UK universities called upon to adopt new ’emotional fitness’ mental health app

A new ’emotional fitness’ app targeted to students for the prevention of mental health problems has been developed in the UK.Called ‘Fika’, which in Swedish, loosely translates to mean ‘cake and coffee break’. It’s a term used for the concept of taking a few minutes out of a busy day to slow down and appreciate the good things in life.The app is meant to help students with their ’emotional fitness’ levels, teaching them how to develop important skills such as resilience, coping skills and active listening skills, how to create healthy and long-lasting relationships, as well as how to take criticism and use it constructively. According to the website, “Fika is inspired by Scandinavian culture and draws on scientific evidence from Sports Psychology, CBT, Positive Psychology, ACT and Mindfulness to build Emotional Fitness.” Nick Bennett, founder of the app, said on University Mental Health Day, “The world is emotionally out of shape. We all know the benefits of regular physical exercise, but what about the benefits of regular emotional exercise? “At Fika, we are on a mission with our university partners to prioritise proactive emotional support for students, and help them prepare better for their transition into university and beyond, into the world of work.