Well-Being

We want to empower graduate students, faculty, and staff to use our well-being resources to help stay centered and healthy during their time at Mason. 

As a well-being institution, we care for the holistic wellness and health of our community. It is important for our students, faculty, and staff to be aware of the resources around them in relation to well-being. Well-being can encompass several aspects and we encourage you explore what Mason has to offer. Below we have provide resources on, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, Physical Fitness & Recreation, Mental Health, Health Services, and more.

Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

The Center for the Advancement of Well-Being (CWB) catalyzes human well-being by promoting the science and practices that lead to a life of vitality, purpose, resilience, and engagement. As an interdisciplinary center at George Mason University, we are dedicated to helping individuals and organizations thrive in a world of complexity and uncertainty.

• Well-Being Initiative: At Mason, we believe that "we thrive together" - shared success is one of our core values. We want to become the first well-being university, providing a place for all members of our Mason community in an environment where they can personally thrive while contributing to the overall mission. The university-wide Center for the Advancement of Well-Being provides a focal point for our efforts to promote positive change.
• CliftonStrengths: George Mason University uses CliftonStrengths to help students improve self-awareness, foster development and find direction. The assessment measures your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, so when you’re done you’ll have discovered your talents.
• Resilience Badge: Mason's Resilience Badge is a fully online, asynchronous learning opportunity that will allow you to further develop your resilience through content knowledge and practices, all of which are backed by the science of resilience. Deepening your own knowledge in these areas and honing your self-awareness will allow your thinking to become more flexible, more adaptable, and more creative. This will help you when it comes to solving problems, making decisions, and building the life you want. Completing this program will contribute to your ability to thrive in college and beyond.

Physical Fitness & Recreation

Stay fit and active by exercising in one of Mason’s state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Find information about intramural sports, fitness classes, and memberships at the Recreation website.

• Fitness: Looking to enhance your well-being, fitness, try new things, or just stay active? Stop by one of our recreation facilities – each one is fully equipped with fitness options that are sure to meet your needs!
• Intramural Sports: The Intramural Sports program is designed for the enjoyment and fun of organized sport and to contribute to the overall well-being of the George Mason University Community.
• Outdoor Adventures: Graduate Student Life Outdoor Adventures: Graduate Student Life and Mason Recreation Outdoor Adventures have partnered to provide outdoor adventure trips just for Mason graduate and professional students. See upcoming Graduate Outdoor Adventures trips on our Graduate Student Life events page.
• Virtual Recreation: With BurnAlong you and your family can access virtual classes whenever you want – whether in the office, at home, or on the road. Workouts range from 3 minutes to more than 60, and include mindfulness, cardio, strength training, yoga, barre, Pilates, and more!

Mental Health

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): CAPS provides a wide range of free services to students, faculty, and staff. Services are provided by a staff of professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors. CAPS' individual and group counseling, workshops, well-being resources, and outreach programs are designed to enhance students’ personal experience and academic performance. Individual counseling is available at our Fairfax, Arlington, and SciTech campuses. During certain semesters, CAPS offers a counseling group at the Fairfax campus for graduate students who would like to work on developing strategies for coping with personal and academic stress.

TimelyCare: TimelyCare offers virtual mental health support to Mason students through telehealth counseling, a 24-hour helpline, health coaching, and online resources.

Center for Community Mental Health (CCMH): A community-serving clinic run by the Department of Psychology, CPS offers a free emotional support line and three brief-intervention sessions at no cost for Mason affiliates. CPS offers additional services on a fee basis using an income-based sliding scale.

Student Health Services

The Student Health Services website provides critical information about mandated immunization requirements for all students (including all graduate students), health insurance information (including rates and deadlines), health education, and health care services available to all students on all campuses. Student Health Services also provides evaluation, screening and referrals for mental health concerns.

Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

Student Support and Advocacy Center’s (SSAC) services include education and programming on drug and alcohol awareness, safer sex, contraception, tobacco use prevention and stress management, as well as sexual assault, stalking, dating/partner violence, as well as healthy relationships. SSAC also serves as the central resource for assisting students who are encountering barriers to their academic success and personal growth. The office connects students with appropriate Mason and off-campus resources and implements action plans for students in need of intervention, including crisis intervention. The SSAC also provides financial well-being resources and oversees the Patriot Pantry, which provides access to food and toiletries for Mason students who are experiencing food insecurity. Please contact SSAC if you observe behavior that causes concern about a student or other community member’s safety, feel threatened by a student, or otherwise notice behavior changes in a student that cause concern.

Community Building and Social Events

An important aspect of well-being is feeling a sense of community and engagement with fellow students. Graduate Student Life holds a number of community building and well-being events throughout the academic year, including social events, workshops, networking events, and mindfulness events. Check out the Graduate Student Life events page for more information.

Mason Grad Insider: Well-Being Blog Posts

Graduate Student Life also has a number of blog posts on the Mason Grad Insider blog about well-being and self-care in graduate school:

• Practicing Self-Care (Even When It’s Hard)
• Resilience at Mason in 2020: Take Care of Yourself
• Make Time for Self-Care - You'll Thank Yourself Later
• Grads, Give Yourself Permission to Nap
• Resilience at Mason