This module has a fine repertoire of creative methods from Positive Psychology and Happiness Research, MBSR (Mindful Based Stress Reduction) and Resilience Coaching. It enables you to better deal with doctoral-related stress, strengthens your psychological resilience and supports you in dealing appropriately with the various challenges in the doctoral phase and in maintaining your mental health.

Aim

This workshop supports doctoral students in strengthening their resilience and thus their own inner stability. Together you will work on your personal productive mindset by strengthening your resources and developing helpful perspectives. Their own development potential is strengthened in order to master challenges more calmly and to achieve their own goals.

The core of the module is a two-day workshop (no overnight stay) in which you learn how to assess symptoms and effectively prevent the development of crises. A specially developed 3-week format with in-depth assignments following the exam is designed to guarantee that your insights from the exam are also implemented in your everyday doctoral work. A follow-up workshop at the end of the 3-week consolidation phase serves as a final reflection.

Content

• Identify and develop own energy sources and resources

• Setting up structure, creating rituals and establish good habits

• Mindset work: recognize and change destructive thinking patterns

• Setting work-life boundaries

• Mindfulness and self-compassion in difficult times, dealing with self-doubts

• Take action and successfully counter procrastination

• Social support: Using solidarity and networking

• Dealing with unsolvable problems

Methods

We would like to give you a look at your own resources, strengths and potentials in short impulse lectures, with creative and varied methods. In the shared exchange of experiences, further helpful hints for dealing with challenges in everyday university life will certainly come to light. The deepening phase of this training gives you the opportunity to independently try out further approaches in the long-term deepening phase.

Relaxation exercises and meditations, a weekly half-hour meeting (in the deepening phase), accompanying peer groups, deepening tasks and a closed room for the participants for (supervised and) joint exchange complete the offer.

Notes

The aim of this module is prevention. It is aimed at all doctoral students of the network partners of any academic age.

After the two-day workshop, it is important to actively work on the tasks in order to deepen what has been learned through reflection and exercises. The required weekly time commitment is about 1 hour. Experience shows that the tasks bring relaxation and pleasure, and you may voluntarily invest more time in them! Reflection takes place together in the subsequent Follow Up.

Target Group: doctoral candidates (all disciplines) within the Berlin University Alliance.

Participation is free of charge.

Please note that you can cancel your registration up to 3 days before the start of the course at the latest. This is the only way to ensure that the waiting list can be filled.

Participation is self-dependent and requires psychological resilience.

The course contains coaching parts and is used for self-awareness and self-development.

The organisation of this core offer is the responsibility of the Technical University of Berlin as a BUA partner. 

You will receive the certificates of attendance after successful course participation (at least 80% active participation), as soon as possible. If you need the certificate earlier, please contact us!

Event details

Umwelt Bildungszentrum Berlin
Kladower Damm 57
14089 Berlin

Date

"Setting Sail for Mental Health" will take place in English and German ("Glück Ahoi") and will be offered in two parallel groups on March 11th and 12th. Please register for only one of the two groups (German or English). The event will only take place in person.

If you are interested in an overnight stay, please contact the venue yourself. Accommodation costs are not included in the workshop.

Group english:

Retreat: Wednesday, 11 & Thursday, 12 March 2026, 9:30am to 5:30pm (Check-in from 9:00 am)

Follow Up:  10 April, 9:30am to 12:30pm

Mini-Online Meetings: 18 March, 25 March, 1 April?, 12:00pm-12:30pm

Instructors:  Anna Haas & Dr. Taiya Mikisch

Work units: 20
Registration process: First come, first served
Start of registration: Mon, Sep 01, 2025, 12:00 PM
Registration deadline: Tue, Mar 10, 2026, 6:00 PM
Cancellation deadline: Sun, Mar 08, 2026, 11:59 PM
Maximum number of participants: 16