Over 150 students have contributed to the ‘Postcard to my future self’ exhibition in the foyer at Knights Park, covering a whole wall with various messages about life, luck, finding happiness or love and not worrying too much.
Organiser and third year drama and film student, Holly Duffield, thought this could be a new way to help people look differently at self-care and be more positive towards themselves.
“It’s difficult in the short term to not look at yourself negatively due to all of the stresses and pressures of day to day life. However, when it comes to a future you, people are far more kind and forgiving to themselves,” Duffield said.
‘They are reminded by writing a postcard to their future-self how positively they in fact view themselves and how many hopes they have for their own future.”
In five years, on November 18 2021 the postcards designed by Alban Low will be sent back to the owner.
For Holly Duffield, the postcard and message that stood out the most was: ‘Did you find what you were looking for?’.
“I think that’s a really important message because many people look for events or relationships or situations to make them happy. However the most important part of life is realising how to be happy and grateful for your life just as it is,” Duffield said.
Together with Student Union office adviser, Rose Jones, Holly put together different events throughout the University’s self-care week to try and help Kingston students break the stigma of mental health and get them to talk about it.
“The week is about students taking on different ways to look after their well-being in a time of assignments and stress. I think what’s good about the week is a lot of well-being coverage can come across as quite negative and heavy, however, the week looks at easy, simple, positive exercises such as yoga, singing and talking therapies,” Duffield said.
“It’s important to let students know that looking after your well-being can be an extremely positive and rewarding thing.”
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