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The Graduate School

Wellness Program

Our well-being impacts our lives in a myriad of ways, so understanding how to best manage ourselves is an important part of our development, both on a personal and a professional level. Take your lunch break with Michael Tuma, the embedded counselor for graduate students, to explore different aspects of wellness through the online Wellness Wednesdays series.  Lunch is a healthy habit to include in your daily routine, and wellness tips can enhance your lunch break, too!  These seminars are offered via Zoom each fall and spring semester from 12 noon to 1 p.m. every other Wednesday and help you strengthen the competency of “Effectiveness and Well-Being.” The goal for these sessions is to provide our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with insights that contribute to a life of both living well and being holistically healthy.

As a part of the Graduate School’s “Wellness” series, Dr. Rhonda Sutton, Assistant Dean for Professional Development, offers a 6-week training on resilience that is focused on providing tools to strengthen and enhance one’s resiliency.  Dr. Sutton is one of a few faculty/staff at North Carolina State University who has gone through a training developed by faculty at the University of Pennsylvania who focus on integrating positive psychology into one’s coping skills.  The 6-week Penn Resilience and Well-Being Program is a cohort-based and  will teach participants ways to:

  • Remain resilient and optimistic,
  • Engage in positive thinking, 
  • Cope with difficult situations; and
  • Incorporate ways to maintain one’s psychological health

Registration is limited to 16 participants.  For more details and to indicate your interest in participating, please complete the following form: go.ncsu.edu/gradstudentresilience

Registration is first come, first served and will close once the capacity is filled.

  • Dates: Fridays (September 6, 13, 20 and 27; October 4 and 11)
  • Time: 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
  • Location: The Graduate School, Conference Room 2328, 1020 Main Campus Drive, Centennial Campus

Well-being is a vital part of success in life. 

Given this, the Graduate School’s Professional Development team has incorporated “Effectiveness and Well-Being” as one of the competencies graduate students and postdoctoral scholars should develop and strengthen during their time at NC State University.  We encourage you to take part in either the online Wellness Wednesdays series during your lunch break or the face-to-face Penn Resilience and Well-Being Program on Friday mornings at the Graduate School.  You will learn skills and receive guidance that will help you now and in the future.  Registration is required for both programs at: go.ncsu.edu/professional-development-registration.

wellness days
Students, faculty and staff enjoy a spring day by participating in a Pause for Tiny Hooves event at the Corner on Centennial campus. Therapy miniature horses from Stampede of Love, as well as therapy dogs, provide a wellness break from the end of semester rush. Photo by Becky Kirkland.

In addition to these 1-hour virtual sessions, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are encouraged to utilize other wellness resources on campus such as:

2024 Spring “Wellness Wednesday” Series

Registration for the Wellness Wednesday seminars is required. Once you register, you will receive a calendar invite within 48 hours with the Zoom link.

Register for a seminar
  • August 28, 2024: Why Try Counseling?
  • September 11, 2024: Time Management
  • September 25, 2024: Work/Life Balance
  • October 9, 2024: Engaging in Positive Self-Care
  • October 23, 2024: Coping When Things Don’t Turn Out as Planned
  • November 6, 2024: Strategies for Effective Communication
  • November 20, 2024: An Attitude of Gratitude
  • December 4, 2024: Setting Health Boundaries