Health & Wellness.
BUSPH’s Wellness Program is designed to help support you in your health and wellbeing throughout your graduate school journey. Here, we believe that well-being should be inclusive, intersectional, and available to all in our community. If you are queer, black, in a larger body, trans, a person with disability, anything and anywhere in between- you belong. We know that there’s no one right way to feel well, and that taking care of ones’ self looks very different depending on life circumstances, personal preferences, current stressors, and so much more. We believe that well-being is all-encompassing; while well-being includes nutrition and movement, it also includes sleep, mental health, relationships, sexuality, anti-racism work, relationship to land, and everything in between. We take care of ourselves, and then that care translates to how we show up in the world for others. Happy to have you here, always feel free to reach out at sphwell@bu.edu.
Well-Being Assessment + Resources
Meditation and Lactation Resources
Talbot Building Meditation & Lactation Room
715 Albany Street
5th Floor, Room 523
Crosstown Building Meditation & Lactation Room
801 Massachusetts Avenue
4th Floor, Suite 431, Room 447.
For more information on meditation and lactation resources on the BU Medical Campus, click here.
Medical and Dental Insurance Information for Students
All students who are legally required to have health insurance are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
For information on SHIP, please click here.
Dental Program for Students
Attractive features of the program:
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) is pleased to continue to offer the Student Discount Program (SDP). Participants in the SDP receive great benefits, such as:
- A free initial appointment, including screening, X-rays, and a comprehensive oral evaluation to determine your treatment needs.
- A 10% discount on all other treatments done in our pre- and post- doctoral patient treatment centers, including cleanings, fillings, emergency services, and more!
- No deductibles, no yearly maximums, and no paperwork to complete after your visit. In addition, GSDM will also work with you in conjunction with any dental insurance you have.
- All treatments are provided by highly trained dental students under the supervision of licensed dentists.
The SDP is available to all undergraduate and graduate, full- and part-time students with a valid student ID. So whether you are an undergraduate student whose home is in California (or elsewhere in the global community) or a graduate student who works by day and takes classes at night, you are eligible to become a member.
Have additional questions?
Call SDP at 617-358-8300, option 3; Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find more information about this program here.
Past Newsletters
October 2020: Mental & Behavioral Health Month
September 2020 Newsletter: Planning Your Most Nourishing Semester
August 2020 Newsletter: Sleep, Summer Produce & Sustainability
July 2020 Newsletter: Self-Care for Activists
May 2020 Newsletter: Community Resilience
April 2020 Newsletter: Wellness Support & Resources Amongst Coronavirus
March 2020 Newsletter: Emotions, Sitting with Discomfort & Food Resources
February 2020 Newsletter: Self-Love, Scrolling & Sustainability
January 2020 Newsletter: Winter Self-Care
December 2019 Newsletter: Finals and Holiday Stress Relief
November 2019 Newsletter: Self-Compassion
SPH Wellness Resources & Contact
Student Programming (please check the calendar for upcoming events):
Student Organizations: Express Heal Triumph, Mental Health Public Health Connection, Queer Alliance, International Student Organization, Students of Color for Public Health
Below is a guided meditation:
Podcast about exam stress relief: “How to Chill During Finals” Podcast
Mental Health Resources: Behavioral Medicine (individual counseling, support groups, referral services), Sexual Assault Response & Prevention, Danielsen Institute, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders Well-being Resources: Headspace (free to BU community), Wellness & Prevention, Condom Fairy, Well-Being Project (apply for funding) Spiritual & Religious Resources: Hillel, Marsh Chapel, Hindu Students Council, Islamic Society at BU, Meditation/Multidenominational Prayer Room at BUMC, Catholic Center, Religious Life Student Groups Food Security & Nutrition: BUMC Community Cupboard, Sargent Nutrition Center, Food Security Guide for Graduate Students Movement & Physical Health Resources: Fuller Gym, Fitrec, Intramural Sports, Primary Care, Student Health Insurance Parenthood: Lactation Spaces, Family Guide Community Building: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, Minority Connection Initiative, Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism, First Gen Connect, Trans and Nonbinary Listening Circle, Arts Initiative, Community Service Center, BUMC Out and Ally List, Collegiate Recovery Program, Racial Justice Talking Circle Financial Support: Student Financial Services & Housing Name Change Forms: Boston University Name ChangeBoston University Resources
Wellness Amidst Black Lives Matter Movement
Wellness Amidst Coronavirus
Whether you are experiencing overwhelm, stress, anxiety, sleep problems, etc., for the first time, or have been struggling with mental health challenges for a while now, you are welcome, validated, and seen. Stress & Anxiety Resources: List of Strategies for Overwhelm, Tara Brach Meditations, Insight Timer Meditation App, Journaling for Anxiety, Self Compassion Resources, Wellness Amidst Coronavirus, Work-Life Balance Tips, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Techniques, The Fab Story Instagram, Window of Tolerance, Signs of Stress, Make an Emotion Thermometer, Distress Tolerance Skills BIPOC Resources: You Good Sis?, Hive Soul Yoga, Therapists Who Are POC, Mental Health Resource List, Activated by Wellness White Allies Resources: Rachel Rickett’s Courses, White Anti-Racist Accountability, 103 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice LGBTQ+ Resources: The Meeting Point, Rasi Associates, Boston-Based LGBTQ+ Therapists, Intersex Support and Advocacy Groups Disability Resources: BU Disability & Access Services, Invisible Disabilities Grief Resources: The Dinner Party, Covid Grief Network, Grief Ritual Recipe Book, Ritual Collection for Life After Loss, The Dinner Party Reading List Favorite Podcasts: Let It Out, Supersoul Sessions, By the Book, Get Loved Up with Koya Webb, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Attempted Adults, Ten Percent Happier, Dear Jessamyn, Christy Harrison, Living in This Queer Body, One Part Podcast, Unlocking Us Favorite Books: Peace is Every Step, Present Over Perfect, Radical Acceptance, Fearing the Black Body: Racist Origins of Fat Phobia, Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us, Love Warrior, The Body Keeps the Score, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction International Students: International Student Handbook, Handling Homesickness, International Students and Scholars Organization, Culture Shock Guide Sleep Resources: Yoga Nidra for Sleep, Quick Tips, CDC Sleep Guide, How to Get Sleep in Anxious Times Relationships: Making Friends as an Adult, Setting Healthy Boundaries, Effective Communication Seasonal Affective Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment Boston Treatment: DBSA Support Groups, Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, BU Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Brookline Trauma Center, Fenway Health (LGBTQ+), Finding a Therapist Healing Spaces in Boston: Meeting Point, Four Corners Yoga & Wellness, JP Centre Yoga, JP Meditation Center, Cambridge Meditation Center, Acupunkture, Harvard Square Community Acupuncture Religion/ Spirituality in Boston: Kavod, Boston Religion Center Guide, Arlington St Church, First Church Boston, Islamic Society of Boston, Temple Beth Zion, Hope Central Church, BU Cultural GuideMental, Social & Emotional Resources
BU Resources BUSPH Community Cupboard The Community Cupboard is located on the Med Campus at 109 Talbot East in the student lounge for SPH students. Faculty, students, and staff are invited to contribute to the pantry by donating nonperishable items and canned foods. Donations can be brought to the Talbot front desk or cupboard. Students can utilize the cupboard as needed. The Community Cupboard is located on the Med Campus in L306 for students and post-doctoral fellows. It is stocked with canned and boxed foods, and some basic personal hygiene goods. To place an online order, please visit here. Orders must be submitted by Sunday at 11:59PM to be ready for pick up the following week. Once an order is placed, the student will receive a confirmation email with their order number (assigned by a Student Affairs staff member to assure anonymity). The Terrier Meal Share program gives students the opportunity to donate meal points, and allows students in need to access these points. Boston University students in need because of an immediate, short-term lack of access or lack of financial resources to access food can complete a short form. Staff from the Dean of Students Office, University Service Center, or the Office of Financial Assistance will contact the students to discuss support, eligibility, and the process of obtaining meal assistance. If you’re going home early and/or anticipate you’ll have unused meal swipes, please consider donating them to Terrier Meal Share. BU Auxiliary Services provides a meal for every student swipe donated. Wheelock Community Cares endeavors to end food insecurity for Wheelock students; its doors are open to any BU student in need of support. Students can access Community Cares up to three times in a 30-day period utilizing a Kerberos-protected shopping form. Please note that Wheelock does not share the information of students utilizing Community Cares. Students use the online form to place an order that could contain food, toiletries, and menstrual products, depending on the student’s needs, and pick the items up at a specific time. Sargent Choice Nutrition Center Sargent Choice Nutrition Center offers expert consultations for meal planning that can help people with food intolerances or restrictions, athletes in training, and people who are looking to create healthier eating habits. Students qualify for a limited number of free consultations, but insurance may cover the cost of others. Off-Campus Resources Food Banks and Resources in the Boston area Affordable Groceries and Food Items
Community FridgesFood Insecurity Resources
Boston is of course booming with healthcare, this is not an exhaustive list yet spaces we have had positive experiences with. Womxn’s Health: Maternity Support, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Gynecology, Boston Healthcare for Women, Loom HQ, Flo Living Transgender Health: BMC Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, Fenway Health Parenting Resources: BU Student Parent Resources Gut Support: Lauren Dear Primary Care: Marino Center, South End Community Health Center Movement Spaces (Online & In Person): Fuller Gym, BU Fitrec, Yoga with Adriene, Hive Soul Yoga, You Good Sis?, Four Corners Yoga & Wellness, JP Centre Yoga*, Down Under Yoga*, Coolidge Yoga*, November Project, Turnstyle Spin*, Handle Bar Spin, Healthworks Women’s Gym, Trillfit, Barry’s Bootcamp, Everybody Fights, Tone It Up, Blogilates, Gym It, South End Fitness, Planet Fitness, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, 305 Fitness *students and new member discounts availablePhysical Health Resources
Apps to Help You Focus: Forest App, Headspace, Stay Focused Ergonomics for a Happy Body: BU Resources Supporting Your Vision: 20-20-20 Rule, Blue Light Blocking Glasses Tips for Learning from Home: Set up a specific work/ school space. Develop a routine so that you have structure and a relative schedule each day. “Commute” to and from school by taking a walk and transitioning your brain from home to school mode. Close all other tabs on your computer. Have with you what you would for a typical class- your water bottle, snacks, etc. Don’t do class from bed- then your mind will be confused when it’s time to sleep! Set up time to get to know your classmates- host trivia nights, set up a group chat. Make space for activities and hobbies that are not screen-involved.Learning from Home
Get Outside in Boston & Beyond: New England Best Hikes, Arnold Arboretum, Fresh Pond, Boston Common, Esplanade, Jamaica Pond, Spy Pond, South Boston & Dorchester Beach, The Fens, Southwest Corridor Bike Path, Emerald Necklace Composting in Boston: Project Oscar (free), Bootstrap Compost ($$), City Compost ($), Black Earth Compost ($$) Ways to Get Involved: Sunrise Movement, Alternatives for Community and Environment, BU Sustainability Educational Materials & Boston Low Waste Stores: For the Wild, Climate Conversations, Intersectional Environmentalism, Liv With Less Waste, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Dumping in Dixie, Guide to Reduce Waste in School, Cleenland, Cambridge NaturalsEnvironmental Resources
Well-Being: SPH Wellness, Faculty/ Staff Assistance Office, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Danielsen Institute, Free Headspace, Smoking Cessation Support, Sargent Choice Nutrition Family Support: Office of Family Resources Community Building: Upcoming Diversity Events (for faculty and staff of color, LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff), Community Service Center, Howard Thurman Center Supporting Students: Guide to Supporting StudentsStaff/ Faculty-Specific Resources
Contact Us
Wellness & Communications Manager
Email: sphwell@bu.edu
Social Media: @thegradlife_busph