Every first year has been linked with a peer supporter – someone to turn to for guidance when you need help.

If you aren’t sure who your peer supporter is, or if you’d like to be a peer supporter yourself, check out:

http://www.ucc.ie/en/pass/ulinkpeersupport/ or contact the PASS co-ordinator Claire on pass@ucc.ie

Suicide is the number one killer of young men –  a lot of these deaths could be prevented if help is sought and an intervention is made. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please do not hesitate to contact any of the below resources.

Please reach out, please seek out, please talk:

• Niteline – 1800 32 32 32
• Student Counselling and Development – 021 490 365
• Welfare Officer – Pádraig – welfare@uccsu.ie
• Samaritans 1850 60 90 90
• Aware Depression Helpline: 1890 303 302
• Suicide Helpline: 1850 60 90 90

If you would like to be trained to be more suicide aware, check out the SAFEtalk training offered by this organisation:

• http://www.livingworks.net/ST.php

Look out for the SAFEtalks that will be offered in UCC throughout the year!

Are you finding yourself stressed?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. During revision and exam periods, anxiety and stress are very common problems for students - even for those who appear confident and calm. Stress is your body’s natural response to a challenge, threat or excitement . It can be positive and can help prepare you for your exams. The key is to not let it turn in to Distress.

Is the glass half full or half empty?

Your interpretation of the physical symptoms of stress is important. Consider a student before an exam and an athlete before a competition: both experience the sweaty palms, the racing heart and the knot/butterflies in the pit of their stomach. The student feels distressed and views the symptoms as a sign of impending doom, but the athlete will take advantage of the rush to motivate herself to perform well.

Stress can be a barrier or a motivating agent – it all depends on how you interpret, label and manage what you are experiencing.

Challenge your thinking

• Believe in yourself
• Base expectations on your past performance; using other people’s achievements to set a standard will almost always set your expectations incorrectly; either too high or too low.
• Be positive about what you do know, not negative about what you don ’ t.
• Give yourself credit whenever possible. Ticking off completed units creates a sense of forward movement. A checklist for the day’s targets (making sure the targets are realistic and achievable) can also boost morale.
• You may feel pressured by someone else but remember that you are the best judge of your own achievements.
• Challenge any negative thoughts and replace them with a positive one straight away.
• Aim to do your best but recognise that none of us can be perfect all of the time.
• Keep things in perspective. The exams might seem like the most crucial thing right now, but in the grander scheme of your whole life they are only a small part.
• Be flexible - Sometimes situations change and you may need to re-adjust your goals or work plan to fit in with the changes.
• Exams have a beginning and an end, and the stress that goes along with them should end with the exam.
• A failed exam doesn’t mean that you’re a failure.

Take some time to relax

• Make a list of things that you like do to relax, and carry these out whenever you need a break.
• Exercise and relaxation will help to keep you feeling calm and balanced, improve your concentration levels and help you to sleep better.
• As a start, try this exercise: Sit or lie somewhere comfortable. Work through your whole body, muscle by muscle, tensing the muscle for 10 seconds and then relaxing it for 10 to 15 seconds. Work from your feet through your body to your scalp. Take your time and relax.

If Panicky, Try Distraction

Mental distraction techniques help to calm you and refocus your attention:

• Count backwards from 100 or 1000 in 7s.
• Breathe in for the count of 3, hold for the count of 3, exhale for the count of 3 and hold for the count of 3. Repeat as many times as you want.

Taking Control:

• Break a large task into manageable parts! Cover the essentials first, add refinements or further details later - if there is time.
• If you find that you’re struggling with a particular module, talk to your lecture.
• Don't drink too much coffee, tea and fizzy drinks; the caffeine will 'hype' you and make your thinking less clear.
• Eat healthily and regularly; your brain will benefit from the nutrients.
• Get rid of the tension through regular moderate exercise. It will boost your energy, clear your mind and reduce any feelings of stress.
• Having a balance of activities in your life may help to avoid you burning out.
• If you’re tired, worries can get blown out of proportion. Make sure you have time to unwind before bed.
• Exams don’t exist in isolation; there may well be other events going on in your life, which are beyond your control, that are putting you under pressure. It may help to seek practical help, support and advice.
• If you're feeling overwhelmed, try talking to a friend or family member. Or call to your Students Unions Welfare Officer, Education Officer or the Student Counselling and Development Centre (based in the Health Centre).

Talking is not a sign of weakness. Please talk.

If you’re feeling alone or down, frustrated or isolated, don’t hesitate to contact any of the following services.

• Niteline – 1800 32 32 32
• Student Counselling and Development – 021 490 365
• Welfare Officer – Pádraig – welfare@ucsu.ie 086 3836794
• Samaritans 1850 60 90 90
• Aware Depression Helpline: 1890 303 302
• Suicide Helpline: 1850 60 90 90

If you are concerned about your eating or with a friend’s, contact BodyWhys helpline on LoCall 1890 200 444

What are eating disorders?

The term ‘eating disorder’ refers to a complex, potentially life-threatening condition, characterised by severe disturbances in eating behaviours.

Eating disorders can be seen as a way of coping with emotional distress, or as a symptom of underlying issues.

• Eating disorders are not primarily about food
• People can and do recover
• Eating disorders can affect anyone

Eating disorders are characterised by a variety of disordered eating behaviours such as:

• Self-starvation - by fasting and/or food restriction
• Purging - by self-induced vomiting, over-exercising, or laxative abuse
• Bingeing - by consuming quantities of food beyond what the body needs to satisfy hunger

An eating disorder can be very destructive, both physically and emotionally, and people can get trapped into the destructive cycle of the eating disorder without knowing how to cope with it.

An eating disorder is not just about food and weight, but also about a person’s sense of who they are.

Treatment of an eating disorder will require attention to both the physical and the psychological/emotional aspects of the person. Treatment must always include respect for and sensitivity for the overall well-being of the person.

The distress of a person experiencing an eating disorder, whether or not it is acknowledged, may have a considerable impact on family and friends.

Taken from www.bodywhys.ie – The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland