7. Managing Health & Wellness During Graduate Studies
Roberta Campbell-Chudoba
Overview
As a health professional, you are well aware of the importance of balance of the whole self for holistic wellness – mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Maintaining balance while juggling responsibilities of study, work, family, friends, and community is challenging for anyone; multiple resources exist around campus and virtually to help you maintain your wellness.
This module provides holistic wellness resources links for USask and beyond, organized by the following facets:
- mental health and physical health
- academic support for graduate students
- recreation and athletics opportunities
- social wellness and faith-based supports
- additional supports and learning materials
Learning Objectives
When you have finished this module, you should be able to:
- Identify any area(s) for attention in your current wellness by using the self-assessment tool ‘Wheel of Wellbeing™.’
- Find resources for physical, mental, academic, social/ emotional, spiritual and financial wellness available to you as a USask student.
- Investigate your health coverage benefits as a member of the Graduate Student Association at USask and as a resident of Saskatchewan.
- Choose an element of wellness requiring attention this term and access a USask resource to support you.
Self-assessment Tool for Wellbeing
The Wheel of Wellbeing is a free, online tool to self-assess and visualize the balance you are currently experiencing in your life. The wheel has eight spokes divided into facets of physical, mental, relational, emotional, recreational, environmental, financial and spiritual. Should you wish to track changes over time, you can choose to leave an email address, although there is no requirement to do so. The resources provided in this module support the facets of wellness identified in the Wheel.
Mental Health and Physical Wellness Supports
Maintaining Your Wellness
The Student Wellness Centre has a broad range of services and supports available for both urgent and non-urgent mental and physical health care, for you as a registered student and your dependents.
Therapy Services at the Student Wellness Centre include a team comprised of
- a dietitian
- physicians and psychiatrists
- nurses
- therapists – social and psychology workers
GSA Health Plan
Studentcare is the health plan offered to graduate students through the University of Saskatchewan Graduate Students’ Association (GSA). It includes health, dental, vision care, travel, and Empower Me services. It provides some services not covered by the Saskatchewan Health Plan. If you do not have a Saskatchewan Health Card and are residing in Saskatchewan, check your eligibility and follow the instructions on Apply for a Health Card on the eHealth Saskatchewan website.
If you are a full-time student who began study in the Fall Term and are a GSA member, you are automatically covered and the plan costs are part of your student fees.
If you have equivalent health plan coverage, you can opt out of the plan. See Opt Outs and Who’s Covered for more information. Call Studentcare at 1-877-795-4428, or talk to someone at the Care Office, Place Riel, Room 121 to answer your questions.
Empower Me Is available 24/7 by phone, virtually or email to those enrolled in StudentCare for counselling around:
- nutrition
- mental health issues
- relationship concerns
- family responsibilities
- financial planning
- addictions, and
- career counselling
Additional Health and Wellness Resources
Student Affairs and Outreach Coordinators are social workers who can provide practical support, coaching, intervention and referrals around problems with life (academic and non-academic). Wellness workshops on topics such as managing conflict, grief, mental health, and resiliency run throughout each term.
Find out about Crisis Financial Aid through emergency loans or grants for temporary financial crisis.
Self-help materials are also available on mental and physical health, pregnancy and early childhood, and COVID-19 wellness.
Academic Support
Graduate advising: For questions about research statements, your academic program, faculty supervision and scholarships, contact your Graduate Chair, Dr. Michael Cottrell at michael.cottrell@usask.ca
The Academic Writing learning module in this course provides writing and research resources.
Access and Equity Services advisors provide guidance to those requiring academic accommodation based on disability, family status, religion, and gender identity.
Recreation and Athletics
Get out, move and have some fun at the Fit Centre (weights, cardio and fitness classes), Campus Recreation (intramural sports, learn-to sessions, and Recreational Clubs). Your student Rec Fee covers some access to facilities and classes. Check USask Rec for access details.
Support Huskie Athletics across a variety of sports! Free tickets are available to USask students.
Social Wellness and Faith-Based Support
Taking time for some social enjoyment is an essential part of maintaining your health. Campus social clubs, discipline specific clubs, and the USask Community Centre offer places to build your community and social connections.
The USask Community Centre’s Wellness Calendar has links to activities and events, from yoga and mindfulness to creative writing and peer health coaching.
Additional Supports and Learning Materials
The International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC) offers arrival, transition and cultural supports.
The Aboriginal Students’ Centre is the central support for personal, cultural, social, and academic needs and success of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. Services include Cultural Programming, Academic and Social Programming, and Student Development Programming for health and wellness.
Sexual Violence Prevention and Response is a self-enrolled and self-paced Canvas course has four modules: sexual violence and common myths, sexual consent, intervening in sexual violence situations, and impacts of sexual violence, barriers to disclosure and supporting survivors. A certificate of completion is available and it can be put on your co-curricular record.
EADM 990 Required Tasks
The following task must be completed to obtain your EADM 990 credit. Submit your work within Canvas by the date indicated in the Syllabus.
Take the Wheel of Wellbeing™ quiz to see what is working and what may not be working optimally in your life currently. Write a short (~200 words) personal reflection addressing the following questions:
- What is an element of your wellness that you anticipate requiring special attention during your graduate studies?
- What are some tools and strategies you might employ to help you find a greater sense of wellness in that area?
- What is a related USask support or resource that you might access in the upcoming months?
Post your health & wellness self-reflection to the appropriate Canvas Discussion board.
Optional Activities
Discussion questions:
- After viewing the resources offered through USask, what is one service or support you might recommend to a USask colleague and why?
- Were there any surprises, observations, or questions about the facets of wellness as identified either in the Wheel of Wellbeing™ or by the categories in the module? Discuss your response.
- How do you meet your needs for recreation, athletics, or social interaction? If you have not attended or used any USask offerings previously, what is one new thing you might try this term for fun?
Extension activities:
- Review the suggested resources linked throughout the module. Investigate your health coverage provided by Saskatchewan Health if you are new to the province. Apply for a Saskatchewan Health Card if you have not already done so.
- If you are a full-time student, registered in Term 1 (Fall Term) and a GSA member, read about your benefits under the GSA Health and Dental Plan with Studentcare.
Additional Resources
- Consider self-enrolling in USask’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response self-Canvas course. The four modules contain information that all of us need to know.
- The self-help materials suggested in the module provide a multitude of information, self-assessments, tips, links to Wellness sessions, and referral processes across areas of mental health, physical health, COVID-19 wellness and pregnancy and early childhood. Consider surveying these materials
- Peer Health provides opportunities for students to volunteer and contribute to the campus community and fellow students in areas of health issues and wellbeing.
- If you are interested in developing a fulsome wellness plan, Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness provides a template to create a detailed plan based on SMART goals.
