Wellbeing
Ground yourself in your new home
Studying abroad is the time to explore, learn about the world around you, and reflect on the person you’re becoming. It’s also a time of great change, and when you’re in a new environment, it can be difficult to know how to care for yourself.
When you find a way to balance exploration with self-care, you can encounter new people, new ways of life, and new situations with an open and resilient state of mind.
Read on for our guidance on wellbeing abroad.
Find your community
Building community abroad looks different for everyone, and it can have a hugely positive impact on your overall wellbeing. You might bond with people from your housing, classes, volunteering, faith-based groups, and teams.
Prioritize health and safety
Your wellbeing abroad will include practical, everyday acts of caring for your health and safety. With our resources, you can prepare yourself before you go abroad.
Embrace diversity
Inclusion is essential for everybody’s wellbeing on the DIS program, which is why we’ve created opportunities for conversations and connection. There is space for everyone at DIS–and you belong here.
Reflect on sexual health abroad
Attitudes around sex and relationships may be different in Scandinavia than what you’re used to at home or your home university. We’ve created this resource to help you reflect before you arrive.
Reflecting on “the good life”
During her Core Course Week to Western Denmark, Tharaly (Spelman College) was surprised to find that happiness and “the good life” isn’t about ignoring difficult things–it’s about embracing the full spectrum of life and living authentically.
Falling into a slower pace
While most students wouldn’t be thrilled about breaking their ankle during their first week of classes abroad, Eirene (Purdue University) found that her ill-timed injury actually helped her slow down and reset her priorities.
Trying new things
When she moved to Denmark, Caroline (University of Delaware) decided to challenge herself: she signed up for a 10k in Skagen, Denmark with no running experience. As she began her training, she felt grateful for a new outlet where she could practice self-care while abroad.
Discovering JOMO: the “joy of missing out”
For Riley (University of Minnesota Twin Cities), feeling FOMO while abroad felt inevitable until her mom introduced her to a revolutionary concept: JOMO. Suddenly, she realized she wanted to spend her time “not trying to fit it all in, but to soak it all up.”