Health and Wellness Newsletter

2024 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Violence 

All students are encouraged to participate in the 2024 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Violence. Better understanding how students have experienced harm during their time at Brandeis and how students seek support helps the institution to improve our violence prevention and response efforts. 

The survey is anonymous and confidential; if you have questions, concerns or would like support around experiences of sexual or relationship violence, please contact Kate Richey, director of the Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center (PARC).

All students who complete the survey can enter into a raffle to win 1 of 50 $50 Amazon gift cards! 

Take the survey

Teaching Opportunity: Navigating Health and Safety

Gain classroom experience and help first year Brandeis students adjust to college life!

Navigating Health and Safety is a six-week module required for all new/incoming undergraduate students. Instructors are trained to facilitate an existing curriculum addressing mental health, substance use, sexual health, consent, bystander intervention and campus resources. In the classroom, instructors lead discussions and facilitate engaging group activities. 

The 50-minute classes are held once per week, either during business hours or in the evening, depending on your availability.

Instructors are paid $480 per section and have the option to teach multiple sections.

Apply on Workday

Sleep Week: March 10-17, 2024

Daylight Saving Time (the practice of advancing clocks to so that darkness falls at a later clock time) begins on March 10th. This means you will lose an hour of sleep, so this is the perfect time to prioritize your sleep hygiene!

Decorate the Comforter!

Your contribution will be a part of the Sleep Week display in the SCC Atrium!

Friday March 8, 2024

1-3 pm ET

Upper Usdan

Bed in the Atrium Sleep Week Display

Drop by to explore this interactive exhibit!

March 10-17, 2024

Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) Atrium

Make Your Own Sleep Kit & Decorate a Sleep Mask

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

11 am - 2pm ET

Upper Usdan

Recovery Support Group:

Staying Sober

Sign up for this group to build positive recovery supports, share coping strategies, and learn about local area resources. Staying Sober is:

• Free and confidential
• Open to graduate and undergraduate students
• No commitment necessary

Fridays from 12-1 pm ET

Brandeis Counseling Center

Please email Robbie '27 or Addie Wyman with questions and to sign up.

March Events with Headspace

Mind-Body Connection: Experience the power of holistic health

(30-minute meditation)

Thursday, March 7, 2024

12pm ET

Sign Up

Prioritizing Rest and a Good Night’s Sleep (workshop) 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Register for Session 1 at 12 pm ET

Register for Session 2 at 8 pm ET

Can’t make a session? Don’t worry — if you register, you’ll receive a link to the recording.

You do not need a Headspace account to attend, but remember that all Brandeis students can create an account for free.

Sensory Friendly Hours at the Oasis Wellness Lounge for Neurodiversity Celebration Week

The Oasis Wellness Lounge is your place to relax on campus located in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) room 328. For Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we are taking extra measures to make the space sensory-friendly with natural lighting and lower noise levels. The Oasis space will provide comfy furniture, fidgets, eye masks, earplugs, blankets (weighted and non-weighted), pillows, zero gravity beanbags, coloring supplies, and mindfulness aids.

As a visitor, you can help us keep the Oasis space sensory-friendly by keeping the following in mind.

• Please keep noise levels down and the energy calm.
• Avoid wearing strong perfumes/colognes in the space.
• Avoid eating foods with strong smells in the space.

Alcohol Safety Tips for St. Patrick's Day and Purim 🍀🎭

As we gear up for the festive celebrations of St. Patrick's Day and Purim, be sure to prioritize safety for yourself and those around you. If you choose to drink alcohol, please consider the following safety strategies:

1. Know your limits: Understand your tolerance and pace yourself. Set a limit and stick to it. Alternate alcoholic beverages with water to stay hydrated.
2. Avoid hard liquor and jungle juice: Hard alcohol has a high percentage of alcohol by volume, and can be a lot more dangerous than wine or beer. Punch, or "jungle juice", is often very strong and there’s no way to tell (or taste) how much alcohol is in your cup.
3. Use a buddy system: Look out for one another. Stick together with friends, and have a designated sober friend or plan for alternative transportation.
4. Eat before you drink: A hearty meal can slow down alcohol absorption, reducing the risk of intoxication. Don't forget to snack between drinks.
5. Plan your ride: If you're planning to indulge, arrange for a designated driver, use public transportation, or opt for rideshare services to ensure a safe journey home.
6. Be informed: Familiarize yourself with the signs of alcohol poisoning. Seek help immediately if you or someone around you exhibits symptoms like confusion, vomiting, or difficulty breathing. Call 781-736-3333 if on campus and 911 if off campus.
7. Remember the Medical Amnesty Policy: If you call for help in a drug or alcohol-related medical emergency, the policy violation will not be recorded on your conduct history, nor the conduct history of the person needing help.
8. Respect boundaries: Celebrate with respect for others. Be considerate of how your actions impact others to ensure a harmonious celebration for everyone.

Tips for Fasting

Ramadan Mubarak! Fasting is an important spiritual practice in many religions and is observed during Ramadan, which begins March 10, 2024. Here are a few tips to consider for a healthy and spiritually fulfilling fast.

Learn more

National Procrastination Week

March 4-10, 2024 is National Procrastination Awareness Week. However, the observance could extend for longer due to the nature of the event. 

A lot of people procrastinate, however, some procrastinate more than others. Procrastination is viewed as a problem when it starts to affect essential functions of a person’s life. Also, procrastination can be linked to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. 

There are different reasons for procrastination. Among them are:

• Feeling tired: It’s the way the body signals that the break is necessary. It may be good to engage in some other activities for some time and then return to work feeling energized. 
• Dislike of a task: Some tasks may seem boring or difficult. In this case, you can make a promise to yourself that you’ll work on this task for 30 minutes only. Usually, tasks start to be more engaging and less difficult after working on them for some time. 
• A task seems useless: If the task doesn’t seem to fit your larger goals, you can limit the time you spend on it, but spread it out over a longer time range. For example, you could work on the task for 20 minutes every day for 2 weeks. When possible, you can delegate the task to someone else.
• Perfectionism: This reason for procrastination is challenging but possible to overcome. Remember that mistakes don’t define you as a person. They show what areas you need to work on and create opportunities for future success. Don't forget to celebrate your accomplishments and remember that putting in effort and submitting a project on time is an achievement in itself!

Learn tips to overcome procrastination due to perfectionism

Primary Care, Urgent Care, or the Emergency Room?

The U.S. healthcare system is anything but simple. It can be confusing to know where to go when you need to access healthcare. Use this guide as a starting place:

Primary Care (Brandeis Health Center):

Primary Care is where you go for routine medical care, including preventive medicine, health maintenance, and treatment for acute and chronic illnesses. For Brandeis Students, the Health Center serves as your primary care provider. You will not be asked to pay a co-pay when you visit the Brandeis Health Center.

Hospital Emergency Room (ER):

ERs are open 24/7 and are for serious or life-threatening medical emergencies. The ER is a more expensive option; the co-pay amount for ER visits will be listed on your health insurance card. Reasons to go to the ER include:

• Major injury
• Severe shortness of breath
• Loss of consciousness or seizure
• Sudden, severe pain (abdominal, chest, head)
• Severe bleeding
• Poisoning or overdose
• Severe or worsening allergic reaction, especially if breathing is difficult
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings
• Severe vaginal bleeding
• Sexual violence

Urgent Care Clinic:

Urgent care is for non-life-threatening, urgent health needs that cannot wait until the Health Center is open. Urgent care clinics are often less expensive and have shorter wait times than the ER. Reasons to go to an urgent care clinic include:

• X-rays (it's a good idea to call ahead to check if this service is available)
• Urinary pain with back pain
• A deep laceration that may need stitches
• Need for IV hydration due to severe vomiting or unresolved high fever
• Urinary tract infections

Local emergency rooms and urgent care clinics are listed on the Brandeis Health Center website.

If you are still not sure where to go, call the Brandeis Health Center (781-736-3677) to speak with someone who can advise you.

Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a nationwide grassroots campaign that seeks to increase public awareness of problem gambling and promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services. In 2023, sports betting was legalized in Massachusetts for people over the age of 21. Betting apps like FanDuel and Draft Kings have made gambling easier and more accessible.

Anyone who gambles can be at-risk for developing a gambling problem. Warning signs of problem gambling include:

1. Thinking about gambling all the time
2. Feeling the need to bet more money and more often
3. Going back to try to win your money back ("chasing losses")
4. Feeling restless or irritable when trying to stop or cut down
5. Feeling like you can't control yourself
6. Gambling despite negative consequences

Take a self-assessment

Get support for problem gambling