Thriving

Graduate Students Who Excel in Thriving:

Evaluate Wellbeing

You have the knowledge and skills to evaluate your wellbeing and the wellbeing of close colleagues.

Cultivate Wellbeing

You customize strategies to manage stress, overcome procrastination, challenge imposter syndrome, and ask for help when needed.

Promote Healthy Workplaces

You recognize the impact that wellbeing has on performance at work and actively contribute to healthy workplace cultures.

Organize Tasks and Manage Time

You evaluate your personal and professional responsibilities, commitments, and opportunities and prioritize your time and attention to achieve desired outcomes.

Assess Your Thriving Skills

2025-2026 Schedule

Cultivating Wellbeing in Workplaces and Communities

Self-Paced Online Module

This 3-module online course promotes lasting success by delivering practical, concrete strategies you can use to build a strong foundation of wellness. Assess your skills and knowledge in cultivating mental health at a personal and professional level. Customize strategies to manage stress, overcome procrastination, challenge imposter syndrome, and ask for help at work. Practice answering interview questions about your role in cultivating well-being at work.

Stress Management

January 29, 2026, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET

This workshop is offered in partnership with Western's Wellness & Wellbeing team.

Graduate students lead busy lives juggling both academic demands and their personal lives which can be stressful at times. Stress and stressors fluctuate constantly and can become overwhelming and unhealthy if not identified and managed correctly. Participants in this workshop will:

- Define stress and identify common and personal stressors

- Describe some ways our bodies respond to stress

- Discuss optimal levels of stress and explore coping skills

- Identifying and confront barriers to effectively managing stress

Reflecting on the End of Your Degree

February 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ET; Online/Virtual

The landscape of options for students coming to the end of their graduate degrees is ever-changing. Taking time to reflect on your own experiences, hopes, and concerns can be a helpful way to prepare for whatever next step you take. This workshop is designed to provide information and reflection tools that may assist you as you come to the end of your degree. Participants in this workshop will:

- Discuss aspects of change that can be expected in this transition

- Describe some common factors experienced by people ending their degrees

- Reflect on their own skills, experiences, and hopes

- Reflect on next steps to take to balance personal goals with personal wellness

This is a virtual workshop. Please register here via Zoom.

Mindful Preparation for Comprehensive Exams

February 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET; Online/Virtual

Comprehensive exams are a fundamental element in doctoral education. This session will focus on how to systematically and purposefully prepare for comprehensive exams, while providing information on strategies that help build expertise and confidence. This session will provide strategies for accurately understanding specific comprehensive exam demands, how to build a study plan, monitor progress, and establish learning practices to enhance performance.

Participants in this workshop will develop knowledge and skills to effectively organize tasks and manage time, create healthy work habits, and cultivate wellbeing.

This is a virtual workshop. Please register here via Zoom.

Wellness Skills for the Workplace and Beyond

March 4, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET

Taking care of yourself plays an essential role in how you show up at work, school, and in relationships. This session focuses on practical skills that support your well-being in real-world settings, especially during periods of stress, high demand, or interpersonal challenges. Participants will leave with:

- A clear understanding of the key components of wellness, including the role of rest in physical and mental well-being

- Increased confidence in setting and maintaining boundaries in professional and interpersonal contexts

- Practical strategies to stay grounded during stressful interactions, including recognizing activation and using basic de-escalation tools to support yourself and others

Discover Your Skills

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