Book Unlocked From Stressed to Success

Some photos of the displays at Bedford Library

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success Luton Library

Regular hand massage has been proven to decrease anxiety and improve strength and reduce pain.
This could be extremely beneficial during exam time to help over taxed hands and help give some time out to de-stress.
Luton Library in partnership with the Business School have set up a facility for pre booked 15 minute manicures on level 1 H Block by Tipsity for £15

Book for Tuesday 9 May 

Booking Link (copy and paste in your browser link in image below may not work) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_clkSHYxEZI7jUtdIZMYwBkN_dCFoqnnilBvahVbQ5A/edit#gid=0

TIPSITY at The University of Bedfordshire  TIPSITY at The University of Bedfordshire  Tuesday 9th May 9.30am - 6pm BOOK HERE BOOK HERE BOOK HERE
BOOK HERE

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success

Thursday 4 May saw Cass Howe from Seeds Beds in Bedford Library offering students the opportunity to Connect and Chill via finger labyrinths, a hot drink and table top connect 4. All gentle distractions for a few minutes from the stress of hand ins and exams.
Cass will be back at Bedford Library on Monday: May 8th, 15th and 22nd why not pop along?

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success TreeHouse

Community and Faith teams are working in partnership with LRSE to support students throughout May.
TreeHouse is offering Connect and Chat sessions in the TreeHouse on Luton Campus  Monday 8th, 15th & 22nd May 13.00 - 15.00
With teas and coffees available sponsored by LRSE

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success SeedBeds

Community and Faith teams are working in partnership with LRSE to support students throughout May.
SeedBeds is offering a Connect and Chill session in Bedford Library 11.00 - 13.00 Thursday 4th then Monday 8th, 15th & 22nd May
SeedBeds are having a couple of tables on the ground floor in the library one day a week for a couple of hours thoughout May. On those tables they will be offering labyrinth meditation using the wooden finger labyrinths, information about our SeedBeds activities during May which include some labyrinth walks on the campus labyrinth and also our weekly lunches.  They will also offer  information about spiritual chilling and the prayer rooms. 

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success Take a Break

The Science of Taking a Break

Many studies have found that pausing for a moment to relax and reboot is essential for achieving productivity, success, and a positive outlook on the future. This is especially true for students who spend hours huddled in front of a computer. While many believe cram sessions and all-night study groups will ultimately help them earn their college degree, the fact is that not taking regular breaks can lead to a significant decrease in academic performance and, in some cases, serious health concerns like anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success Mindfulness

Mindfulness sessions are being run at both Bedford Library and Luton Library.
Bedford Library level 3 at 13.15 until 14.00 on 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th May
Luton Library level 6 "Cloud Deck" at 14.00 until 14.45 on 12th & 19th may

Want to go along and find out more?

Mindfulness meditation can help you to try a different approach to dealing with thoughts & feelings through a series of practical exercises to increase your awareness and focus on the present moment.

It can help you begin to:

§  explore alternatives to being lost in your thoughts and have an increased awareness & of the present moment

§  see your thoughts as mental events that come and go in the mind

§  help you to sidestep the cascade of mental events that draw you into depression or worry

Most of the time our attention is not where we intended it to be. Our attention is hijacked by our thoughts and emotions, by our concerns, by our worries for the future, and our regrets and memories of the past.

Mindful awareness is about learning to pay attention, in the present moment, and without judgement. It's like training a muscle, training your attention to be where you want it to be. This reduces our tendency to work on autopilot, allowing us to us choose how we respond & react.

Interest in mindfulness has been growing steadily in recent years. There are now thousands of research studies into the use and benefits of mindfulness. Professionals are using mindfulness in boardrooms, universities, schools, prisons, court rooms and hospitals across the world.

So how can mindfulness help university students?

 At its heart mindfulness training teaches students to pay attention to the present moment through simple breathing and meditation practices. This increases awareness of thoughts and feelings and boosts levels of attention and concentration. It can help those students who are performing well to perform even better as well as assisting those who are struggling.

Try these ideas to help you be more mindful:

·        Noticing when you are responding mindlessly to do something you don’t want to…phone, computer, food, alcohol….

·        Notice where your mind goes when in a queue, at the bus stop…and choose to notice something around you instead

·        Take a moment to try the ‘5 Things’ exercise …take a couple of slow breaths & then just notice 5 things you can see,  5 things you can hear then 5 things you can see…what do you notice?

Give some thought to the way you might do or approach everyday things:

·        Your speed of walking

·        Multi-tasking or not

·        Listening to a stream of headline bad news stories

·        Your choices in pacing your life and what activities you engage in

Even think more about what music you listen to…

try these websites, offering some free resources:

http://mindfulnessforstudents.co.uk/

http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success Vitamin Boost

Foods to reduce stress include
Cherries
Bananas
Oranges
Broccoli
Cabbage
Garlic
Asparagus
Nuts & seeds
Apples
Salmon

As a part of the Stress to Sucess theme LRSE is giving away fresh fruit on Wednesdays in May between 11am and 3pm
3, 10,17 & 24 May at Bedford Library (ground floor) and Luton Library (1st floor)

Look out for the free fruit we hope it will give you a boost to keep you going

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success online help

A list of websites to visit for advice

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/reduce-stress.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1HsY1X8ySjKBMVXPVCbP4qH/exam-stress

http://www.studentminds.org.uk/exam-stress.html

Books Unlocked - From Stress to Success

Stress Symptoms

Look out for prolonged or extreme cases of the following if you feel the work's piling up:

• Difficulty getting to sleep or difficulty waking up in the morning
• Constant tiredness
• Forgetfulness
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Poor appetite
• Loss of interest in activities
• Increased anxiety and irritability
• Increased heart rate
• Migraines/headaches
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness

If you've noticed three or more of the above symptoms and you've experienced them for a few weeks you may need to do something about your stress levels.

How to manage exam stress

• Learn to recognise when you're stressing out. A break or a chat with someone who knows the pressure you're under will get things into perspective.
• Avoid comparing your abilities with your mates. Those "Oh my God I've only read Macbeth 17 times" conversations are such a wind up. Everyone approaches revision in different ways, so just make sure you've chosen the method that works best for you. Make a realistic timetable. Stick to it.
• Eat right. Treat yourself like a well honed machine - eat fresh fruit and veg and have a proper breakfasts. Fuel your brain as well as your body - no one can think straight on coffee and chocolate.
• Sleep well. Wind down before bed and don't revise under the duvet - your bed is a sanctuary, not a desk. Get your eight hours.
• Exercise. Nothing de-stresses the mind faster than physical activity, so build it into your timetable. Being a sloth makes our mind sloppy too.
• Quit the bad habits. Cigarettes and alcohol never stopped anyone being stressed for very long.
• Panic is often triggered by hyperventilating (quick, shallow breaths). So if you feel yourself losing it during the exam, sit back for a moment and control your breathing. Deep breath in and out through the nose, counting to five each way.
• Steer clear of any exam 'post-mortem'. It doesn't matter what your mate wrote for Question 3(b), it's too late to go back and change your answers, so it will just make you worry even more.

Ultimately, don't lose sight of the fact that there is life after exams. Things might seem intense right now, but it won't last forever.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1HsY1X8ySjKBMVXPVCbP4qH/exam-stress

Books Unlocked - May is exam month

May is one of the busiest University months with lots of assignment hand ins dissertation completion dates and - of course - exams.

As well as offering our usual support via staff services resources and study spaces LRSE is offering some "extras" to support students at what can be a stressful time. We have badged these extras as From Stress to Success.

More details here
https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/whoweare/refreshers-week