Support from the start
Your wellbeing journey
At Sheffield Hallam, we're here for you right from the start of your university journey - from the time you start looking at universities, through to enrolment, up to graduation and beyond.
Looking after your wellbeing can sometimes fall further down on your list of priorities at a time when you’re making big decisions on options after college or sixth form.
On this page, you'll find useful self-care tips we've gathered with the help of Sheffield Hallam graduate and entrepreneur Emma, whose business specialises in helping you make time for self-care. You can learn about Emma's experience and you'll also find links to our wellbeing info and support.
Emma’s story
Emma started her business, The Calming Club, in June 2019 during her while studying at Sheffield Hallam, graduating in Fashion Management and Communication. The Calming Club is a creative self-care brand designed to help make time for your mind every day and Emma has worked with brands such as Santander, John Lewis and Tea Pigs since starting her brand.
‘I was diagnosed with anxiety at the age of 12 and my own challenges with mental health inspired me to create The Calming Club. My products help people make self-care a part of their everyday routine.
My best selling product, the Calming Cards, can be taken on-the-go. My aim when creating them was to take away the clinical nature of existing mental health resources and make a product for people to use in their everyday lives. Customers who have worked on the front line during Covid have let me know my products have helped them feel less anxious - it’s amazing to know the cards are helping people.'
Work For Yourself
'On my Work For Yourself placement year, I accessed Hallam’s Enterprise Team’s advice and support and used The Hallam iLab co-working space to work on my enterprise skills and network with other student entrepreneurs. At first I was really nervous about working for myself instead of choosing a fashion industry placement, but it completely changed the direction of my career for the better and seeing my vision come to life was so rewarding.
I’ve been able to collaborate with many brands and business founders since launching my enterprise, including hosting a Christmas pop-up shop in John Lewis, Birmingham. The company Tea Pigs also reached out to me in The Calming Club’s first year to discuss working with them and I now feature their sustainable products in my gift sets.
I’ve also worked with Sheffield Hallam to develop wellbeing packages to send to local college students, designed to highlight the importance of looking after your mental health while thinking about your options when you leave college or sixth form.'
Hallam's support before and after you apply
'Sheffield Hallam offers a range of support for students throughout their uni application. Before I applied for my course, I visited Hallam’s online prospectus where I learnt about the range of skills I’d gain through studying the course I was interested in. On my interview day, I had the chance to tour the campus and meet course leaders to get a feel for what the course was like and see where I’d be working. A few weeks before starting at Hallam, I received a welcome guide through the post with lots of information on starting university and interesting places to visit once I moved to Sheffield.
The university also offers lots of wellbeing resources for current students and I accessed wellbeing counselling support through the Student Wellbeing Service while studying, which was great for talking through challenges and identifying steps I could take to continue to look after my wellbeing.'
Why choose Hallam?
'I chose to study at Sheffield Hallam as I loved the Head Post Office building and its facilities, where Art and Design courses are based on campus. I first visited the building on my interview day and it’s located in the middle of the city centre, so I’ve had lots of opportunities on my doorstep.
I wanted to be a part of a creative community and Sheffield has a great creative small business culture. It was ranked as the number one UK city for starting a business in 2022 (Startups' Cities Index 2022). As a graduate, I’ve chosen to stay in Sheffield to continue to build my business here.'
Looking to the future
'I’ve recently launched a new project, Studio Self-Made; an online education platform that helps students and graduates launch their creative careers whilst also taking care of their mental health. I love connecting with students on their creative career journey. My goals for the next 6 months include investing in my own mental health and personal development so I can continue to build a life and career I love.'
Emma shares some of her self-care top tips
