Postdoctoral Wellness

Postdoctoral training can be a rigorous time with competing demands and stressors. As such, there are many resources available to the Columbia postdoctoral population that focus on establishing beneficial mental health and wellness practices. Please see below for more information about these resources.

  • Wellness Series: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Wellness Series is designed to enhance overall wellness of postdocs at Columbia with a focus on emotional, physical, and occupational areas of wellness. Each month the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs organizes a wellness workshop or seminar focusing on one of these areas. Check out the OPA calendar to see what wellness event is planned for this month!
  • Weekly Wellness: In addition to monthly programming, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs offers weekly meditation, yoga, and Zumba sessions for postdocs. Registration is required, so please check out the OPA calendar to register and for information on specific dates and times.
  • Previous Wellness Events: Click here to see some of our previous wellness programming. If you see something you would like the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to offer again, please feel free to email [email protected] with your request.

All postdoctoral research scientists and postdoctoral research fellows have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP is a network of free services to assist you (and your household members) manage a variety of issues, including short-term counseling, nutrition and healthy living resources, financial planning, among many others. Please click here to learn more about EAP services and how they may be useful for you. 

The Office of Work/Life fosters the well-being of the Columbia community and its people in their pursuit of meaningful and productive academic, personal and work lives. The Office of Work/Life offers many programs and resources to achieve this goal. Please click here to learn more about the Office of Work/Life wellness resources and how they may be useful for you.

If you are struggling with a workplace concern, the Ombuds Office is a great resource to assist you in figuring out next steps that will work for you. The Ombuds Office offers a confidential place to discuss workplace issues and will assist you in exploring options and developing strategies to resolve your concern while reviewing university policies. Please click here to learn more about the Ombuds Office services.

While there are many short-term programming options and resources available to postdocs within the Columbia University community, there may be a time in which postdocs elect to seek on-going counseling. For more information about these options, you can access a (non-comprehensive) list of mental health and grief resources here.