By James Cantrill, BA (Hons) Journalism.

Struggling with the all the stress of uni?

Is the amount of work you have getting you down?

Are you anxious that you haven’t got enough money to get you by?

Well, sometimes you might not find what you are looking for in the pub, at the bottom of a pint or even in the library.

During my time at Sheffield Hallam I have learnt a lot, both in terms of my studies and how to survive in the real world. Whether that be how to broadcast a radio report on the pitfalls of dementia or how to feed yourself for the rest of the week on £5, it’s all equally important!

However, I am at a bit of a cross-roads in my life. To me, university has been a bit of a no man’s land as I have found myself somewhere between the job of my dreams and my part-time job at the pub, nearly independent but not rich enough to move out. I rarely get a minute to myself as I juggle my studies, with my hobbies, all whilst trying to squeeze in a social life, as well as working 20+ hours a week to fund it all. I’m sure you know what I am talking about. It can get too much at times.

Now, previously procrastination, a night out or binge watching Rick and Morty has being my solution to this. That was until recently.

With my work load starting to pile up, I was feeling the stress and was heavily considering a trip to Corp but I decided not to pick up a blue pint but put on my running shoes instead and I went for a jog.

I’m not going to lie at first I was struggling to catch my breath, my legs ached and I was seriously contemplating stopping. But once I got into the rhythm of it I started to enjoy it and the satisfaction of finishing was really fulfilling.

There are so many health benefits to jogging! Physically it improves your fitness and strengthens your bones as well as reducing the chances of getting certain types of cancer and heart disease.

More importantly, however, it has numerous mental health benefits. For example, it keeps your weight down! This improves your mental health as being in shape improves your self-esteem and confidence. Jogging also releases what is known as ‘the feel-good hormones’ called endorphins. These are chemicals that are released into your body and put you in a more upbeat mood. This is known as a ‘runners high’ and will keep you happy all day long! Jogging is also very helpful when it comes to fighting stress as it puts you in a more peaceful state of mind.

To tell you the truth, your legs are going to ache in the morning but I’d say I definitely felt refocused and had a much more positive outlook on life. Or, at least, I feel less guilty about a night out or spending the rest of the day bed after a jog!

So next time you feel like it’s all getting to much, run from your problems. Literally!