Dealing with worldwide events

The recent escalation in conflict between Israel and Iran has caused widespread concern and we are thinking particularly of our staff, students and all those affected by the increased violence over the past week. As a University of Sanctuary, we encourage initiatives and dialogues in support of peace worldwide and work with organisations to help preserve the right to education across the globe wherever it is impacted by war.

We are also very aware that staff and students may be feeling worried about the safety of loved ones. Also that some of you may be feeling anxious and disturbed by the images on the news and social media. If you have lived through similar events yourself, the current crisis may be bringing up some very traumatic memories. There is support available at Kent for staff and students that’s here for you during these unsettling times.

Support available at Kent

24/7 support services

For support at any time of day or night, check out the Emergency Support page with details on online and telephone support available round the clock for Kent students, including our support partners:

  • Spectrum Life, who you can call in the evenings and at weekends on 0800 0318227 pressing option 1, and
  • Togetherall, the safe anonymous peer to peer online support forum free to Kent students.

Financial support and help

During an international conflict in some instances there can be issues with banking or you circumstances may change. If you are experiencing financial issues as a result of what is going on then please look at our emergency funding pages. We would recommend you look at

If you are currently living in university accommodation and are in difficulty with money due to the recent events, you can contact your student accommodation controller who will be happy to work with you to review any upcoming accommodation payments please email accommfinance@kent.ac.uk who can help you with this.

You can also get help with financial advice from Kent Students’ Union Advice Centre at Kent or from the Student Welfare Team.

Student Support and Wellbeing – professional support at university

Did you know that Kent has a professional support service of over 100 specialist staff? We’re here to support you with mental health, disabilities, and neurodiversity such as specific learning difficulties or autism, through 1:1 support as well as peer support groups and events.

Wellbeing advice and self-care

Although you may wish to stay informed, it is important to be aware of your limits.

Distressing world news can certainly affect our mental health. Here are some things you can do to retain some balance.

Try to be intentional in how you are consuming news, avoid long ‘scrolling through’ sessions

  • Take a break from watching the news – consider checking in at certain times of the day only.
  • Mute or turn off news notifications on your phone.
  • Mute or unfollow social media accounts if you are feeling overwhelmed, or limit your news intake to once or twice a day.

Make time for people, activities and actions that are positive for your wellbeing

What helps will be different for each person, but here are a few ideas;

  • Connect with friends and family members.
  • Go for a walk in the fresh air.
  • Listen to a podcast.
  • Listen to some soothing or inspiring music.
  • Write out your thoughts and feelings in a journal.
  • Go to the gym.
  • Grab a coffee with a friend.
  • Connecting with nature can be very soothing, there are some lovely walks on campus or along the river Stour.
  • Have you caught the bus to Whitstable yet, why not have a walk along the beach?
  • Try to have a regular sleep pattern.
  • Try to eat healthily which will help when you are feeling emotionally depleted.
  • Listen to some guided meditations as these can really help as a distraction from racing thoughts.

Focus as much as you can on hope

Remember that distressing events are relatively rare and amidst all the horrors, there are also reports of wonderful acts of courage, bravery and compassion.

Positive news

It can seem like mainstream media is overwhelmed with bad news, but good news itself is not in short supply; the broadcasting of it is! Positive News has articles about what you can do to make a positive impact in the world today, such as How to help people in Ukraine and What can I do about climate change?

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