Taking care of yourself

It’s important you look after your mental and physical wellbeing while living and studying in hall. Find tips and resources to help you stay happy and healthy.

Wellbeing goals

Refer to the wellbeing goals you set in the accommodation portal before you moved into your hall often to remind yourself what you planned and to help keep you on track.

Your goals should include practical ways you are taking care of your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health such as regular exercise, phone calls home, and timeout from study.

Read the University’s Six ways to wellbeing guide.

Keeping connected

It’s important to stay connected with your friends and whānau from home, while also building new friendships at university.

There are lots of ways you can make connections with other students—say hello to your floor and hall mates and people in your lectures, chat to people in your dining room, take part in hall events, create a study or exercise group. There are also lots of University clubs you can join to find people who are interested in the same things as you, and for peer support, visit The Bubble—a space on campus to take time out and connect with others.

Your hall and the University run social, cultural, arts, volunteering, and sporting events and activities throughout the year. Keep up with what’s on offer through social media and watch out for notices in your hall.

You can check out lots of tips and resources on meeting people, helping your peers, loneliness, assertiveness, and negotiating on the Connect well section of the University website.

Connect well

Move your body

At university, you sit around a lot. Making time for regular exercise is great for your health and will help improve your concentration and memory, making it easier to learn. It also helps you stay positive, sleep well, and reduces stress and anxiety—so what’s not to like? Find something you enjoy and keep doing it. You can join with others in your hall to exercise together and support your exercise routine.

University Recreation Wellington provides sports, recreation, wellbeing, fitness, and club services for the community.

University Recreation

Prioritise your sleep

The better you sleep, the better you learn. Research shows a sleep-deprived person has 19 percent less memory ability, and if you don’t get any sleep, you have 50 percent less memory ability.

Studies show that adults need 7.5–9 hours of sleep most nights.

Check the tips for a good night’s sleep on the student wellbeing website. These include setting up a good routine, sticking to the same bedtime each night, waking up at the same time each morning, and turning off all devices at night.

Keep well—Sleep

Eating well

Your brain uses 25–30 percent of your body’s energy each day. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet and eating before you start your day will make sure your mind has the energy it needs to learn well.

You can find resources and information on nutrition, eating on a budget, eating disorders, and other food topics on the Keep well webpage.

Keep well—Nutrition

Read about meals in University halls.

Mind your mental health

University can be a stressful time. Make sure you take time out for yourself to do the things you enjoy, and balance this with keeping on top of your assignments and study so you don’t become overwhelmed.

There is lots of support available if you are struggling. Talk to your RA or accommodation wellbeing adviser, make an appointment to see a counsellor at Mauri Ora, or if you need to speak to someone urgently, you can text or dial 1737 to speak to a trained counsellor 24/7 through the national Need to Talk? service.

If a resident is suicidal, the University has processes in place to support them. Find out more about suicidal behaviour in halls.

You can find useful resources for taking care of your mental health on the Feel well page on the University website. This includes information on meditation and breathing techniques, building self-esteem, managing anxiety, dealing with depression and coping with worry.

Feel well

If you are unwell

If you are sick, or know that another resident is sick, call the duty phone. Most illnesses can be self-managed but staff are available to help you when needed.

The national Healthline 0800 611 116 is also available to you. You can run your symptoms by their team and get advice including whether you need to see a doctor. If it’s an emergency, call 111.

You may need to self-isolate to prevent the spread of a contagious illness, and in this case you’ll be told what procedures you need to follow.

Find out more about illness in a hall of residence.

Get immunised

Immunisation is a good way to protect yourself from preventable illness while studying at university.

We advise you to get your vaccinations up-to-date before arriving at your hall. You can also get them done at Mauri Ora—Student Health and Counselling, ideally during Orientation Week.

While the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is no longer in place, it’s strongly advised you maintain your current recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.

We also recommend all students are fully immunised against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), meningococcal B (Bexsero), meningococcal ACWY (MenQuadfi), pertussis (whooping cough), and chickenpox (varicella). The University offers flu vaccinations before winter through Mauri Ora. Bexsero, and MenQuadfi are fully funded for students in their first year of living in halls of residence.

Read more about immunisation while at university.