Self Help Resources

‌We know this is a very concerning time for everyone. We are here to help and support you and will continue to provide a confidential service throughout this period.

The GCU Wellbeing team has compiled a range of resources for students and staff to access online.

If you need support or advice, please contact our Wellbeing Team studentwellbeing@gcu.ac.uk or our Disability Team disability@gcu.ac.uk.

GCU Students' Association Student Advisers are working remotely and are available as normal, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm, to offer support. Please email advice@GCUstudents.co.uk.

Any student who wishes to assess their own risk in relation to COVID-19 may chose to  use the generic self-assessment form.  If you have any questions about this we strongly recommend that you to speak to your GP for medical advice. 

Weekly Wellbeing Newsletter

The GCU Student Wellbeing Service has a Weekly Newsletter where we share weekly information on wellbeing events, groups and workshops, and more wellbeing related content throughout the year!

To sign up to our newsletter please visit: http://bit.ly/GCUWellbeingNewsletter

Togetherall

Togetherall_Banner

Glasgow Caledonian University students can now access free online 24/7 support with Togetherall

Togetherall is a 24/7 online global community, where individuals can access support from trained professionals. You can use Togetherall as a safe space online to get things off your chest, explore your feelings, get creative and learn how to self-manage your mental health and wellbeing.

You are anonymous to other members in the community, and your personal information is kept secure while you are on the site (see Togetherall’s privacy statement).

See the video below from Togetherall for an overview of what the service can provide:

  

To join, simply go to www.Togetherall.com and sign up under ‘organisation’ with your academic e-mail address. 

Wellbeing Resources at the Sir Alex Ferguson Library

The GCU Wellbeing Team has worked with the Sir Alex Ferguson Library to create a GCU wellbeing resource list.

The list has books and ebooks which are available online, alongside videos and other resources.

The Sir Alex Ferguson Library have also collated resources in how to enhance your wellbeing during lockdown, including digital resources to learn something new, exploring nature, being creative, and more. You can find these resources at their Wellbeing in Lockdown Page.

COVID-19 Wellbeing Support

Please find some tailoured resources below for support during COVID-19:

Webpages

Self Isolation Resources 

Interactive Guides

Gender-based violence support during COVID- 19

Community support groups

  • Exacta Print: community support list (this list has local groups for Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Stirling, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lothian, Falkirk, Argyll and Bute, the Highlands, Moray, Ayrshire, the Borders, Aberdeenshire and more.) The list is continually updated. 

Health anxiety 

Additionally, we know that for those members of our University community who already have health anxiety, this may be a particularly challenging time. Please find some resources below for specific support for health anxiety and pandemics:

Studying from home

Student Wellbeing Community

We've put together an online platform where self-care information, wellbeing resources, live workshops and more can be engaged with by students from the comfort of their home.

You can access this through GCU Learn by following the current steps:

1. Log into your GCU Learn as normal
2. Go to the Communities tab
3. Search for "Student Wellbeing"
4. Enrol into the module called Student Wellbeing
5. The Student Wellbeing community should now be added to your communities. 

You can also access the module by following the course link from our launch newsletter here. If you have any questions about this please contact Rachel Simpson (Project Officer for Student Mental Health).

A-Z Wellbeing Information
Wellbeing and Mental Health Directories 
Alcohol
Anger
Anxiety and panic
Assertiveness
Bereavement
Depression and low mood
Disability
Drugs
Eating problems
Gambling:

 Support for people affected by other people’s gambling:

Gender Based Violence
Perfectionism
Postgraduate Mental Health
  • Student Minds have produced the Wellbeing Thesis which is an online resource for postgraduate research students.
Relationships

Family Support

Self-harm
Sexual Health
Sexuality
Sleep and Tiredness
Stress
Online Guided Wellbeing Courses

Breathing and Muscle Relaxation Exercises

Relaxation techniques like controlled breathing and muscle relaxation can be useful tools for feeling calmer quickly and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. The Samartans have online breathing and muscle relaxation exercises on youtube. 

 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

The Wise Group are providing free group CBT Sessions with a rolling programme covering different themes. Find out more and sign up at their website.

 

Mindfulness

 

GCU The Arc online classes

Physical Activity has been linked with enhancing your mental health and wellbeing. Instructors from the Arc are posting daily workouts and streaming free pilates and yoga classes. To watch the daily workouts and to access the pilates and yoga classes, visit the Arc's Facebook page, and email Arc@GCU.ac.uk. 

 

Healthcare Workers Wellbeing Course 

Nothingham University have developed a course which focuses on the Psychological Wellbeing for Healthcare workers throughout Covid-19. 

Apps and Podcasts

Apps

Podcasts

GCU Common Good Podcast 

  • Follow the GCU Common Good Podcast for some informative episodes with experts across the GCU Community, including sessions on mindfulness, carers support, mental health and more.
GCU's Common Good Podcast: Wellbeing Episodes

Glasgow Caledonian University's podcasts showcase the very best of GCU's research and explains how it benefits people and communities locally, nationally and around the world. There have been a number of podcasts which are outlined below on health and wellbeing.

 

Mental Health and Wellbeing 

Can Mindfulness Help Us Deal with Lockdown? with Ben Parkinson

Ben Parkinson from the Department of Nursing and Community Health joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to discuss how stroke survivors can benefit from mindfulness. Ben talks about how mindfulness helps the community deal with stress and anxiety and whether or not it can be used by families in lockdown.

 

Positive Mental Health and the Coronavirus with Dr Christopher Hand

Dr Christopher Hand, a lecturer in psychology, joins the Common Good Podcast (from a remote location) talk to talk about health and wellbeing in the time of the coronavirus. Speaking with Craig G Telfer, Dr Hand offers advice to people working and studying from home on ways to adjust to the new climate, as well as discussing ways to deal with any anxieties surrounding the disease.

 

The Dark Side of Social Media with Dr Chris Hand

Dr Christopher Hand returns to the Common Good Podcast to discuss a new study that examines the behaviour of Twitter users - and how a quarter of participants displayed psychopathic tendencies. Dr Hand talks in depth about his research, discussing why people behave in certain ways online, and explores what social-media companies can do to crackdown on abuse.

 

The Psychological Effects of Lockdown with Dr Christopher Hand

Dr Christopher Hand returns to the Common Good Podcast, four months after his last appearance, to look back over the lockdown period and examine the psychological effects it might have had on the British public. Dr Hand touches on the phenomenon of "online shaming", the knock-on effects of Dominic Cummings' trip to Durham, conspiracy theories and why some people are unwilling to wear masks in public.

 

The Gym of the Future with Kathleen Campbell

How will we physically distance in our gyms? Will we be able to exercise as normal? And can we still use the changing rooms? Kathleen Campbell, manager of the ARC at Glasgow Caledonian University, joins the Common Good Podcast to about the reopening of our gym and steps required to make sure it's safe for use. Kathleen also talks about online exercise classes and how to maintain a positive mindset during lockdown.

 

Keeping Active During Lockdown with Professor Sebastien Chastin

The latest episode of the Common Good Podcast stars Sebastien Chastin, a Professor of Health Behaviour Dynamics at Glasgow Caledonian University, who talks about the best ways to stay physically active in the current climate. Professor Chastin also talks about the best way to break sitting behaviours at work and the importance of getting a good night's sleep.

 

Mental Health Training at GCU

GCU is providing essential training to support the mental health and wellbeing of its students. With financial support from Santander Universities, GCU is working alongside the Students’ Association and SAMH (the Scottish Association of Mental Health) to train around 400 members of staff who work directly with students.

Dr Helen Gallagher, Assistant Vice-Principal of Health and Wellbeing, and Keir McKechnie of SAMH join the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to discuss this important project.

 

Equality and Diversity

Celebrating Black History Month at GCU with Tabitha Nyariki

Tabitha Nyariki, the Vice-President for the School of Health and Life Sciences with the GCU Students' Association, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about how the University has celebrated Black History month across October. Tabitha explains the origins of Black History Month and places it in context of the the Black Lives Matter movement and the killing of George Floyd, before discussing the table of events at GCU. She also discusses her role within the Students' Association.

 

Representation in Video Games with Dr Romana Ramzan

Dr Romana Ramzan joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about video games and how different religions and genders are represented within the medium. Dr Ramzan also talks about how she got into video games as a child, her experiences in industry and academia and her passion for encouraging young girls into pursuing video games as a career.

 

Alcohol and Gender?

The Relationship between Alcohol and Gender with Professor Carol Emslie

Professor Carol Emslie joins the second episode of The Common Good Podcast to discuss her research into the relationship between alcohol and gender. Speaking with Craig G Telfer, Professor Emslie examines the differences between men's and women's alcohol consumption, problem drinking within the older community, and how Glasgow Caledonian University's research has played a part in shaping Scottish Government policy.

 

Gender Based Violence

Understanding Stalking with Dr Katy Proctor

Dr Katy Proctor, a lecturer in criminology and policing at Glasgow Caledonian University, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her research into stalking. After interviewing 128 victims of stalking, she talks about their experiences including why people stalk, the different forms it can take and the lasting impact it has. Dr Proctor also discusses the police's attitude towards stalking and whether or not Scotland requires specialist taskforces to tackle the issue.

 

Violence Against Women with Dr Nancy Lombard

The first Common Good Podcast of 2020 stars Dr Nancy Lombard, a Reader in Sociology and Social Policy at Glasgow Caledonian University, to talk about her research into violence against women. She discusses her work with schoolchildren and their understanding of violence, as well as her study into the links between football and domestic abuse. Dr Lombard also talks about her son, Dylan, who lives with mandibular dysplasia, a rare condition that affects just 13 people worldwide.

Support Groups and Helplines

Support Groups

Helplines

Videos

Self care

 

Relaxation

 

Getting active


Mindfulness

 

Human connection

 

Autism - 'The world needs all kinds of minds'

Wellbeing Support for Students Studying Outside the UK

Togetherall 

GCU Students who are studying outside of the UK can access wellbeing support through Togetherall - 24/7 Support.

 

Befriends Worldwide

Befrienders Worldwide provides an outline of the contact details of helplines by country.

 

International Helplines and Crisis Support

Therapy Route provide information on helplines, suicide hotlines and crisis lines from across the world. 

Suicide.Org provide information on international prevention, awareness and support organisations.