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Healthy at Home

Variety of Mental, Physical Health Resources Available to UMD Community

By Sala Levin ’10

Illustration of woman with mug and laptop

Main illustration by iStock; spot illustrations by Shutterstock

A variety of UMD resources are available to help students, faculty and staff stay emotionally and physically healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, from online fitness instruction to virtual workshops on managing stress.

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders that followed have dumped our domestic, academic and work lives together into a blender during this time of crisis, pureeing everything into a smoothie of stress and anxiety. 

A variety of resources from the University of Maryland are available to make these challenges easier to swallow. From online fitness instruction to virtual workshops on managing stress, students, faculty and staff can help stay emotionally and physically healthy during this period.

Illustration of a laptopBe in the know. Keep Connected is the new online hub for all of the resources Terps can turn to now. It offers tools and tips for learning at home, information on student, faculty and staff services, and much more.

 

Illustration of a shoeGet fit with RecWell. University Recreation and Wellness is offering online classes with its instructors, and is introducing the Keep Moving Challenge, which encourages graduate students, faculty and staff to walk, jog or run over the summer. A five-week virtual training program is also available for free to anyone with a UMD email address. “We try to make it customized for any fitness level,” said Mary Kate Crawford, associate director for programs at RecWell. “It should be a valuable tool for anyone from a beginner to someone with a ton of exercise experience.”

Illustration of a smartphoneKeep tabs on your mental health. The WellTrack app helps you assess your emotional and mental well-being and offers strategies and techniques for managing distress.

 

Illustration of a dove carrying a branchConnect with your spirituality. The university’s spiritual offerings remain available online, much like classes this semester. Listen to a gospel singer, take part in a livestreamed religious service or chat with a chaplain.

 

Illustration of a person with an arrow circling themTalk it out. Students can see counselors virtually through the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center is also offering Zoom workshops on coping with stress and communication skills for students, while other workshops on handling the anxiety of pandemic life and helping students cope with their mental health are designed for faculty and staff.

 

Illustration of hands and a heartTake care of yourself. The University Health Center’s Faculty/Staff Assistance Program, an assessment, referral, coaching and short-term counseling service for faculty and staff, continues to hold appointments over the phone. Clinical services for non-COVID-19 symptoms are still available, as are the pharmacy and the assistance of CARE to Stop Violence. Thrice-weekly group meditation on Zoom is a way to decompress and unwind. “Our staff is willing and happy to help,” said Julia Matute, assistant director of health promotion and wellness services. 

The Counseling Center is offering two Zoom workshops exclusively for faculty and staff: “Helping Students in Distress During COVID-19” at noon May 7, and “Managing Work and Home: Coping with COVID-19” at noon May 11.

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