We asked UMHAN member Rebecca Woods to explain how occupational therapy, and "occupations" support student mental health
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My work as an OT and UMHAN Member
November 6th-12th 2023 is Occupational Therapy Week & this year’s theme is the “Power of Occupation.” #OTWeek23
Occupations are any activity that we need, want, or like to do to live and to look after our physical and mental health. They can be self-care, productive or leisure.
The focus of my role as a Specialist Mental Health Mentor is to help students achieve their full potential at university, while also mitigating the impact their mental health condition might have on them.
Occupations are a frequent topic of conversation within mentoring sessions, & a source of both enjoyment and concern for students, even if this isn’t terminology that everyone uses or is familiar with.
Shown below are just some of the strategies I have explored within mentoring sessions with students to enable them to meet their occupation related needs:
![](https://hubble-live-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/umhan/image_asset/file/956/content_OT_Week_23_RW.jpg)
#OTWeek23