You are receiving the fifth volume of The Checkup. If you are new to The Checkup and would like to keep receiving newsletters regularly, sign-up here! | | |
University Health Services Hours
Monday-Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
(appointment only 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
Thursday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Weekends and Holidays
Location: Quinn Building, 2nd Floor
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Contact Us
24/7 University Health Services Line
617.287.5660
24/7 Mental Health Crisis Hotline
855.634.4135
In case of an emergency, call 911.
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Annual Beacon Wellness Walk Fair
Wednesday, October 1, 11 a.m. - 2.p.m., Quad
(Start/Finish: Campus Center Plaza & Outside Quinn)
Join the new UMass Boston Wellness Initiative and dozens of campus partners for a fun event designed to highlight all the resources available to help you thrive. Explore interactive booths along the Campus Quad, collect stamps in your wellness passport, and enter to win prizes like an iPad, Apple Watch, gift cards, and UMBRec personal training packages.
Click here for more event details!
Annual Flu Vaccine Clinic
Thursday, September 11, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursday, October 2, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Campus Center Upper Level Lobby
Don't wait... Get vaccinated! Get your flu shot and help keep our community healthy this season! We are teaming up with Osco Pharmacy to provide our annual convenient vaccine clinic right on campus for all students, staff, and faculty.
Book an appointment now!
PeaceLove Workshop - Mandala Poetry
Thursday, September 18, 1 p.m. - 2.p.m., Campus Center, 1st Floor, Room 1110
Make stuff and feel better with PeaceLove’s “Mandala Poetry” workshop. Learn how to clear your mind and use mandalas to find your center. Afterwards, you’ll put your experience into words through poetry.
Click here for more PeaceLove workshops!
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KORU Mindfulness
Drop-Ins
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Remote Sessions
Mondays, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
In-Person Sessions
Wednesdays, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Upcoming KORU Drop-Ins Here!
| Behavioral Addictions and Substance Use (BASU) Peer Support Meetings | |
Campus Center, 1st Floor
Room 1215
2nd and 4th Thursday each month
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
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BASU provides a safe, supportive space for individuals to share experiences, concerns, and resources around addictive behaviors and substance use, in-person and remote.
Click here for more info!
| | In each issue, The Checkup will introduce you to a new member of the UHS team in its "Meet the Staff" section. Get to know your providers and learn some interesting facts. | |
Alex England, NP
Nurse Practitioner
General Medicine
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Professional Interests:
Primary care, women's and reproductive health. I particularly love working in college health.
Go-To Self-Care Habit:
Taking long walks with family and friends.
Fun Fact Most People Don't Know:
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras.
Favorite Spot on Campus:
Outside along the HarborWalk, looking out over the water.
| | | Counseling Center Fall 2025 Groups | If you have an idea for a group that you think might be of interest to UMass Boston students, let us know! | |
Affinity Space for Asian and Asian American Students
Meets Mondays at noon, Asian American Resource Office (AARO, McCormack 3rd Floor, Room 703), begins
In this affinity space, Asian and Asian American students can explore stress management, self-care, and various aspects of their identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender identity, language, sexuality), as well as challenging experiences (e.g., racial trauma).
Neurodivergent Support and Skill-Building Group
Meets Wednesdays at noon, Counseling Center, Quinn Building, 2nd Floor,
begins October 1st ,2025
This group aims to be a safe, neurodiversity-affirming space designed for neurodivergent students focused on navigating systemic barriers and ableism, building emotion regulation skills, sharing strategies for thriving, and building community. Topics will include handling academic stress, neurodivergent-friendly mindfulness, habit building skills, advocating for accessibility, and fostering self-acceptance.
All neurodivergent undergraduates are welcome to this drop-in space; no formal diagnosis required.
Men's Circle
Meets bi-weekly on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m., East Residence Hall, 1st Floor, Room 0167,
begins October 2, 2025
This group explores men’s mental health and reframes masculinity in ways that support both personal well-being and community care. Open to men of all experiences, men who are exploring the impacts of masculinity on others and yourself, and men who are curious about processing and supporting other men’s experiences.
Register by emailing Counseling.Center@umb.edu.
| | | Each issue of The Checkup will explore a specific issue/question related to equitable access to healthcare. If you have a question you would like to see addressed, email wellness@umb.edu. | |
Q: Who is eligible for physical therapy on campus?
A: This resource is open to all students, staff, and faculty and will be available beginning early October 2025!
Q: How can I start physical therapy on campus?
A: You may need a referral. This is dependent on your individual insurance plan. You can contact your insurance plan to learn more. For those with the Student Health Insurance Plan, you can self-refer (meaning you can schedule an appointment yourself).
If you are a student and need a referral, this can come from UHS or your provider in the community.
Q: Is there a cost?
A: You will be responsible for your normal co-pay (which for some insurance plans may be $0). There may be a limit of the annual number of sessions covered under some insurance plans, and some plans may require prior authorization for this service. You can contact your insurance provider to learn more about cost and coverages.
Q: Where can I learn more?
A: More information on clinic dates and how to self-book your appointment will be shared here! Reach out to UHS@umb.edu with any questions.
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Freebies and Cheapies:
Discounted Activities in Boston
| | | In each Clinician’s Corner, our staff will share their thoughts and expertise on a topic relevant to Beacons. Have a topic that you would like to see addressed? Email wellness@umb.edu. | | |
Written by Rachel Blumberg, LICSW, MSW Clinical Social Worker
Did you wake up this morning without an alarm? Do you never push snooze? Do you wake up feeling rested, invigorated, ready for the day? If so, this article may not be for you. A National Institutes of Health report notes that sixty percent of college students say they are “dragging, tired, or sleepy” at least three days a week. More than 80 percent of college students say loss of sleep negatively affects their academic performance. Although getting adequate sleep may be a challenge for college students, research indicates that sleep is a necessity, especially in these circumstances to reduce daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, altered mood states, weight gain, poor health, and low energy.
Where should we begin? A great start to move towards improved sleep is to take a look at sleep hygiene, or in simplest terms, habits that increase your chances of sleeping well on a regular basis. Some of these suggestions might sound familiar - things like trying to keep a consistent sleep schedule (even on weekends), avoiding caffeine and alcohol, limiting screen time, resisting doomscrolling at bedtime and getting regular exercise. Others, though, might be new or worth exploring… for example, what do you do when you have difficulty sleeping? Toss and turn? A lot of experts recommend getting up and out of bed and doing something else for a while and only returning to bed once you feel sleepy. This strengthens the association between your bed and sleep. Websites, such as Sleep by Cornell Health, can really help to lay out various strategies for improving sleep. Sleep hygiene can be particularly challenging for college students who don’t always have control over their schedule and environment. Maybe you could pick one or two strategies to try at first rather than get overwhelmed.
There are a lot of apps that provide guided meditation, sleep stories, and even hypnosis. You could start with free versions of ‘Sleep Magic’, ‘Sleep Cove’ or ‘Get Sleepy’ to see if this could help you drift off. Exploring practices like Yoga Nidra and Dr. Andrew Huberman's “Non-Sleep Deep Rest” (NSDR) can help you find deeper relaxation. If you need more structured help improving your sleep, clinicians recommend a self- help sleep guide such as The Insomnia Workbook by Dr. Silberman, that is evidence based and helps readers to learn about sleep, improve sleep hygiene, improve relaxation, and other helpful information presented in an interactive way. University Health Services at UMass Boston also offers mindfulness practices through the KORU Mindfulness program, where Beacons can explore meditation techniques and stress management tools such as dynamic breathing, eating meditations, guided imagery, and more.
Although it is easier said than done, try to relax and reassure yourself that sleep is a natural process that will come along eventually. Try not to stare at the clock or foster ‘sleep anxiety’ or worry about not getting enough sleep. One expert shared with me the idea of the ‘best nest’ and making yourself as cozy as possible to focus on rest and relaxation while you invite sleep. If you find yourself struggling with sleep in any way that starts to impact your day-to-day functioning, reach out to your PCP or University Health Services for more support. Maybe just read this newsletter over and over again until you start to feel sleepy….
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Where did the brain spend their summer vacation? | | | If you’re feeling lonely, stressed or just have things on your mind, on Togetherall, you can get anonymous support from a community of real people who understand. | Click on the icon below to join today! | | | The Checkup will highlight a community resource in each issue. If you have an organization that you would like to see featured, email wellness@umb.edu. | | |
A LITERARY GATHERING SPACE FOR CREATIVE COMMUNITIES IN FIELDS CORNER.
This Boston bookstore seeks to shift the narrative in the publishing world by housing a collection of books by writers whose work often challenges political paradigms. Partnering with numerous organizations and artists, they offer a centralized hub and networking space in a cozy and comfortable book-store setting. They envision a place where we come together to exchange stories with one another in an attempt to grow together as a community. Because this is so, the bookstore will house a selection of social justice-themed books in a variety of languages that cater to residents of the neighborhood. Their uniquely created selection will highlight local writers in addition to nationally acclaimed authors.
To learn more about JustBook-Ish and upcoming events, please visit www.justbook-ish.com.
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