Wellness and Life Balance

Skill Review

Review these skills, and consider if you have already developed the skill enough for your future career plans, expect to develop the skill as part of your program, or need to find additional resources to support developing the skill:

1. Effectively manage my time and priorities, with or without digital planning tools
2. Identify and manage stressful life events
3. Manage and interrupt anxiety
4. Understand and combat the effects of imposter syndrome
5. Understand recommended guidelines surrounding nutrition, physical activity, and sleep
6. Maintain and improve my physical health
7. Identify and utilize resources that promote and support my mental health
8. Manage a personal budget
9. Make informed short- and long-term financial decisions
10. Transition from my current lifestyle and expectations to the lifestyle and expectations of a professional in my field

Thriving in Graduate School

Join Thriving in Graduate School to learn how to cultivate well-being in your personal, academic, and professional life. By joining Thriving in Graduate School, you will:
- Receive weekly emails with tips to help you incorporate well-being practices into your life
- Learn tools for creating conditions for well-being in group spaces like labs, classrooms, and organizations
- Be invited to a virtual community to stay connected and share your experience with one another
- Attend community-building events
Balancing the demands of life as a graduate student can be stressful and challenging, but you don't have to do it alone. Join a community of staff and students that are here to help you thrive. Click here to join Thriving in Graduate School.

Eight Dimensions of Wellness

While all dimensions of wellness need your attention for you to truly flourish, there doesn’t have to be a perfect balance among all dimensions. Instead, the goal is to find what works best for you. The dimensions are interconnected, so you may notice that most topics (like stress, finances, healthy relationships, substance use, etc.) influence multiple dimensions. Student Health and Counseling's website breaks down strategies and resources for each dimension. Check out the Website here.

Student Health and Counseling Services

Student Health and Counseling Services provides student-centered integrated services that are inclusive, innovative, and promote health equity, which reduce barriers to physical, emotional, and social wellbeing in support of student success. 

Medical Services are located on campus at the UC Davis Student Health & Wellness Center and provide students with wellness, illness and injury care. Counseling Services are located in the center of the core campus at North Hall and provides a variety of counseling services to help students realize their academic and personal goals. 

The services at SHCS are available to all registered students regardless of insurance coverage. Students pay small fees for most services.

Academic and Staff Assistance Program

For Postdocs seeking mental health support, the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) offers non-emergent confidential, cost free assessment, intervention, consultation and referral services to all UC Davis and UC Davis Health retirees, faculty, staff, and their immediate family members (age 18 and over). ASAP is fully confidential and available to help through personal as well as professional issues, virtually as well as in person on both campuses.

Finding Community

UC Davis students love our campus for its strong sense of community. In addition to student government and clubs, we have welcoming student centers where you can find your home away from home. Places like the Undocumented Student Resource Center, Cross Cultural Center, and the LGBTQIA Resource Center — all located in the vibrant Student Community Center building — offer a space to connect, study, and find academic and social support. 
We also have resources specifically for student parents, students with disabilities, veterans and military-affiliated students, international students and foster youth. You can find your community here, whether you are interested in cultural identity, outdoor exploration, religion, a future profession, artistic expression or community service. Choose from more than 800 student clubs on campus to make friends or find volunteer opportunities. Playing club or rec sports offered through Campus Recreation or hanging out at our recently renovated Rec Pool are great ways to stay active and have fun with friends. 
In addition, Counseling Services is home to mutiple support groups based on different themes, connections, or coping skills, including some that are graduate-only. 

	The Graduate Student Association holds a very popular weekly Coffee Bagel Donut Day to bring together graduate students in community across the disciplines. It also serves as the student government representing the concerns of graduate students to administration and UC leadership.
	The University of California, Davis is home to more than 750 postdoctoral scholars. The Postdoctoral Scholars Association provides resources, information and representation for postdoctoral scholars on the UC Davis campus. The PSA also strives to create a stronger sense of community through an e-mail listserv, website and social activities.
	Whether you’re new to campus or a continuing student, we offer welcoming spaces that both affirm and provide opportunities to explore intersecting identities. Undergraduate, graduate and professional school students are all are welcome in these spaces and are encouraged to engage with the various communities.

Additional Resources

Income Generation Toolkit for Undocumented Students