Wellness and Life Balance Resources for Doctoral Students
At UB we recognize the importance of caring for the whole student. Entering a doctoral program can present new challenges, and we want to ensure you're prepared to confront whatever comes your way because academics are just one piece of the puzzle. We believe in a holistic approach that takes the entirety of the student's needs into account. From tools for dealing with stress to resources for having difficult conversations with collaborators, we've compiled a list of offices, workshops and other resources to encourage a healthy work-life balance while you pursue your goals. Explore our offerings below to see how we can best help you on your journey.
Stress Management
Stress Management help can be found in various places on campus, and productively managing stress contributes to your wellness. Check out Wellness Coaching, take a stress-relief event like yoga or meditation, or seek out resources from Counseling Services.
Productivity
Productivity tools, tips and strategies can help you progress with your writing and degree requirements, including papers, publications and thesis or dissertations. Productivity workshops are hosted by the Graduate School each semester and presented by Dr. Kate Henry, a productivity coach specializing in sustainable and well-being-oriented productivity. Topics include:
- How to Set Actionable and Achievable Goals.
- How to Personalize Your Productivity Practice.
- Accomplish Your Goals with Slow Productivity.
- Top Five Productivity Tools that Helped Me Finish My Dissertation.
Financial Wellness
Financial Wellness programs help students reduce financial stress, improve financial management skills, and learn about personal finance. Programs are offered through UB's Office of Health Promotion, and the Graduate School offers workshops each semester with experts on financial wellness.
Wellness Coaching
Wellness Coaching seeks to help students define specific goals related to their overall health and wellness and identify and implement actionable steps to achieve them. Students can get wellness coaching on many topics, including academic success, active living, eating habits, financial wellness, self-care, sleep habits, social connections, stress management and time management.
Accessibility Resources
Accessibility Resources coordinates student requests for accommodations and collaborates with departments to help coordinate requests for reasonable accommodations for graduate students with disabilities.
Emergency Support
Emergency Support is available to graduate students. This includes emergency funds for students who are experiencing an unforeseen hardship that could impact their ability to remain enrolled in school. Blue Table is a food pantry for UB students who do not have access to food as a result of an emergency.
Featured Partners: Counseling Services and Health Promotion
Counseling Services promotes students' well-being and academic success
by providing brief mental health services, educational programs, crisis intervention and campus community consultation.
Health Promotion builds a healthy campus culture by promoting student well-being and academic success.
- Personal Finance for PhDs is a website specific to the financial needs of doctoral students.
- GradSense offers resources and information to help graduate students make wise financial decisions.
- How to master time management in Grad School (video).
- Parachute Credit Counseling offers the community free virtual workshops, including free student loan repayment counseling.
- Study and motivation tips for Grad School (video).
- How I manage my time effectively as a PhD student (video).
The Graduate Brief
Every Wednesday during the semester, the Graduate School emails the Graduate Brief to all doctoral and professional students. The Grad Brief is a weekly selection of news and happenings within the Graduate School and its partnering offices. If you want to be added to the mailing list, please contact grad@buffalo.edu.