- Physical
- Social
- Emotional
- Intellectual
A. Definition:
Physical: Caring for your body in order to stay healthy now and in the future; eating well and being active.
Exercise: Engaging in sufficient physical activity (30 minutes per day, three days per week) to keep in good physical condition; maintaining flexibility in the major muscles and joints of the body through work, recreation, or stretching exercises; and regular, appropriate exercise are important guidelines.
Nutrition: Eating a nutritionally balanced diet consisting of three meals per day (including breakfast); consuming fats, cholesterol, sweets, and salt sparingly; maintaining a normal weight (i.e., within 15% of the ideal weight); and avoiding overeating.
Health Care: Seeing your health care provider on a regular basis is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Things such as annual check-ups, dental appointments, and treating illness in a timely manner are all factors in achieving maximal health.
B. Resources:
A. Definition:
Social: Maintaining healthy relationships; enjoying being with others; developing strong friendships and intimate relationships; and caring about others and letting others care about you.
Friendship: Social relationships that involve a connection with others individually or community; having friends in which you can trust and who can provide emotional, material, or informational support when needed; not being lonely; being comfortable in social situations; having a capacity to trust others; having empathy for others; feeling understood by others; having relationships in which non-judgmental caring is experienced; being comfortable with one’s social skills for interacting with others; and being involved in one or more community or student groups.
Love: The ability to be intimate, trusting, and self-disclosing with another person; the ability to give as well as express affection with others; the ability to accept others without conditions; to convey non-possessive caring which respects the uniqueness of another; having at least one friendship which is secure; having concern for others; having a family or family-like support system; the ability to solve conflict in a mutually respectful way; possessing healthy communication styles; and the possessing the ability to cope with stress.
B. Resources:
A. Definition:
Emotional: Managing your emotions in a constructive way; understanding and respecting your own feelings, values and attitudes; and appreciating the feelings of others.
Leisure: Activities done in your free-time; satisfaction with your leisure activities; importance of leisure; positive feelings associated with leisure; having at least one activity in which “I lose myself and time stands still”; ability to approach tasks from a playful point of view; having a balance between work and leisure activities; and ability to put work aside for leisure without feeling guilty.
Stress Management: General perception of your own self-management or self-regulation; seeing change as an opportunity for growth rather than as a threat to your own security; on-going self-monitoring and assessment of your coping resources; the ability to organize and manage resources such as time, energy, and setting limits; and the need for structure.
Self Worth: Accepting who and what you are; positive qualities along with imperfections; acceptance of one’s physical appearance; affirming the value of one’s existence; and valuing oneself as a unique individual.
Realistic Beliefs: Understanding that perfection or being loved by everyone are impossible goals; having the courage to be imperfect; the ability to perceive reality accurately and not as one might want or desire it to be; separating that which is logical and rational from that which is distorted, irrational, or wishful thinking; and avoiding unrealistic expectations.
B. Resources:
A. Definition:
Intellectual: Intellectual wellness refers to our understanding of items relating to nutrition, tobacco-use, obesity, exercise duration, disability support services, student health plans, vaccination information, flu facts, personal counseling, sleep, and relaxation.
Nutrition: It is important that you understand what types of food you should be eating each day, including portion size, caloric intake and expenditure, and how often you should be eating each day.
Exercise: Many people make the mistake of thinking they do not have time to exercise; however, exercising 30 minutes per day, three days per week is achievable for everyone. Think about your free time and what you do during this time. Manage your time so that exercise is part of your regular routine, and get an exercise partner for accountability. Counter the “excuses” of not exercising with positive thoughts about the benefits you are providing to your body through exercise, and set achievable goals.
Disabilities: Students with certain types of disabilities often think that exercise and recreation is not something in which they can participate. Each semester we work closely with all students to ensure they feel comfortable and secure in the Student Wellness Center. Our expert staff will work directly with all students and demonstrate various ways they can exercise, regardless of disability.
Counseling: Understanding the role of counseling versus “labeling” counseling as a negative aspect of wellness is essential to overall Developmental Wellness. Counseling can range from test-taking anxieties to relationship issues. The professional staff at the Counseling Center can talk to you about depression, stress management, time management, self-esteem, and other issues to help you better identify and understand challenges that you may be facing as a college student. However, it is imperative that you seek this counseling when needed and educate yourself about the topics involved in the Counseling Center and ways they may be able to assist you.
B. Resources:
Statistics Regarding Tobacco Use
C. University Departments: