Well-being
Well-being is a broad concept that can be described many ways. To gain awareness of your own health behaviors, try to think of health and well-being as an active process. Many aspects encompass a holistic picture of an individual’s well-being, including the Eight Dimensions of Well-being listed below. These dimensions are interconnected, with every aspect affecting your life.
Striving for balance in your life can help support your well-being and academic success. What having a balanced life looks like is different for everyone, and it’s important to note that we all need to re-balance occasionally to adjust to what may be happening in our lives, such as starting a new semester, a new job, moving, etc.
The following tips are some things you can do to help positively impact your well-being:
- Set healthy routines and habits and prioritize self-care. Consider the ways you feel most comfortable engaging in self-care, and schedule them, whether indoors or outdoors: a walk or run, fitness classes, hiking, video games, socializing with friends, a night at the movies, video chatting with far away family and friends.
- Create a time management strategy and prepare well in advance for exams and projects.
- Listen to your body. Time to rest and recharge is just as important as time spent studying or at work.
- Add mindfulness to your day. Finding ways to be more present in the moment can help alleviate stress and help you not miss out on experiences you are having right now.
- Spend time in nature. Studies have shown that spending time in nature can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure, decrease depression, lower tension and anxiety, decrease pain and improve sleep.
- Connect with others. Researchers have found that people are happier when they are with other people than when they are alone, regardless if you are an introvert or extrovert.
- Stay in touch with family and friends.
- Manage stress.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is important for normal cognitive function, affects your physical health and can help you perform better throughout the day.
- Eat healthy foods, limit caffeine and stay hydrated – strive for balance.
- Limit screen time – too much can affect your mood, memory and sleep.
- Ask for help if you’re struggling and embrace support from others. CAPS provides a safe and confidential environment to address stressors and psychological needs that may occur during your time as a student.
Find balance – The Eight Dimensions of Wellness
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Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness is having a positive attitude, high self-esteem, a strong sense of self and the ability to recognize and share a wide range of feelings with others in a constructive way.
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Maintain a positive outlook.
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Build a strong support system.
- Check out the TAO program through CAPS: Therapy Assistance Online, or TAO, includes over 150 brief, effective, educational sessions covering over 50 common topics and skills related to mental health, wellness and substance use issues. TAO includes interactive sessions, mindfulness exercises and practice tools all aimed at helping you achieve your goals.
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Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness is being aware of the interactions between the environment, community and ourselves.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
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Take a “leave no trace” hike.
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Financial Wellness
Financial wellness is understanding the importance of sustaining ourselves financially for the short and long term.
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Use a money management app.
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Plan your weekly expenses.
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Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness is being open to new ideas, thinking critically and seeking out new challenges.
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Join a Creative Inquiry team.
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Create a study group.
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Visit the Academic Success Center.
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Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness is seeking for and having a career that is interesting, enjoyable, and meaningful and contributes to the larger society. In addition to being personally satisfying, the work you choose can be financially rewarding.
Since we spend a large amount of our time working, how we feel about the work we do, the people we work with and our work environment, in addition to how we manage work-related stress, all contribute to our life satisfaction and overall well-being.
It's important to have a healthy work-life balance. Set limits, practice self-care and spend time with friends and family. Over-working and not having leisure time can lead to burnout and resentment.
Other ways to improve your occupational well-being:
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Attend the Career Fair.
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Seek jobs and internships.
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Utilize the Center for Career and Professional Development's services and resource library.
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Set goals, and stay engaged and excited about the work you do.
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Add plants and other personal touches to your workspace.
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Take breaks – stretch, talk with a coworker, take a quick walk and/or get some fresh air.
Check out CampusWell's resources and helpful information related to careers and occupational well-being for college students.
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Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is taking care of your body for optimal health and functioning.
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Kayak on Lake Hartwell.
- Social Wellness
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Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness is finding meaning in life events, demonstrating individual purpose and having the ability to be compassionate towards others.
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Attend a yoga session at Fike.
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Spend time in meditation.
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Social wellness is the ability to build personal connections with others, deal with conflict and to be a part of a positive social network.
Join an organization or club.
Volunteer/serve.
Building Social Connections