Mental health and well-being

Advice on effective mental health support for students and staff. Find out how universities and academics can protect their campus community from spiralling stress, minimise the risk of burnout and build resilience - from institutional practices that create a culture of care to personal self-care tips for overworked academics.

By dene.mullen, 8 February, 2023

The changes to the National Student Survey could prove disastrous

The National Student Survey changes could harm higher education

The removal of well-being-centric questions and the ability to compare with previous years will impede universities’ ability to offer adequate support

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 1 February, 2023

Dos and do-overs: reflections on life as an early career researcher

Reflecting on her time as an early career researcher, Edzia Carvalho looks back at the things she did successfully – her dos – and the things she wishes she had done from the start – her do-overs – to help others embarking on the same journey

Reading time

6minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 27 January, 2023

Questions for thinking about your career vitality

Vitality is at the opposite end of the motivation spectrum from burnout. Where do you sit? Here are 10 questions that university faculty can use to reflect on their experience

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 27 January, 2023

Three steps to accepting failure: recognise, embrace and enculturate

Failure must be celebrated in higher education

Many fail to see the blood, sweat and tears that often go into both successes and failures. We must learn how to celebrate the process as well as the outcome

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 23 January, 2023

Adaptability is different from resilience – and here’s how to nurture it

Identifying what adaptability is and how to boost it can help students make appropriate adjustments to optimise their academic and personal well-being

Reading time

5minutes

By dene.mullen, 16 January, 2023

Three easy ways to stay healthy in the new year (even with a busy job)

Get healthy even as a university academic

The time squeeze of modern university roles can make it feel impossible to carve out schedule space for health and wellness. Sandy Jones provides tips on how to do so

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 11 January, 2023

Techniques for managing and learning from failure in academia

Failure in academia does not have to be entirely negative – it can provide an opportunity to grow, build resilience and is an essential part of the self-improvement process

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 6 January, 2023

With an ‘epidemic’ of poor mental health, what can universities do to help?

Woman greets young man with a hand on his shoulder

Practical guidance for universities on how they can support the growing number of staff experiencing challenges relating to mental health and well-being

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 20 December, 2022

Eliminating harmful digital technologies in universities: a guide

Which technology should we delete from universities?

Modern institutions are rife with tech that disenfranchises, dehumanises, excludes and even bullies students and teachers. It’s high time for a rethink, says Andy Farnell

Reading time

5minutes

By dene.mullen, 15 December, 2022

How to change research cultures to support the well-being of PhD students

From providing mental health champions to simply having honest conversations about expectations and pressure, there’s much that can be done to help students

Reading time

4minutes

Mental health and well-being