mindfulness Archives – Business Graduates Association

Prioritising your mental health as a recent graduate

As today marks World Mental Health Day 2022, we invite you to take a moment out of your busy schedule to reflect on the current state of your own.

As an international membership and quality assurance body of Business Schools, we strive to use our influence to positively impact the lives of students and graduates across the globe.

As today marks World Mental Health Day 2022, we invite you to take a moment out of your busy schedule to reflect on the current state of your own.

Prioritising your mental health as a recent graduate can be difficult, with many individuals finding it hard to adapt to life in the professional realm.

In this article, we aim to highlight the importance of taking care of your mental health and wellbeing, offering tailored advice to ensure a seamless transition from student to graduate to professional.

We’ve put together a concise list of tips and tricks to help ease stress and anxiety as you enter this new, exciting chapter.

Want exclusive access to a range of tools designed to support your professional and personal development? The BGA Membership provides the perfect solution for Business School students and graduates. Click here to find out more.

Student mental health and wellbeing

Give yourself credit

Prioritising your mental health as a busy student or graduate starts by focusing on the things that you can control. No matter what stage of life you’re navigating right now, it’s essential to recognise and celebrate the small wins.

Whether that’s striving to complete a job application by a specific time, or taking an hour out of the day to do something you enjoy, planning your time wisely can alleviate anxiety and put you back in the driver’s seat.

Set achievable goals

When developing career objectives, ensure to be realistic. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure to apply for as many jobs as possible as soon as you graduate.

Allowing yourself adequate time to breathe, relax and focus on the now is crucial.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, prioritise your mental health today by allowing yourself a moment to recuperate.

Engage in mindfulness or meditation if that feels right for you. Alternatively, wrap yourself up in a blanket with your favourite book, or put on your headphones and go for a long walk.

On this World Mental Health Day, we encourage you to make use of the array of tools around you. No matter how unproductive it may feel in the moment, your mind will thank you in the long run.

Make a list of achievable goals. This may include completing two detailed, high-quality job applications a week, and spending an hour a day playing an instrument or reading a book.

Remember, you’re never going to get this time back. With more freedom than ever, focus on filling your time with things that bring you joy.

If you’d like some extra support in your job search, a BGA Membership can help. Once logged into your BGA account, you’ll have full access to the BGA Career Development Centre (CDC). This useful platform allows students and graduates to find suitable jobs, based on their requirements.

Socialise

Post-graduation can be an extremely lonely time for some. With friends and flatmates pursuing opportunities across the globe, managing feelings of loneliness and abandonment can be difficult.

If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that friendships can survive even the most testing of circumstances.

Keep in touch with peers who have moved away through online social networking platforms. Take the time to arrange regular ‘virtual’ meet-ups, keeping each other updated on your career search.

Adopt healthy behaviours

According to a recent study conducted by Mind, 1 in 5 students will experience mental health issues, the most common of those being anxiety, depression and suicidal feelings.

Adopting healthy habits during your time at university is a great way to safeguard your mental health in the future. If you already know how to ground yourself during moments of stress and uncertainty, it will be far easier to continue doing so post-graduation.

If it feels appropriate for you, develop a simple, non-goal-oriented exercise regime. Whether that’s scheduling a 30-minute walk once a day, or a visit to the gym three times a week, exercising your body regularly is a great way to improve both your physical and mental health.

As easy as it can be to stick to the eating schedule you adopted as an 18-year-old Fresher, beans on toast for dinner every night isn’t going to cut it. Eating a balanced diet is a crucial aspect of prioritising your mental health.

Ensure to eat three meals a day, with nutritious snacks in between, and drink plenty of water. Food is fuel. If your tank is running low, listen to your body and give it what it needs.

With the number of students struggling with their mental health rising year on year, this World Mental Health Day, we encourage you to prioritise yours.