This year ENSA is committed to achieving a ‘Healthy Body Healthy Mind’ Award.
The Healthy Body Healthy Mind Awards are delivered by Scottish Student Sport with focus on the link between sports, physical activity, smoking prevention and mental health. The awards are also supported by the Mental Health Foundation and ASH Scotland.
These awards highlight those colleges and universities who have worked towards making sport and exercise recognised at their institution as a way to maintain good mental wellbeing.
The aim of the awards is to encourage all those working in sporting areas, staff and students alike, to take advantage of their position and ability to make links between sport and exercise and mental wellbeing issues. In doing so, the award scheme aims to improve student mental health at institutions across Scotland.
Physical Activity and Mental Health
Research shows that just 10 minutes of physical activity can have a positive effect on your mental health and wellbeing.
Team sports can also help develop resilience, confidence, self-esteem and new social connections. This animation explores the benefits of sport for your body and brain.
Find out more about the link between physical activity and mental health here.
Mental Health and Smoking
Smoke-free campuses mean a healthier learning environment for everyone with the numerous physical health benefits being evident for non-smokers vs smokers. What we don’t often talk about however is the links between smoking, smoking cessation and mental health.
Those who experience mental illness are much more likely to smoke than the general population with ASH Scotland suggesting that people with mental illnesses may account for more than a third of the tobacco smoked in the UK.
It is also thought that these same people will smoke more per day, be more addicted to nicotine and find it harder to quit. The evidence suggests however that they will usually still want to quit.
ASH also believe that smoking could be one of the most common preventable causes of death for people with mental illness.
Find out more about smoking and mental health here.