For students on the hunt for an inclusive and welcoming space to destress on campus, look no further than “The Zone” at UC San Diego’s Health Promotion Services, a study lounge open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Located in the Price Center courtyard, The Zone provides programming suited to developing the eight dimensions of well-being (physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental), offering something for everyone.
Established in the early 2010s, The Zone was created under the UCSD Office of Student Health & Well-Being Cluster to fulfill a need identified by students for a physical space devoted to holistically nurturing their well-being. Karin Omark, director of Health Promotion Services, which oversees The Zone, explains its original vision.
“Our intention is definitely to have it be an inviting space. We want it to be somewhere that [students] can feel comfortable asking a question, asking for help, and figuring out what resources are available to them on campus,” Omark said. “Come in if you’re interested in thinking about wellness and your connection with yourself.”
The Zone encourages students to ask themselves what “well-being” means to them and facilitates connections to whatever resources they might need, however big or small.
“You can come to The Zone with not having any particular well-being need defined for yourself, but knowing that you want to explore what the options are, you want to connect with people, or you just want to sit down for a minute and eat some noodles,” said Omark.
Omark described one student who came in feeling lost and upset about a problem with their Housing, Dining, and Hospitality Services account. “We were like, well, let’s look it up … sometimes it’s just about having that opportunity to have that connection with someone. Is that well-being? Well, you know, [it] probably reduced their stress!”
The Zone is located next to Jamba Juice, occupying a square room furnished with couch seating, table workspaces, and anything students require to unwind. Events range from arts-and-crafts activities to their popular Finals-Week therapy fluffies, or even to cooking demonstrations, financial literacy, and career development workshops. The Zone regularly hosts speakers from other resource centers on campus, including Counseling and Psycological Serivces, Cognitive Assessment and Risk Evaluation at Sexual Assault Resource Center, the Financial Aid Office, and many others. Student assistants manage the front desk and can often be spotted organizing and participating in whatever programming is available that day.
Sixth College junior Angelique Tran, a student assistant currently in her second year working for The Zone, said that she is grateful to be able to provide resources for students.
“I know college can be a stressful time, and students just want a place where they can come and unwind and relax,” Tran said. “If students can come in and take something away from an activity or a workshop that we’re doing, that is really gratifying for me. I feel satisfied when I know students gain something from The Zone.”
For Tran, who helps brainstorm and organize the various activities, The Zone brings together all elements of wellness.
“We try to be very holistic in all the programming we do, so not just focusing on one aspect of well-being,” she said.
No matter where your interests lie, The Zone has an event to offer.
“We’re a well-being space that prioritizes all aspects of well-being, not just the social interaction with like the arts-and-crafts but also financial well-being and occupational well-being,” Tran said.
If The Zone does not currently offer something suited to their needs, students are encouraged to request activities and share feedback in person or through the Health Promotion Services website.
Last academic year, The Zone received over 6,700 visits, averaging around 40 or so people a day, according to Omark. Recovering from a post-pandemic world, students of today are often on the hunt for a “third space” connection: a safe physical place to come together, experience community, seek help, or simply to rest.
Over her tenure, Tran has heard a number of students report their positive experiences to her.
“I always love it when people tell me, ‘Oh yeah, I feel like I’m super relaxed here,’ or like, ‘This feels like home for me,’ and, ‘I just really like to come back to this place,’” Tran said. “Hearing that always makes me feel happy that, you know, I’m able to provide that space for them.”
Mira Gupta, another student assistant, was a frequent visitor of The Zone before working there. Prior to joining the team, Gupta had visited their tabling events, played with the therapy fluffies, and attended The Zone’s Destress Mondays. Gupta says The Zone has continually helped them feel supported at UCSD and improved their well-being across mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.
“I feel that The Zone is so underrated for the way they promote student health services,” Gupta said. “I just wished more students knew about it.”
Academic life at UCSD can often be demanding and burdensome to handle alone. Many students find it difficult to carve out time to nurture their well-being amongst the stressors of day-to-day life. The Zone has and continues to be a resource and lounge dedicated to helping students in their journey of self-care, acting as an on-campus haven.
Omark said that The Zone is “a way for students to kind of step outside the rigors of academics at UC San Diego and exercise another part of their brain.”
“It is a place where students can come to study, if they want, or they can come relax, destress, and take advantage of some of the resources we offer,” she said.
