On Feb. 18, the school welcomed 125 attendees to the inaugural “Rooted in Rest, Putting Ourselves First, A Rest and Wellness Retreat for Graduate Students.”
Photo: A physician assistant laughs as she receives a free yoga mat and tote bag during the Rooted in Rest event. (Photo by Angela Jackson)
On Feb. 18, the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies welcomed 125 attendees to the inaugural “Rooted in Rest, Putting Ourselves First: A Rest and Wellness Retreat for Graduate Students.”
The daylong event aimed to help them prioritize their wellness and well-being during their strenuous academic journey as a graduate student.
Shani Fleming, PhD, MSHS, MPH, PA-C, associate professor and assistant dean of values and strategic initiatives with the School of Graduate Studies, spoke about the importance of learning about ways to improve well-being to offset the stress of graduate education.
“Today is not about adding something to your to-do list,” she said. “Today is about giving you the space to explore practices to build into your wellness plan.”
Fleming added, “To provide better patient care, we have to make sure we are being taken care of as well.”
The keynote speaker for the event was Amanda Smith Breon, MS, CHES, CHWC, senior assistant director, URecFit and Wellness.
She led the group through a discussion and exercises designed to identify factors that contribute to stress and fatigue and equipped them with tools to strengthen their mental health and wellness.
“Well-being is a journey, and today we start to take steps toward emotional and mental fitness,” Smith Breon said.
She identified factors that contribute to stress, fatigue, and burnout. Students learned tactics to integrate rest and self-care, while learning how to build habits and make behavioral changes to reduce stress.
Stress reduction tools discussed include deep breathing, stretching, journaling, and talking with a friend. Incorporating microbreaks to step away from screens and taking a 10-minute walk go far to recalibrate stress levels. Planning and preparing meals ahead of time reduces the stress of figuring out lunch in the middle of a hectic day.
Smith Breon encouraged students to reach out to URecFit and Wellness for resources.
“If you are overwhelmed by stress, ask for professional help, otherwise you run the risk of burnout, which is difficult to come back from,” she said.
Signs of burnout include chronic fatigue, cynicism, irritability or increased frustration, trouble focusing on tasks, and brain fog.
Rest is an important part of self-care and is an intentional pause. It is not just sleeping, but a proactive practice and not the absence of activity. Suggested micro-rests include doodling on paper or a 10-minute walk.
“What does a micro-rest look like if you are on campus?” she aasked. ”What are the small things you are willing to do?”
Attendees chose from a variety of sessions designed to improve their well-being such as yoga, crocheting, Pilates, sound baths, line dancing, mosaic creation with Art with a Heart, or journaling. Students could visit URecFit and Wellness and walk on the indoor track or relax by coloring or making friendship bracelets at the text-free quiet area.
The event was open to all students in the School of Graduate Studies, and many of the attendees were physician assistant (PA) students, a field noted for its high burnout rate.
According to a report by the National Institute of Health, over a third of physician assistants indicated at least one symptom of burnout, with the highest prevalence among PAs in emergency medicine.
PA students were required to attend the event, which demonstrates the program’s commitment to the well-being of its students.
“A day in the life of a graduate student is hard work,” said Colleen Ohm, MMS, PA-C, program director for the PA Program at the School of Graduate Studies. “It's an incredibly rigorous program, and it’s essential that they learn how to take good care of themselves and decide what wellness means for them. You can't provide quality patient care without knowing how to care for yourself."
The day was so well-received by all attendees that the School of Graduate Studies plans to make the program a hallmark event.
Second-year PA student Habiba Abbasi of Baltimore was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed the day. She took part in the sound bath, creating a mosaic, and journaling. She plans to use the skills she learned to focus on her self-care in the future.
“Today made me realize that it’s important to reflect and to set all your problems aside and take time away from them,” she said. “It’s OK to focus on yourself and do some self-care. You don’t always have to focus on the negative but look toward the future and see what you can improve. Be more present.”
Watch a video from the Rooted in Rest event on YouTube.
View the photo album for the Rooted in Rest event on the UMB Photo Archive.