It can be easy to feel disconnected when you’re away at uni, and this year, a term spent studying partly online could exacerbate these feelings for some students.

But there are ways to help you cope. Muhammad Abby, 25, from Manchester, is going into his second year as a journalism student at UA92, a partnership between Lancaster University and Manchester United’s Class of 92. He has struggled with ADHD, depression and anxiety. Through his course, he’s learned character development skills including positive thinking, mental resilience and motivation, which have been a massive help while shielding due to asthma.

“How you talk to yourself influences your mindset. Our tutor gave us a tip to start some positive affirmations, so I’m making time to listen to some online every day,” he says. Abby also recommends the Headspace app, as well as articulating thoughts to others. “I speak to my wellbeing officer by video call and I’ve had a great mentor who I can talk to. Don’t be afraid of asking for help.” It’s important, he adds, to figure out ways to manage your feelings. “For me, being creative is a good way to stop focusing too much on my own thoughts.”

Learning online need not be an isolating experience, says Aidan Moloney, wellbeing service manager at the University of Law. “Communicating and collaborating with others online should be an integral part of studying and online technology creates a number of options, for example, email, collaborative software, webinars, video messaging, discussion forums, and blogs.”

It’s also a good idea to set aside time for exercise. “Think of it as an important self-planned appointment, note it in your diary and stick to it,” says personal trainer Antonia Kurdash.

“Physical activity is a powerful pick-me-up that reduces fatigue and boosts energy levels. With regular exercise, you’ll feel much more energised, refreshed and alert. In return your concentration levels will improve.”

This needn’t be onerous and short bursts of activity can prove effective. “Online training is also a low-cost way of kickstarting your routine and this way you can also keep track of your progress,” she recommends.

Set a daily routine and try to stick to it

Starting a course, meeting people, joining clubs and making your way around campus are usually the ways new students find a routine. However, this year, you may need to impose structure, at least until things change.

“Plan how you’ll spend your time,” advises the ULaw’s Aidan Moloney. “Try to follow your ordinary routine as much as possible. Get up at the same time as normal, follow your usual morning routines and go to bed at your usual time. Set alarms to remind you of your new schedule if that helps.”

It’s also a good idea to determine your study hours in advance, since following a schedule will help you keep focus and avoid procrastinating or overbooking yourself. Moloney suggests setting clear tasks for each day: “Having three key objectives is a good yardstick.”

Also, build breaks into your routine. We can only usefully manage up to 50 minutes of sustained working, he says. “So, take regular breaks, and do some stretches from time to time.”

Working independently will require you to establish clear timescales to complete assignments and one useful way to do this is to plan backward from the assignment deadline as this can help you to map out how long to spend on the task.

Hannah Richards, nutritionist and author of The Best Possible You, believes a digestive routine is as important as one for work. “A fully functional digestive system is paramount to your success,” she says. “Regular meal times need to be in the timetable and the most important is breakfast.”

Richards advocates drinking a glass of water when you first wake up and eating within the hour, then stretching for 20 minutes. And it might not be what you’d expected from student life, but she suggests going to bed at 10-11pm for a regular sleeping pattern.

Millie Braund, an English literature and theatre student at the University of Warwick, learned the importance of a lockdown routine the hard way. “At the beginning, I definitely spent way too much time on social media or even on my computer doing work, so much so that I was giving myself headaches,” she says.

She now switches off electronic devices two hours before bed, and keeps lunch and dinner screen-free.

Four mental health apps for wellbeing

Being away from home for the first time can be tough – especially when some of the social elements of university are downsized due to coronavirus concerns. If you’re struggling, remember you’re not alone: one in five students have a mental health diagnosis. These apps may help – but remember you should always seek help from your student union or GP if you’re finding things difficult.

Calm
Mindfulness can help ease the pressures of deadlines, late-night parties, and missing your home and parents. Calm offers guided meditation programmes, some of which are specifically aimed at easing depression and releasing anxiety, that you can follow from the privacy of your own room. Its range of relaxing music, including childhood Disney classics played on piano, may help you wind down after a busy day of meeting new people and getting settled into campus life. The app’s motto is take a deep breath, which will remind you to slow down and reset your mind every time you open it. calm.com

Togetherall
More than 25,000 students at 80 UK unis use Togetherall (formerly Big White Wall), a community support group and discussion board moderated around the clock by professionally registered staff. You can connect with people who may be going through the same issues or worries as you, and learn coping mechanisms.

Alongside the peer support, there are trained counsellors on hand to chat through the app if things get tough, while online tests and courses track your progress and measure your anxiety. togetherall.com

Be Mindful
This paid app may seem expensive, but it offers an NHS-approved 10-step course of 30-minute long sessions that help you practise mindfulness – taking note of your thoughts, feelings and concerns and acknowledging when they may become problematic. There’s a free introduction to see if the course might work for you, and once you take the plunge, the course, which can be completed in a month, provides you with video support, interactive exercises, mindfulness exercises to complete and audio that you can meditate to. bemindfulonline.com

Student Health App
This app is tailored for students, and contains reams of vetted and checked information and support about mental and physical health, produced by NHS doctors for university situations. The information is regularly updated, and gives advice on everything from managing love and relationships on campus, to maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol and drugs. There’s a deep mental health section that looks at tackling stress, depression and anxiety, and how to manage any thoughts of self-harm or suicide you may encounter. expertselfcare.com

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie