The number of students experiencing mental health difficulties has risen dramatically, sometimes attributed to the widespread intrusion of social media in our lives, increasing social pressures on performance, and recent other societal factors. This article describes a study undertaken with the aim of improving wellbeing in speech and language therapy students at a university in America. Eighty-two students were enrolled in a self-care, service and gratitude project. They were required to keep a log of activities they undertook in each domain for a period of 15 weeks. A perceived happiness questionnaire demonstrated significant improvements from pre to post-project, with service to others (acts of kindness) particularly contributing to gains made. The authors report that this contrasts to current mental health literature which emphasises self-care as the main contributing factor. This study is a useful reminder of the importance of learning and practising how to ‘do’ wellbeing on a clinical training course. This may be an important ingredient to building a resilient clinical work force for the future.
How to feel happier: kindness, gratitude and self-care
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