Kick Start Your Creativity for University Mental Health Day

Studies have found that keeping a journal for example, can offer numerous health benefits such as aiding with anxiety and stress

It’s a long-established fact that participating in creative activities of any form, makes us happier. During recent years there has become an increasing growth in recognising the importance of creativity and its link to mental health and wellbeing. Organisations such as the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance for example, promote the notion that art and health are intrinsically linked beneficially and can relieve both physical and mental ailments.

The role of arts, crafts and writing can play a huge impact towards how we feel on a daily basis and when channelled correctly, creative work can become an extension of ourselves. Studies have found that keeping a journal for example, can offer numerous health benefits such as aiding with anxiety and stress and helping to achieve personal targets or goals*.

With one in four students suffering from mental health problems** it is clear that urgent changes need to be made to students’ lives. More time for artistic and creative endeavours is certainly a great starting point for promoting a health-positive lifestyle. Taking time out of study does not mean students need to sacrifice their grades. In fact, spending time ensuring you have good mental health will improve your effectiveness to study.

The key is to find what you love and to try and incorporate it into a daily routine, or as often as is possible. Focusing your attention on a positive activity or project, can take your mind off other worries and allow for a clearer headspace and freedom of imagination.

Leading high street retailer Ryman Stationery offers a huge range of creative products to allow you to truly express yourself and help the fight against mental health issues. University Mental Health Day will this year take place on Thursday March 7 and with this firmly in mind, raising awareness of the benefits of creative activities is paramount. So, whether you are an avid journaler, compose melodies or prefer to paint, we’ve rounded up our favourite creative products to help inspire you. This is your journey, keep it creative.

Write Me Down

Journals, scrapbooks and personal diaries are a wonderful way to articulate yourself and preserve memories. They also hold a permanence and nostalgic quality that using technological equivalents may not, due to their physicality. And even if you don’t feel yourself to be much of a writer, expressing yourself through sketching, mind-mapping or list-making can be just as creative a way to document day-to-day life or special experiences, to help combat anxieties or simply take your mind off the worries of student life.

If you fancy giving the organisational trend of bullet journaling (or BuJo as its aficionados affectionally term it) a go, but are wondering where to start, look no further than The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll (£16.99), creator of the Bullet Journal. Helping to inspire and explain his simple but effective method, Carroll helps you to track your past, order your present and plan your future.

For the regular bullet journalists amongst you, this Leuchtturm Bullet Journal Notebook A5 (£16.50) is a perfect way to carry out this technique of journaling and help you keep cool, calm and collected in times of turbulence. Featuring a page marker and elasticated enclosure band to keep your jottings safe, it’s ideal for those who crave adding structure to their personal journal.

For the list makers, the My Listography My Amazing Life in Lists journal (£6.99) provides a beautifully illustrated book with numerous lists to fill in and create. Travel experiences, pet names, career highlights or just personal goals. The possibilities are endless.

For the more traditional writers, the Ryman Soft Cover Notebook Medium Ruled 192 Page (£7.99) will see you right. With 192 pages to fill in as you wish, it’s perfect for taking with you wherever you venture, so that you can express yourself anytime and anywhere. Ideal for notetaking or as a daily journal for the year ahead.

If you need a journal that can do a bit of everything, this stunning Dingbats Wildlife Journal Notebook Dotted A5 Orange Tiger (£13.95) will provide the perfect blank canvas for scribbling notes, doodling designs or sketching out ideas. With dotted pages, a ribbon marker, expandable pocket and a pen holder, you can ensure all of your sacred thoughts are kept secure and in one place.

Colour Me In

Art therapy is a wonderful way to relieve tension and focus your mind on a therapeutic activity, away from modern technologies or pressures. There are numerous ways to enjoy art for students, whether it be with pen and paper, paintbrushes, crayons or crafts.

For a creative sidekick you’ll treasure for years to come, look no further than this Ryman Luxury Art Set 106 Piece (£19.99 reduced to £9.99) which will make a wonderful keepsake in times of need. Ideal for those with a passion for painting, it includes pastels, pencils and watercolours so you can create to your heart’s content.

For a nostalgia kick and stress reliver, return to your childhood with a Millie Marottas Beautiful Birds and Treetop Treasures Adult Colouring Book (£9.99). A perfect relaxation method for nature lovers, it’s an easy and attractive way to provide a pop of colour to what was otherwise a grey day. And to ensure a comprehensive rainbow display, this Faber Castell Coloured Pencils Case of 60 set (£19.99) will help you bring black and white to life.

If you fancy yourself as a modern day Monet, this Koh-I-Noor Acrylic Colours Pack of 10 x 40ml (£36.99), ideal for professionals and hobby painters alike. With 10 vibrant colours which can be mixed together to create a plethora of shades, the sky is the limit for your creations. For mastering your brush strokes, try the Royal & Langnickel Paint Brush Value Pack of 15 (£4.99) which includes 15 various sized paintbrushes allowing you to create a masterpiece time after time.

Prefer to make your own than to buy ready-made? Start your own arts and crafts workshop from the comfort of home with these vibrant Ryman Art Card A5 210gsm Pack of 50 (£4.99), ideal for creating cards or invitations. And for all of your accessorising, indulge in one of these gorgeous Collage Craft Storage Tray and Craft Essentials (£47.99) which includes glitter, ribbons, feathers, tissue paper and pom poms.

Wax lyrical and add a gorgeous pop of colour to any blank canvas with the Crayola Wax Crayons Pack of 24 (£2.99). With no uneven colour distribution or streaking, who says crayons are simply for kids?

Play Me Out Loud

The spoken word can do wonders for helping us overcome a difficult day or helping to relieve anxieties. If singing, recording or composing music helps you relax and focus, look no further than these melodic goodies to help ease your tensions and kick start your creative flow to the sound of the beat.

For recreating a studio at home, this Blue Yeti USB Microphone (£119.99) will help you achieve professional recordings and boasts a multitude of features including a mute button, master volume knob, mic gain control, a 4 polar pattern selector, a zero-latency headphone output and a USB Mini Jack. Simply plug into and play through your PC or MAC to begin your musical journey.

Compose your own music with the help of these Silvine Manuscript Book A4 12 Stave 24 Pages 12 Sheets (£1.99). Ideal for jotting down notes, scales or chords and perfect for resting on a stand when you need to read and play your own compositions.

If singing is the key to setting your soul free, reach for the Itek Wireless Speaker and Karaoke Microphone (£4.99). Connect via Bluetooth, choose the music or song you want to accompany on vocals and sing your heart out.

ENDS

*Source – Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiat...
**Source - YouGov https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2016/...

Prices are correct to the time the press release was issued.

Media information provided by Famous Publicity. For further information please contact Mary-Jane Rose at mary-jane@famouspublicity.com or Tina Fotherby at tina@famouspublicity.com or call the office on 0333 344 2341.

About Ryman
Henry Ryman opened the doors of his first shop on Great Portland Street, London in October 1893. 125 years on, Ryman Stationery continues to provide essential stationery items and unrivalled product knowledge, range and service to its customers. In 1995, successful businessman and star of BBC TV’s Dragons Den, Theo Paphitis, bought the company.

Theo Paphitis is one of the UK’s most high-profile businessmen with an empire spanning retail, property and finance. Theo, through his staff at the Theo Paphitis Retail Group (TPRG), has continued the Ryman tradition of excellent customer service.

Ryman offers an extensive range of school, university, office and home products which includes stationery, office supplies, technology and office furniture.

With 209 stores throughout England and Scotland and operating online, Ryman also has business accounts and special discounts for students.

The most western store is in Penzance, the most eastern store in Lowestoft, the most northern store in St Andrews and the store furthest south is in Brighton. The company’s head office is in Crewe, Cheshire.

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