Managing our mental health and wellbeing is as important as taking care of our physical health. Feelings of low mood, stress and anxiety while managing the pressures of study are common issues which can affect anyone and are not signs of inadequacy or failure. Most of us can overcome these difficulties or learn to manage them with the right support at the right time. However, if these feelings start to overwhelm you or significantly affect your wellbeing, it’s important to seek help. The Student Wellbeing and Disability Support team are here to help support you and can refer you to the appropriate support or services, including our university counselling services.
One-to-one appointments with a Student Advisor are available by phone, MS Teams or Zoom. Face-to-face appointments are also available at both Cranfield campus and Shrivenham site.
Please email studentsupport@cranfield.ac.uk to book an appointment. All Advisors are Mental Health First Aid trained.
Looking after your emotional needs
Prevention is always better than cure, so it can be helpful for you to identify a series of positive lifestyle habits which can generate a feeling of wellbeing. Feeling good enables you to prepare for or better cope with stress when it happens. Emotional wellbeing is our ability to look after our emotional needs, it is understanding the value of our emotions and using them in order to move forward.
Research shows that in order to be healthy and experience happiness we need to look after our emotions. Although it isn’t always possible to control what happens in our lives, we can learn how to cope better and achieve a feeling of satisfaction. Working on our emotional health helps us to recognise our strengths and minimise our weaknesses. It increases our capability for enjoying everyday life by focusing on important personal priorities and improving resilience.
Cranfield has a range of workshops and online resources to help you manage your mental health and wellbeing. Contact the Student Wellbeing and Disability Support team for further information.
Togetherall
All Cranfield registered students can access support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with Togetherall. Whether you want to speak to peers or a counsellor, there will be someone there every minute of every day. You can join a supportive online community that’s totally anonymous, take part in a group course and take self-assessments.
Go to www.togetherall.com to join with your university email address and have immediate access to support.
Counselling services
The University counselling service is available to support students by providing a free, confidential and safe environment in which to explore any issues which may be of concern to you.
Our counsellors are highly qualified and experienced in dealing with the challenges of postgraduate study.
If you have any questions about the counselling service, please contact studentsupport@cranfield.ac.uk.
Non-emergency external help and support
If you or a student are struggling to cope or need urgent help outside of office hours, but it is not an emergency, we advise that you contact one of the following services:
Able to go in person
Crisis cafés
There are a number of local crisis cafés, depending on your location. They offer a drop-in service and an appointment is not required.
- Luton Crisis Café: Luton Wellbeing Centre, 46-56 Dumfries Street, Luton, LU1 5BP
- Bedford Crisis Café: Florence Ball House, Bedford Health Village, 3 Kimbolton Road, Bedford, MK40 2NX
- Milton Keynes Crisis Café: 226 Queensway, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2TE. It also has a crisis phone line, which can be contacted between 5 and 11pm on 01525 722225
- Central Bedfordshire Crisis Café:
- Flitwick (Tuesdays/Thursdays) – The Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, MK45 1AH
- Biggleswade (dates/venues TBC)
Visit the website: Crisis Support – Mind BLMK
Other organisations cover support for people living in other areas:
- SEPT (South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust) for people living in Bedfordshire, Essex and Luton.
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust for people living in Milton Keynes, London, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire.
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust for people living in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust for people living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Text for help
Mind
The Mind UK website has a number of resources for support and information. You can also contact them directly on 0300 330 0648 or by emailing hq@mind-blmk.org.uk.
Shout
Shout is the UK’s first 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis, any time, anywhere. Text 85258 free on all major mobile networks.
