Wellness Abroad

Embarking on a journey to study abroad is a thrilling adventure that promises academic growth, cultural immersion, and personal transformation. Amid the excitement of new experiences and unfamiliar landscapes, maintaining a steadfast focus on health and wellness becomes paramount. The pursuit of knowledge should not come at the expense of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As you navigate through unfamiliar classrooms and diverse cultures, it's important to keep a few key principles in mind. Balancing your academic commitments with self-care, nourishing your body with wholesome nutrition, and cultivating connections that uplift your spirit are all integral parts of the study abroad experience.

Equally important is preparation for how you will balance engaging with the local communities and taking care of yourself. We encourage students to take time to consider how to prepare themselves for engaging in healthy dialogue with local communities. Take a look at our guide for engaging and preparing for dialogue while abroad. 

Health Promotion & the Office of International Education

The OIE and the Health and Counseling Center’s Health Promotion Team at DU collaborated to produce the resources below to support you and your health and wellness throughout the study abroad journey. Click on the links below to discover recommendations and advice on various topics as you plan your study abroad program. We also offer Safer Study Abroad sessions together in Spring Quarter before students depart. You can view the recording of that session and let us know if you have any questions!

 

Health and Wellness Country Guides

The OIE created these country-specific health guides to provide more resources and advice on cultural norms to expect around topics such as sex and dating, LGBTQIA+ Culture, and Alcohol and Drugs. We seek to better prepare students as they select study abroad programs and immerse themselves in other cultures with norms that may be different than what we experience in the United States.  

This is meant to be a helpful resource for students in selecting, understanding, and preparing for their time abroad. There is no intent to discriminate, generalize or stereotype the country or culture with the information provided here. A variety of sources, both formal and informal, were researched to gather this information.

 

More Resources

Health & Safety Abroad

Find information about what to do in an emergency abroad, DU's commitment to health & safety, health & safety considerations for choosing a program, and insurance abroad.

Learn More