York based charity who provide support to men and women who have survived child sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault.

Sleep problems are very common. Not being able to get enough sleep (insomnia) or having our sleep disrupted can have an impact on us both physically and emotionally. Being a student can be challenging in many ways and if you are anxious or stressed or if your routine is disrupted it can affect your sleep pattern.

You can view a full list of the signs and symptoms of insomnia on the NHS insomnia web pages.

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support, particularly if you feel your sleep patterns are having a real impact on your day to day activities.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about sleep:

• NHS Sleeping problems: A self-help guide.
• Sleep Council website: Practical advice and support to help you adopt healthier sleep patterns.

External support

There are many causes of sleeping problems and if the difficulties you experience persist, you might want to make an appointment with your GP. They can give you help and advice on sleep related problems that you feel unable to fix yourself through simple changes to lifestyle.

You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies Service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

Student life can be stressful at times. Everyone responds differently to stress and sometimes it can even be helpful and motivating. However too much stress can affect how you behave and how you are feeling physically and emotionally. The signs of stress are varied but can include having difficulty sleeping, eating too little or too much, feeling scared or irritable.

You can view a full list of the signs and symptoms of stress on the NHS Understanding stress page. 

What our service can offer

• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

Use the following resources to find out more about stress:

• How to manage stress: Mind's guide to recognising the signs of stress and tips on how to manage it.
• NHS Get help with stress: NHS support for managing the symptoms of stress.
• NHS Stress leaflet (PDF, 1.23 MB): A self-help guide for managing stress.
• Mindfulness sessions: Our Chaplain runs free weekly mindfulness group sessions, which are non-religious mental exercises to help you develop simple skills to cope with life's difficulties by training you to focus on the present in an accepting, non-judgemental way.

External support

You could make an appointment with your GP if you are struggling to cope with stress. It may help you to write down a list of the main points and questions that you want to discuss with your GP. This can be helpful if you are feeling anxious or worried. 

You can self refer to the York and Selby Talking Therapies service without having to see your doctor.

• York and Selby Talking Therapies service

To find out more about how York and Selby Talking Therapies can help, watch the Support for students in York video (YouTube).

It can also help to talk to someone about why you are feeling stressed and how it is affecting you. The following helplines can offer support: 

• Anxiety UK: Call 03444 775 774 for support, help and information. Open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm.
• Saneline: Call 0300 304 7000 for specialist emotional support. Open daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Trans folks can experience more psychological distress than most people. They can also experience practical problems and harassment. As a trans student this may apply to you and may impact on your ability to study and to manage your university experience.

You may be experiencing unease about a mismatch between your biological sex and your gender identity which is causing a harmful impact on your everyday life. This is called gender dysphoria. To find out more about the signs, symptoms and treatment of gender dysphoria visit the NHS website: Gender dysphoria.

What our service can offer

• Book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser if you would like to talk about practical issues relating to your university experience or course.
• Self refer to our Wellbeing team if you feel you would benefit from specialist emotional or mental health support.

How you can help yourself

• Our Trans inclusive guide provides information and support for trans students.
• Yorkshire MESMAC provide 1 to 1 support, social groups, sexual health advice to the LGBTQ community in Yorkshire.
• York St John Students' Union LGBTQ+ Society offers a friendly welcoming space where you can meet other folks from the LGBTQ+ community.

External support

If you are worried that issues relating to your trans status are seriously affecting your physical or mental health, make an appointment with your GP.

• YorSexualHealth offers a confidential inclusive, understanding and friendly sexual health service, regardless of your gender identity.

You can also get support from these helplines:

• Consortium: List of helplines.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for a listening service for whatever you are going through. You do not have to be feeling suicidal to talk to them. Open all day, all year.