Mental Health in Grad School

Post by Xuan Xie, GIC Peer Mentor 2021

Among all of the things that are commonly mentioned about grad school experience, students’ mental health tends to be left unmentioned. Yet, mental health issues are so prevalent among graduate students and it is extremely important for any graduate students to thrive in their programs.

A Harvard study had found that graduate students are 3 times more likely to experience mental health disorders and depression compared to average Americans. A recent report from UC Berkeley showed that nearly half of graduate students felt overwhelmed (46%) and exhausted (40%) frequently. Women are 2 times more likely to report stress, anxiety, and depression when compared to men.

Source: Rackham Graduate School

Those numbers are shocking yet unsurprising. Graduate school is very different from our previous undergraduate studies. Despite the challenging courses students will have to take, many students have other obligations they need to attend. To name a few, paying off student loans, taking care of newborns and toddlers, and provide primary care for the elderly. On top of that, international students have to face other adjustments in order to best fit into the new place with the new culture around new people.

When writing this blog, I reflect on my personal journey throughout graduate school so far and hope to humbly provide some suggestions for incoming international graduate students when it comes to maintaining and boosting their mental well-being.

Acknowledge

For a long time, I couldn’t locate the reasons for not being myself. I have always been an A student and it is hard for me to acknowledge that I am indeed feeling anxious in my graduate study. The word “mental issues” or any phrases related to “mental health” has a negative connotation in my culture and it took quite a long time to de-stigmatize those words. Recognizing that it is very common for graduate students to feel anxious and stressed is an important first step in my well-being journey. You are not alone in this!

Take Actions

After acknowledging those stressors, we can then take actions to combat them. I use a combination of the following activities to relieve stress and maintain my mental well-being. It is crucial to know that everyone faces different challenges and each of the activities below helps with certain stressors. Thus, I highly encourage you all to try them out and see which works the best for you.

Sleep Well

The very first thing I want to point out is the importance of sleep. Yes, graduate school keeps you busy all the time but you should always make an effort to ensure at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day. Cutting short your sleep time might seem to save you a couple of hours during that particular day. However, it is actually harder for you to concentrate and focus on important and challenging tasks.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is not only good for physical well-being but also a great activity for stress relief. Going to the ARC regularly and frequently can help put many stressful things behind. It is also a wonderful place for international students to make friends and adjust to the American culture. UCI Campus Recreation has so many great activities planned so make sure to check it out!

Practice Gratitude

I have been writing a gratitude journal daily for a while and I can proudly say that it is such a wonderful thing to do. Every night before I go to bed, I write down three things that have happened today that I feel grateful for. In the beginning, I really had to think about things I felt grateful for. As I practice every day, it gets so much easier to find those great wonderful things in our life that we often missed. Doing it before bed puts me in a happy state so I can sleep better as a result. Some folks write their gratitude in the morning and start their day with a positive mindset. Some folks use a digital gratitude journal. There is no right or wrong way of practicing gratitude. For more tips on getting started practicing gratitude, I recommend you visit the Greater Good in Action from the UC Berkeley website.

Meditation

I haven’t personally tried it but it was highly recommended by many of my friends and colleagues as they practice meditation regularly. Credit to technological advancements, there are so many great apps out there (free and paid) that can provide meditation guides for different users to meet different needs.

Source: Business Insider

Socialize

Living overseas does not mean losing connections and contact with friends and families back home. If you miss them, text them or give them a call. Zoom and many other platforms have made the virtual connection a very possible and easy choice for most of us. It is also good to get out and make new friends here at UCI. UCI has been an inclusive place and there are so many different student organizations that you can explore and find interest in. Socializing and building your own support system is going to be crucial for you to be successful in the program.

Reflect

This step is also often missed by many of us. Schedule time to reflect on things and activities that have helped you as well as things that didn’t work for you. You can do it daily, weekly, and monthly. It can also help set goals for the next period and manage your stress level since you are now planning instead of catching up.

Here are some additional resources that are free and available to all students.

UCI Counseling Center: https://counseling.uci.edu/

TAO (Therapy Assisted Online): https://counseling.uci.edu/services/online-mental-health.html

UCI CARE: https://care.uci.edu/

UCI Student Health Center: https://shc.uci.edu/

Psychiatry & Mental Health: https://shc.uci.edu/psychiatry-mental-health-services/mission

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