# data[].attributes.body
1. Keep post it notes next to your bed and at the end of the day write one good and bad thing that happened then rate your day out of 10 to create a healthy reflection habit to help you keep tabs on your wellbeing.

2. Did you know by registering with a GP

you gain access to social prescribers who can signpost you to ActiveUS, societies and a range of services to help you feel a part of a community at Sussex?

3. Enjoying downtime, relaxing, and having some fun.

# data[].attributes.body
Keep a look out for the wellbeing teams Instagram as they will be doing lots of promotion for their sessions.

# data[].attributes.body
If you have any queries or questions for our ResLife connectors head to their Instagram or email residentiallife@sussex.ac.uk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

# data[].attributes.body
In these sessions a member of the wellbeing team will give you advice over a range subjects such as:

Safety - Cyber security + personal security https://student.sussex.ac.uk/wellbeing/staying-safe

Procrastination - Including tips and lots of support available on campus and around Brighton

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Find out how to look after your mental wellbeing and check the help available if you need support.

Looking after your wellbeing

Just like physical health, there are things you can do to look after your mental wellbeing, even when you're not experiencing difficulties.

Good mental wellbeing is about having feelings of contentment and enjoyment, but it also includes things like:

feeling relatively confident in yourself and having positive self-esteem

building and maintaining good relationships with others

feel engaged with the world around you.

Our mental wellbeing is on a spectrum between mentally well and mentally ill. Everyone falls somewhere on the spectrum. You can have a diagnosed mental wellbeing condition, but still have good mental wellbeing. Qualified professionals use standardised measures to diagnose mental illness, disorders or conditions which arise from organic, genetic, psychological or behavioural factors.

Why it's important

Our mental wellbeing affects how we feel about all areas of life. Looking after it can really improve the way we feel every day. This can be really helpful at times when we're not feeling our best, but it's also important to make sure we look after ourselves during the good times.

Ways to look after your mental wellbeing

There are lots of ways we can look after our mental wellbeing. Different things work for different people but there are some basics to try, starting with the five ways to wellbeing:

spend time with others - connecting with other people is great for our wellbeing; it can give us a sense of belonging, help to create a support network, and give us people to talk to and have fun with

keep active - because physical activity has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and improve mood, regularly exercising is a great way to look after our wellbeing and exercising outside is especially good

keep learning - learning new skills can boost confidence, build a sense of purpose, and help you to connect with others. Although you'll be learning lots on your course of study, it's great to gain new skills through trying a new hobby as this gives you a chance to relax and use a different part of your brain. You could try joining one of the Students' Union societies

give to others - acts of kindness and giving create positive feelings, a sense of purpose and self-worth. You don't need to make grand gestures; small acts of kindness such as making a friend a cup of tea, asking someone how their day is going, or even volunteering can all have a positive impact on your own wellbeing

take notice - paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing; this includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Daily tips

You can also look after your mental and emotional wellbeing by:

eating and sleeping well, staying hydrated and drinking sensibly

managing your time effectively and learning key study skills

tracking your moods to help you work out what positively and negatively affects your mental wellbeing; then you can take steps to change or prepare for situations that have a negative effect

enjoying downtime, relaxing, and having some fun.

Where to get help

If you need help or you're not coping, don't hesitate to ask for support - we are here to help.

If you or someone you know has reached crisis point and is at risk of harm or harm from/to others, don't hesitate to ask for help.

University services

There are services on campus available to support you, if you or someone needs help with their mental wellbeing.

Student Centre

The Student Centre offers help and advice through email, telephone, and pre-booked appointments. A meeting with a Student Advisor can address both practical and emotional issues and will provide support, advice and space for reflection.

Therapy

The University has a free and confidential short-term therapy service which offers one to one therapy and psycho-educative workshops for mental wellbeing issues such as depression and anxiety.

Find out whether therapy is appropriate for you and register for mental wellbeing support.

Residential life team

If you live on campus, you may want to talk to the Residential life team about your wellbeing or attend one of their social gatherings which are part of the Residential Life Programme. This programme of events is co-created with the Residential Life Connectors (students) and is aimed at improving your wellbeing and is a great way to make friends.

Email residentiallife@sussex.ac.uk.

Tea and Talk peer support sessions

The Tea and Talk Peer Support Network offers an informal space for Sussex students to talk and be listened to, as well as an opportunity to find out about other sources of support. The sessions are run by friendly trained Sussex students, and you can expect free tea, biscuits and mindful activities.

Any Sussex student can come along and you can talk about anything. Sessions take place in the Student Centre (Woodland 1) on Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm during the term.

Our facilitators are trained to offer listening support but are not mental wellbeing experts or counsellors. They'll talk with you about what's on your mind, and can also let you know about other useful services.

To be confidentially matched with a Tea and Talk facilitator, email the service at residentiallife@sussex.ac.uk. If you'd prefer to talk to a student of a specific gender, then just ask.

Tea and Talk Students are supported by staff from the Directorate for Student Experience. Volunteers will ask for your consent before disclosing personal data to staff unless it is necessary to protect your or another person's vital interests. Read the privacy notice for the Directorate for Student Experience.

Chaplaincy

If you have questions about faith and spirituality, or want a change of scene, you can visit our Chaplaincy based in the Meeting House.

Community services

If you have a mental wellbeing concern, your doctor can talk to you about how you feel, may prescribe you medication, or refer you to a mental wellbeing specialist.

Make sure you register with a GP when you start at Sussex as a student.

If you're in crisis

If you have reached crisis point and feel at risk of self-harm or of harm to others, call 999, visit A&E or call the Mental Health Rapid Response service (MHRRS) on 03003 040078.

You can also contact the Sussex mental healthline on 08000 309500, Staying well in Brighton or the Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service (NHS) if you're experiencing mental heath challenges or emotional difficulties.

Other sources of support include:

Brighton, Hove and District Samaritans at Dubarry House, Newtown Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6AE or call 01273 772277 (local phone rates) or freephone 11612324

MindOut - a local mental health service run by and for LGBTQ+ people with experience of mental health issues

Samaritans offers a safe place for you to talk about whatever's getting to you

SANE is a UK mental health charity who run a national, out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers

Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, anonymous text support service. You can text from wherever you are in the UK

Hopeline UK is a confidential support and advice service for under-35s who are experiencing thoughts of suicide or anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem

mental wellbeing Foundation is the UK's charity for everyone's mental health.

Long-term mental health conditions

If you have a diagnosed long-term mental health condition such as depression or a bipolar disorder, you should make an appointment with a member of our Disability Advice team, who will:

talk to you in confidence about any support requirements you may have

liaise with academic staff over teaching and examination arrangements

liaise with your GP (doctor), counsellor or members of your healthcare team if necessary

liaise with Housing Services over accommodation needs

provide assistance with applying for the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Resources

There are several resources you can use to take care of yourself.

Togetherall - a virtual community

Togetherall uses the positive effects of healthy social networks in its community where people share with, and support one another anonymously.

It provides a proven way to get better together through peer to peer, anonymous conversation.

The service is moderated 24/7 by trained practitioners who keep members safe, and facilitate the process of people helping people in clinically managed online spaces.

The self-guided group and individual courses cover mental wellbeing and lifestyle topics. Togetherall also has a library of useful articles and resources, including helpful tests and features to track progress.

One-on-one therapy is delivered through the web appointments available 7am-11pm, via audio, instant messaging and video (available only in the UK).

*Personal data will be collected and processed by Togetherall. Read the Togetherall Privacy Policy We recommend that you choose a username which does not identify you. In circumstances where Togetherall staff believe that you or others may be at serious risk of harm, they may disclose information to external services such as the NHS or in very limited circumstances, back to the University for the purposes of escalation and providing additional support.

Wellbeing reading list

The University of Sussex library has a wellbeing reading list, which you can borrow for free.

Apps

You can download:

Headspace makes practicing mindfulness easier. You can sign up for free on their Take 10 programme - just 10 minutes a day for 10 days.

Breathe - a mindfulness app that helps you stay calm and battle anxiety by sending you gentle deep breathing reminders throughout the day.

Emoodji - an app created by Mind, designed specifically for students. University life can have its ups and downs, but Emoodji is there throughout. A fun way of looking after yourself, sharing with friends and supporting each other.

Happify - an app aimed at developing skills in order to boost emotional wellbeing.

Other websites

Student Space is a free resource for all students, providing dedicated support services by phone, text, email and web chat. It offers one-to-one support and links to the services and support available for you at Sussex.

Student Minds is the UK's student mental wellbeing charity. Their website features lots of useful resources on a variety of topics that effect student life.

The Wellbeing Thesis supports students through their postgraduate research journey. The website provides information to improve your mental wellbeing and help you navigate the ups and downs of your postgraduate research.

Blurt contains resources to help you understand more about depression and some lifestyle changes which may help.

Learn cognitive behavioural therapy skills for preventing and coping with depression with MoodGYM, for free.

There is e-wellbeing and e-wellbeing for adults, for people under 25 and over 25 years old respectively

Self-help guides

View a series of self-help guides addressing common issues such as abuse, anxiety, panic, depression and low moods.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See how to look after your mental health and check the help available if you need support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Find out about our therapeutic and counselling services.

About our service

We provide students with wellbeing and mental health support to help them focus on their studies.

Our therapists and psychological wellbeing practitioners offer:

short-term individual therapy and counselling sessions

group therapy and psycho-educative workshops.

These may be in-person, online or by telephone.

Depending on what is most appropriate for your needs, we will use low- and high-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Psychodynamic Therapy.

Operating hours

With the exception of the summer vacation, when we are closed in the evenings, we are open:

9am to 5pm on Mondays and Fridays

9am to 9pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Eligibility

Therapy and counselling is free and available to all the following:

foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate (taught and research) students registered with the University of Sussex (including those registered through International Study Group, but not through Pearson)

postgraduate students registered with the Institute of Development Studies.

We cannot provide services for students:

taking online distance learning courses

at Brighton & Sussex Medical School (BSMS) - if you are a BSMS student you can request therapy from the University of Brighton's Wellbeing Service

who are physically located outside the UK requesting online therapy. This is due to both safety and legal reasons. We suggest you arrange therapy for the time when you in the UK.

How to request support

To request therapeutic support, you'll need to complete a Therapeutic Services form, so our team can assess and refer you for the most appropriate support.

All our psychotherapists, counsellors and practitioners are trained in issues relevant for university students.

If you want to request support from a therapist with a specific identity such as gender, you can tell us at your assessment session and we will try to accommodate your wishes. We will also consider any accessibility needs for inclusive facilities.

Next

You will be assigned a therapist or practitioner who will work with you short-term, for a number of weeks which will be agreed in your initial assessment.

Therapy sessions last 50 minutes and usually take place at the same time and day each week.

Alternatively, if we think you would benefit more from a group or workshop, you will be provided with relevant details and invited to one.

We have a number of groups and workshops throughout the year including for:

low mood

anxiety

self-esteem

social anxiety

homesickness

managing emotions.

Limitations of access

We are unable to see students who:

we feel have issues that are better managed through another service

are already having psychotherapy or counselling with the NHS or a private therapist

are receiving treatment from, or have been referred to, NHS psychiatric or psychological services

have complex or high-risk mental health conditions for which our services are not appropriate or helpful.

will not provide details of their doctor/GP or consent to us communicating with them in high-risk situations.

We cannot take on the role of the NHS and, in these situations, we will refer you for more appropriate support.

Waiting times

We aim to give you the best possible support and respond to you as quickly as possible, but remember:

we aim to see all students within a reasonable time frame, but there will be times during the year when waiting periods will be longer and cases will be prioritised in order of urgency

if you have indicated that you have a limited amount of time available for therapy, you are likely to have to wait longer for sessions to start

if you don't attend your allocated session, you are creating a delay for someone else

you need to keep us up-to-date with changes to your circumstances, such as your address, contact details or timetable.

If you want longer-term therapy, find out more about low-cost services in the local area [PDF 292KB]

Your privacy

You can read the full privacy notice for the Directorate for Student Experience.

Ethics and confidentiality

We are committed to the principles of ethical practice.

University therapists subscribe to the Codes of Ethics and Guidelines of their professional training bodies: BACP, UKCP [PDF 428KB] and BABCP [PDF 105KB].

We will not breach confidentiality unless there is a serious risk of harm to either you or to others (to protect your vital interests or that of another), including to children or adults at risk. We will always try to inform you first before breaching confidentiality, but this may not always be possible.

We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunities and Open Access and have full disabled facilities.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with our service, you can email therapy@sussex.ac.uk or use the University's complaints procedure.

Group sessions and workshops

See all group sessions and workshops.
See more from Getting help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out about our counselling services.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discover our Meeting House and chaplaincy. A welcoming space for everyone, right in the heart of campus.

About the Meeting House and chaplaincy

The Meeting House is in the middle of our campus by Library Square. It's the base for our campus chaplains and also an excellent place for quiet study, relaxing, chatting with friends or eating your lunch.

The first floor of the Meeting House is our iconic kaleidoscopic round space, where the light is different every week. The atmosphere is charged with a sense of the sacred.

On the ground floor you'll find a large open space and small kitchen where you can get a tea or coffee, or use the micowave.

Opening times

Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm during term time

Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm during vacation periods.

Chaplaincy

Chaplains are here for the whole campus and to offer welcoming, informal support to all, whether you are with or without faith.

We are here to help and value talking about some of the 'big questions' about life, direction, and the stuff that 'makes us tick'.

You may just want to sit in our beautiful chapel on the first floor, whatever your religious persuasion (or lack of one) and be quiet for a time.

We provide regular opportunities throughout the week for staff and students to de-stress and relax, through mindfulness and meditation sessions.

If you want to talk to one of the chaplains, you can read their biographies and view their contact details.

Welcome to the Meeting House

An exterior shot of the Meeting House, with green grass and trees surrounding the building.

Sunlight reflecting through the coloured glass windows of the Meeting House.

Coloured glass reflects the light.

Rag 'n' Bone Man during the filming of the video for Crossfire

A performance taking place in The Chapel

Regular services

Find specific dates and details of services and sessions on the events page.

Week day services

Monday 12pm - Roman Catholic Eucharist

Tuesday 12.15pm -Church of England, Anglican (weekly service of Holy Communion)

Tuesday 5.30pm- Roman Catholic Eucharist (term time only)

Thursday 12pm - Roman Catholic Eucharist

Friday 12pm - Roman Catholic Eucharist

Sunday services

6pm - Roman Catholic Mass, followed by refreshments

Meditation

Meditation sessions are available in person or online.

Tuesday 1pm online, please email our Quaker chaplain Jason to join the mailing list and receive weekly reminders complete with Zoom links, for campus community and local Quakers. The online meditation enables you to seek spiritual guidance for whatever is bothering you, listening to that deepest part of you that is essentially good.

Wednesday 6.30-7.30pm, Buddhist Mediation (term time only)

Thursday 1pm, 'Focus', Focusing (Gendlin) meditation. In person meditation enables you to tap into your body's own innate wisdom, a powerful psychotherapeutic approach offered in a way that is safe and accessible.

Organ recitals

D'Arcy Trinkwon, University Organist, is one of the outstanding virtuoso organists of his generation. He performs in international festivals and concert series around the world giving concerts in concert halls, cathedrals and churches, including television and radio broadcasts. He is also organist to Worth Abbey

He will perform 45 minutes of music on the last Wednesday of the month during term time at 12pm.

Enjoy a vast repertoire of organ music on D'Arcy's YouTube channel.

Chamber Choir

The Chamber Choir meets on Mondays at 6pm-7.30pm. (term time only)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The University of Sussex is located at Falmer on the outskirts of Brighton, within easy reach of London and major international airports at Gatwick and Heathrow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Whatever's on your mind, we're here - Togetherall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Need urgent help? Contact one of these crisis support services