Our last student blog for Mental Health Awareness week is from Multimedia Journalism student, Niamh Shackleton, who is part of the Netball Club. 

Being in a sports team has hugely benefitted my mental health. It helps you feel part of a community, and university can sometimes be lonely and difficult, particularly for people who have previously suffered with mental health issues. Being part of netball gave me a reason to leave my room and to get out and about. I’ve also met some lifelong friends through netball as well!

In terms of general gym attendance, I know my mental health drops when I stop going. Whether it’s attending gym classes or lifting weights, it distracts you from things you may be worrying about - whether that be university, relationships or whatever. It’s a great outlet to let out some anger and frustration; it helps you from bottling it all up without being a blubbering mess! Without going too scientific, exercise releases endorphins so it naturally improves you mood. Both these things give you a sense of routine; for example with netball our training sessions are the same time every week and our matches are the same day most weeks as well. Personally for me, my mental health is better when I have a sense of routine, which sport and exercise (classes in particular) give me.

You can find the Netball Club's Facebook page here.