Readings
Overview
The goal of this chapter is to help support your academic success by helping you avoid or effectively manage problems and challenges in college involving your health or wellness. The Health in College section defines components of health and presents evidence-based strategies to help lower your risks for illness or injury. The Wellness in College section defines elements of wellness along a mind-body-spirit continuum and emphasizes the roles each can play in your well-being. Look for information in bold font to assist you in acquiring key knowledge.
Introduction
Why Learn About Health and Wellness in College?
Are you surprised to find information on health and wellness in a first-year college seminar course? If you answered yes, I’m not surprised! But your academic success in college depends on many factors, and two that are important but often overlooked are your health and well-being.
Table 1 lists the top 10 problems or challenges a representative sample of college students in the United States reported experiencing over the previous 12 months that negatively impacted their academic performance (American College Health Association, 2020). The percentage of the sampled students reporting each one is also listed.
Table 1.
Top 10 Problems or Challenges Negatively Impacting College Students’ Academic Performance
Problem or Challenge | Percentage |
Procrastination | 47.2% |
Stress | 30.4% |
Cold/Virus or other respiratory illness or Flu | 24.4% |
Anxiety | 21.1% |
Sleep difficulties | 20.3% |
Depression | 17.9% |
Ongoing or chronic medical conditions | 16.3% |
Finances | 14.2% |
Intimate Relationships | 12.2% |
Family | 10.8% |
Note: Adapted from “National College Health Assessment Undergraduate Student Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2019,” by the American College Health Association, 2020. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_Fall_2019_Undergraduate_Reference_Group_Executive_Summary.pdf
How many do you see that involve health and wellness? My answer is, “All of them!” Stress, anxiety, and depression can manifest as procrastination or sleep difficulties and can affect concentration, critical thinking, and attendance. Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can lower immune function and lead to infections like colds and flu with symptoms that interfere with academic activities. Problems with finances or important relationships can be stressful and damaging to college student success and are hard to manage if students feel anxious, depressed, or fatigued.
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate awareness of recommendations for attitudes, behaviors, and activities to support their own health.
- Demonstrate awareness of models for wellness and resources to support each dimension of wellness in college success.
- Identify strategies to improve their own health and wellness in college.
References
American College Health Association. (2020). American college health association-national college health assessment III: Undergraduate student reference group executive summary fall 2019. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Health in College
What Do We Mean by “Health”?
Although health and wellness are overlapping and interconnected concepts, health is defined as the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit, especially freedom from physical disease or pain (Merriam-Webster, n.d.-a). In other words, health can be identified as the normal or optimal functioning of all components of a human being—body, mind, and spirit—and the absence of disease, illness, dysfunction, or pain. Health has three components: physical, mental, and spiritual.
- Physical refers to how well your body functions so you can comfortably perform desired daily activities.
- Mental refers to how well your brain functions to feel, think, and take in information.
- Spiritual refers to how well your mind functions to maintain self-awareness and connectedness with things outside yourself as well as a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.
The health of individuals and populations is determined by many factors: (a) behaviors, or what they do; (b) environment, or where and with what or whom they do it; and (c) resources, or whatever affects and directs their environment and behavior. Some resources, like the behavior of working out in the environment of a gym, are within an individual’s control, and some resources, like muscle strength determined by genetics and physiologic development, are not. Successful students maximize the positive impact of behaviors and environmental elements under their control by knowing their options, prioritizing their goals, and applying their resources to make good choices. They are also aware and accepting of things beyond their control and adapt in ways to maximize the positive and minimize any negative impact.
How Can Students Stay Healthy in College?
Table 2 lists the top conditions reported by a representative sample of U.S. college students as diagnosed by a health care professional within the last 12 months.
Table 2. Top 10 Health Conditions Diagnosed in College Students
Illness | Frequency |
Respiratory illnesses | 59.7% |
Urinary tract infection | 10.8% |
Stomach or intestinal virus or bug, food poisoning, or gastritis | 9.7% |
Orthopedic injury | 9.7% |
Concussion | 3.3% |
Mononucleosis (mono) | 2.2% |
Chlamydia or Gonorrhea | 1.8% |
Note: Adapted from “National College Health Assessment Undergraduate Student Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2019,” by the American College Health Association, 2020. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_Fall_2019_Undergraduate_Reference_Group_Executive_Summary.pdf
Students can stay healthy in college and prevent or avoid these health issues by directing their attitudes, behaviors, and activities toward optimizing goals in five areas: nutrition, activity and exercise, rest and sleep, safety, and health maintenance.
Nutrition
Humans need protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water for adequate functioning of body and mind. Most adults need an average of 1800-2400 kilocalories (kcals) per day to fuel the chemical, electrical, and mechanical processes required to keep us alive, awake, thinking, and moving.
These 10 tips can help you maintain adequate nutrition:
- Vary your meals. Eat a variety of foods to obtain all necessary nutrients for health. Recreational Sports and the Nutrition Graduate Program at Sam Houston State University provide a resource called Nutrition Education, and you can sign up to get help from graduate dietetic interns to learn how to eat better while in college.
- Stock healthy foods. Keep healthy foods and snacks in your room, kitchen, or backpack. Watch for added calories and fats by reading labels. If you are struggling with food insecurity, check out the SHSU Food Pantry, organized by the Food Pantry@SHSU student organization.
- Avoid stress eating. The key is to recognize you feel stressed, not hungry. Take a moment when you are stressed out and consider how you feel physically. Do you have a headache, is your jaw or neck tight, do you feel jitters or “butterflies” in your chest or stomach, do you feel lightheaded or tingly? Address the stress without food.
- Drink enough water. Stay hydrated to improve your concentration and avoid headaches. Many chemical reactions in your body depend on a water molecule, like burning fat or building muscle. The Institute of Medicine (2005) recommends 72 ounces of water per day for women and 96 ounces per day for men.
- Limit sugary beverages. Unlike sugars in fruits that are accompanied by vitamins, minerals, and fiber, sucrose (table sugar) adds nothing to your body except calories. For instance, drinking just one 12 ounce sugary soda per day adds an average of one extra pound every 23 days!
- Eat your produce. Consume fruits and vegetables for filling fluid and fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. Fresh is best, but any fruit or vegetable when prepared without added sugar or fat is a healthier choice. You have adult taste buds now—try those Brussels sprouts, you never know!
- Limit junk food. Stay away from the oils, sugars, calories, and preservatives they contain. Chips, cookies, candies, and donuts are mostly “empty calories” as they do not provide necessary nutrients, which is why we call them junk foods! Spend your calories wisely and make better nutritional choices for your body and brain.
- Watch your portions. The typical American diet contains too much of the wrong foods – red meat and breads, potatoes, and table sugar that make us 12th in the world for obesity (Central Intelligence Agency, 2016). For help with figuring portion sizes and keeping track of calories, try the Start Simple with MyPlate app.
- Indulge only occasionally. Treat yourself once in a while, maybe as a reward for a week of healthy eating. But make it an intentional choice. Be mindful of what and how much you are eating; a package of chocolate chip cookies will undo the healthful eating of a whole week, so plan your splurge thoughtfully.
- Watch for disordered eating. Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States, and anorexia or bulimia with starvation and/or purging by self-induced vomiting or use of medications are potentially life threatening. For help, visit the Student Health Center or the Student Counseling Center.
To learn about how nutrition can impact your academic performance, watch the TEDEd Share video, “How the food you eat affects your brain” by Mia Nacamulli.
"How the food you eat affects your brain" by Mia Nacamulli, TedED,
located at https://youtu.be/xyQY8a-ng6g
Attributions
How the food you eat affects your brain" by Mia Nacamulli, TedED, located at https://youtu.be/xyQY8a-ng6g
References
American College Health Association. (2020). American college health association-national college health assessment III: Undergraduate student reference group executive summary fall 2019. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Central Intelligence Agency. (2016). The world fact book. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2228rank.html
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf
Activity and Exercise
Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2018). Benefits of aerobic exercise include improved heart health and mental health, with improvements noted in symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise can also increase physical stamina and executive function (cognitive processes important for reasoning, planning, and problem solving).
Here are 10 tips for maintaining adequate activity and exercise:
- Walk to class. Burn calories, get fit, and reduce stress while doing the perfect exercise for our bodies.
- Bike to class. Burn calories, get there faster, and save money on gas and parking.
- Hit the gym. Choose free weights, machine weights, or cardiovascular equipment at SHSU’s Recreational Sports Center.
- Take a class. Recreation Sports at SHSU offers group fitness classes, virtual classes on-demand, personal training, fitness workshops, certifications, free weights, weight machines, and cardiovascular exercise equipment. There are even virtual fitness classes, free to SHSU students registered with Recreation Movement.
- Play a sport. Intramural Sports offers flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, racquetball, golf, and tennis. Club Sports offers climbing, inline hockey, lacrosse, marksmanship, martial arts-hapkido, paintball, powerlifting, quidditch, rugby, soccer, tennis, trap and skeet, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and wrestling.
- Stretch out daily. The American College of Sports Medicine (2018) recommends healthy adults do flexibility exercises (stretches, yoga, or tai chi) for all major muscle-tendon groups—neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles—at least two times a week, holding each stretch for a total of 60 seconds.
- Vary your routine. Mix it up and work different muscles to avoid boredom. Aquatics and Safety offers an outdoor seasonally heated swimming pool, lap lanes, water volleyball, water basketball, swim instruction, and American Red Cross safety training courses.
- Share the activity. Bring a friend for mutual accountability and more fun. Outdoor Recreation offers adventure trips, clinics and workshops on outdoor activities and skills, a climbing center, and equipment rentals for camping, climbing, or water recreation.
- Find open spaces. Use the spaces on and around the SHSU campus to walk, run, or play. Keep an eye out for signs on campus marking an updated walking route, and learn more about local options at Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Interactive Map of Huntsville State Park Trails.
- Enjoy your activity. Find ways to have fun while staying active. This will make sticking with the activity easier, and increase your odds of incorporating physical exercise and mobility into your regular health routine.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.). https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/physical_activity_guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
American College of Sports Medicine. (2018). ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (10th ed). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Rest and Sleep
Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. Sleep is a biological requirement for humans, and it allows rebuilding and repair of body and mind from the physical, mental, and emotional stresses of the day. Without it, academic and social functioning, and physical and mental health, are compromised.
Here are 10 tips for maintaining adequate rest and sleep:
- Keep a schedule. Go to sleep and wake up at the same times each day to train your body and mind.
- Sleep 7+ hours. Get 7–9 hours of sleep each night to optimize your academic performance.
- Nap for 20. Nap for no more than 20 minutes to avoid compromising your sleep that night.
- Avoid bed studying. Find another place to study to help avoid bedtime anxiety and insomnia.
- Create bedtime routines. Shower, journal, pray, take a bath—just do it every night.
- Avoid bedtime consumption. Abstain from eating or drinking (especially caffeine) for at least 3 hours before bed.
- Set the mood. Make your room dark and quiet, or use a sleep mask and ear plugs, for more restful sleep.
- Negotiate sleep time. Set healthy boundaries with friends, family, roommates, and significant others.
- Avoid all-nighters. Increase concentration and critical thinking tomorrow by sleeping tonight.
- Appreciate your rest. Protect your physical and mental health with adequate sleep.
Sleep = Brainpower
For more on the importance of sleep in learning, watch the TEDEd Share video by Claudia Aguirre
"What would happen if you didn’t sleep?" by Claudia Aguirre, TedED,
located at https://youtu.be/dqONk48l5vY
Attributions
"What would happen if you didn’t sleep?" by Claudia Aguirre, TedED, located at https://youtu.be/dqONk48l5vY
Safety in College
Events like weather emergencies present risks to safety and are beyond our control, although SHSU KatSafe helps with preparedness. But other risks for injury or trauma increase with our lack of awareness of our surroundings. This can occur from distractions from new environments or experiences. It can also occur from altered perceptions due to lack of sleep or from alcohol or other substances, which affect judgment and increase risk for injury from violence or self-harm. It can even occur from poorly controlled chronic health conditions like asthma or diabetes. Students can expect to improve their health and sense of well-being as well as their knowledge, physical fitness, self-awareness, social interactions, and prospects for financial security and a satisfying occupation while at college, but they must also be prepared to protect themselves as much as possible from risks to their health and safety.
Violence
A risk category not often discussed is violence. Under the federal law known as the Jeanne Clery Act, universities that receive federal student aid must report certain categories of offenses, crimes, and arrests involving their campuses. In the Daily Crime Log, as reported by SHSU for the Huntsville campus to date in calendar year 2020, there have been reports of the following occurring in campus housing and other areas on campus: robbery, burglaries, thefts, simple assaults, vandalism, stalking, dating violence, forcible sex offenses, and arrests for drug abuse and liquor law violations.
In one study of undergraduate students from colleges in the Northeast, non-consensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent was reported by 26.4% of women, 23.1% of transgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary individuals, and 6.9% of men (Cantor et al., 2019). This study also showed students are at highest risk for nonconsensual sexual contact in the first few months of their first and second semesters.
References
Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Chibnall, S., Townsend, R., Lee, H., Bruce, C., & Thomas, G. (2019, September 3). Report on the AAU campus climate survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Association of American Universities. https://www.aau.edu/key-issues/campus-climate-and-safety/aau-campus-climate-survey-2019.
Alcohol Use
Another important risk category for college students is alcohol use. Harmful and underage drinking increases students’ risks for academic problems like missing class and getting behind in homework. Other increased risks are for injuries, assault, involvement with the police, unsafe sexual behavior, sexual assault, and physical and mental health problems, including alcohol use disorder, suicide attempts, and death.
The following is from an agency of the National Institutes of Health: “Thousands of college students are transported to the emergency room each year for alcohol overdose, which occurs when there is so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain controlling basic life-support functions—such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control—begin to shut down.
Signs of this dangerous condition can include the following:
- Mental confusion, stupor
- Difficulty remaining conscious or inability to wake up
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Slow heart rate
- Clammy skin
- Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex (which prevents choking)
- Extremely low body temperature, bluish skin color, or paleness
Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death, so a person showing any of these signs requires immediate medical attention. Do not wait for the person to have all the symptoms, and be aware a person who has passed out can die. Call 911 if you suspect alcohol overdose.” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2019, College Drinking, paragraph 25, Alcohol Overdose and College Students.)
Here are ten tips for maintaining adequate safety from injury and trauma are:
- Know your contacts. Give someone - a trusted friend or roommate - your emergency contact names and numbers, and let someone know your plans when going out. Keep the following numbers in your phone:
- SHSU University Police (936-294-1000) or 911 for immediate assistance or to report crimes1
- SHSU University Police (936-294-1800) for nonemergency, security escort, or vehicle assist
- Silent Witness to anonymously report crimes or suspicious activity
- SHSU Title IX Office. Students can also call 936-294-3080 to report alleged gender-based discrimination, sexual misconduct, or retaliation by or against an SHSU student, faculty member, or staff employee.
- Huntsville Memorial Hospital Sexual Assault Resources (1-888-801-5565)
Anyone, of any sex, race, and ability, gender, gender identity, and gender expression can experience sexual assault. If you’ve been sexually assaulted - even if you are not sure - you can speak to the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) on-call. A dedicated SANE nurse will return your call within 30 minutes with free, confidential help day or night.
- Be a buddy. Do what you can to protect someone whose senses or judgment are compromised – protest, distract, or get help when you see anyone being assaulted or forced to do anything against their will or if unable to consent. Bearkats should not be bystanders! (Learn more about the bystander effect at Psychology Today.)
- Avoid “bars & cars.” Avoid illicit drug use or drinking to the point of mental or physical impairment. At that point, you have already destroyed brain cells. How many can you spare? There is no “safe” level of alcohol or drug use for driving, and you could be betting your life on whether a designated driver stays sober.
- Be KatSafe. Pay attention to the KatSafe Information for emergency information regarding active shooter or bomb threats, evacuations, medical emergencies, or inclement weather that put SHSU campuses and students at risk.
- Advocate for yourself. Speak up for what you need so you can get it, and speak up for what you want to avoid. Peer pressure does not disappear at high school graduation. It is usually easier to recover from embarrassment or other social consequences than from injury due to trauma or violence. Be proactive with your safety.
- Quit smoking/vaping. Avoid injury to tissues in your mouth, throat, and lungs from inhaled chemicals that increase your risks for bronchitis and pneumonia short term, and facial wrinkles and cancer long term. Watch for new data on risks from chemicals inhaled in concentrated form with vaping - preliminary data are negative. To get help on campus to quit, visit the Student Health Center or the Student Counseling Center.
- Wear protective gear. Avoid ankle sprains, shin splints, foot/knee pain, slips, trips, and falls with supportive shoes for walking on campus or exercising. Avoid injury when biking or playing sports with appropriate helmet, gloves, pads, etc.
- Unload your backpack. Avoid back, shoulder, and neck pain or injuries by lightening the load and going through your pack daily, balancing the load by wearing your backpack properly with straps over both shoulders, and concentrating on good posture while carrying your backpack.
- Identify health providers. To insure continued medical care for chronic medical conditions, transfer health records from your primary care provider to a local physician, the SHSU Student Health Center, or the SHSU Physicians Clinic in Conroe.
- Play your part. There is hope and treatment for anyone in any situation who is thinking about harming or killing themselves. We need everyone alive and well—only you can play your part, and everyone’s part is important.
References
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2019, November 15). College drinking. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking
[1] A victim of sexual assault can seek help, medical or otherwise, without contact with law enforcement by confidential report of the incident to a designated CSA (Campus Security Authority): residential advisors, provosts, deans, directors, advisors, coaches, and others who have received required training.
Crisis
The following resources are available if you or a friend are in crisis:
Student Counseling Center Walk-In Clinic (for crisis intervention)
1608 Avenue J., Box 209, Huntsville, TX 77341-2059
Phone: 936.294.1720 | Fax: 936.294.2639
24-Hour Referral Sources
From their website: “Crisis intervention services are designed to assist students who are confronting life-threatening circumstances, current or recent traumatic experiences, serious mental illness, and concerns about the safety of self or others. Crisis situations include but are not limited to the following:
- Students who are suicidal and/or are making overt references to suicide
- Students who are unable to provide basic levels of care for themselves
- Students who are so profoundly depressed that assessment for hospitalization should be considered
- Students who are unable to resolve a crisis and experiencing severe anxiety.”
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides resources for those who may be in crisis, and recommends: “If a person says they are considering suicide:
- Take the person seriously
- Stay with them
- Help them remove lethal means
- Escort them to mental health services or an emergency room.”
- On campus: the Student Health Center, Counseling Center, or University Police Department
- Off campus in Huntsville: Huntsville Memorial Hospital or Huntsville Police Department
- Tri-County MHMR
7045 Hwy 75 South, Huntsville, TX 77340
Phone: (936) 295-0072 - Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Hotline: 1-800-784-2433
To learn more about suicide prevention, watch the AFSP National’s video College Students and Mental Health.
"It's Real: College Students and Mental Health?" by AFSPNational,
located at https://youtu.be/YN69VIDKBFs
Attributions
"It's Real: College Students and Mental Health?" by AFSPNational, located at https://youtu.be/YN69VIDKBFs
Health Maintenance
Protecting your health includes proper nutrition, activity, sleep, and safety, but there are also some directed activities against specific risks to your health involving infectious diseases, sexual contact, stress management, and mental health conditions.
Read these 10 tips for maintaining adequate protection against infectious diseases such as pink eye, respiratory infections like colds or flu (influenza), mono (mononucleosis), strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis), bronchitis and pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and bacterial dermatitis, and sexually transmitted infections:
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand rub before and after eating, using the bathroom, touching your face, having sex, shaking hands, and after coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid your face. Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Follow your doctor’s or the manufacturer’s recommendations for contact lens wear and cleaning. Replace liquid eyeliners or mascaras every 3 months.
- Stay home sick. Per the Student Absence Notification Policy, a nonemergency student absence includes minor illness, regular doctor's visit, dentist appointments, or prearranged trips. An emergency student absence includes unprecedented / emergency situations and/or the absence is for an extended period.
- Avoid ill friends. Provide lots of sympathy, homework help, and soup packets, but stay away from people who are feverish, snotty, sneezy, coughing, pukey, or who have diarrhea or open sores. You will not be able to help them or yourself if you get sick, too.
- Get your shots - influenza vaccine every year and the three-shot vaccine series against HPV (human papilloma virus that causes genital warts and cervical or penile cancer). And stay up to date on recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine. Contact the Student Health Center for more information.
- See a doctor. Get medical care when you are sick or in pain. For mild symptoms, you can try these over-the-counter remedies:
Mild symptom Medication to try Example of brand name No longer mild; see a doctor if... Fever, aches, pain acetaminophen Tylenol High fever, severe pain Sore throat benzocaine Cepacol Difficulty swallowing Cough or congestion guaifenesin Mucinex Difficulty breathing Upset stomach bismuth Pepto-Bismol Vomiting everything or severe abdominal pain Heartburn or "sour stomach" calcium carbonate Tums Vomiting blood or severe abdominal pain Diarrhea loperamide Imodium Multiple loose stools or stools with blood Skin inflammation hydrocortisone Cortisone creme Infected skin Skin itching diphenhydramine Benadryl cream Spreading rash - Get yourself tested. Any genital discharge, pain, itching, sore, or lump should be evaluated by a health care provider. Because some do not cause symptoms, the only way to know for sure if you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is to get tested. Per Texas law testing is confidential, even if younger than 18.
- Always use protection. Using a condom correctly every time you have sex reduces the risk of pregnancy and infection with all STIs. (You can still get certain STIs, like herpes or HPV, from skin to skin contact with your partner.) Learn more from the CDC’s Condom Fact Sheet.
- Discuss important issues. Consent, known infection risks, STI testing results, means of protection from infection and pregnancy, and mutually acceptable sex practices are the minimum topics for safe sex with a new partner. No one reads minds, so be clear about your expectations and protect your health.
- Think about pregnancy. If you decide to be sexually active while in college, take the opportunity with your health provider to discuss contraception (birth control).
Just In Case…
Watch the Planned Parenthood video, "How Does the Morning After Pill/Emergency Contraception Work?" Emergency contraception is available at the Student Health Center and 24-hour pharmacies, including the one in Huntsville.
"How Does the Morning After Pill/Emergency Contraception Work?" by Planned Parenthood,
located at https://youtu.be/zN8fEakox5I
Attributions
"How Does the Morning After Pill/Emergency Contraception Work?" by Planned Parenthood, located at https://youtu.be/zN8fEakox5I
Wellness in College
What Do We Mean by “Wellness”?
Wellness is defined as the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought goal (Merriam-Webster, n.d.-b). Wellness can be viewed as the intentional presence of physical, mental, and spiritual health. The SHSU Health Campus Initiative ELEVATE promotes the “healthy choice as the easy choice” by using the eight dimensions of wellness model which also includes the three components of health: physical, mental, and spiritual.
The eight components of wellness are:
- Physical wellness is about maintaining a healthy body through good nutrition, regular exercise, and avoidance of harmful habits.
- Intellectual (or Mental) wellness includes an openness to new concepts and participation in creative, stimulating mental activities.
- Spiritual wellness is about developing our sense of purpose and meaning in life and is based on a core set of values and beliefs.
- Emotional wellness is the awareness and acceptance of feelings and emotions.
- Social wellness is the ability to interact with others and to live up to the expectations and demands of our personal roles. Social emotional learning is the awareness and understanding of emotions in oneself and in others; an ability to manage one’s own emotions; tolerance to differences in others’ values, cultures, and perspectives; flexibility in one’s own interpersonal behavior; and an ability to take an active role in cultivating productive relationships with others (Wyatt & Bloemker, 2013).
- Environmental wellness is an awareness of the delicate state of the earth and the effects of your daily habits on the physical environment.
- Financial wellness involves being aware of your financial situation and managing it, so you are prepared for financial changes. (See Unit 3: Financial Literacy.)
- Occupational wellness is the ability to enjoy a chosen career and/or contribute to society through volunteer activities.
A list of resources and websites to support your wellness are provided here:
Resource | Website |
OrgLINK (Student Organizations) | https://shsu.campuslabs.com/engage/ |
Huntsville Walker County Religious Organizations | http://www.chamber.huntsville.tx.us/list/ql/religious-organizations-21 |
Student Counseling Center | https://www.shsu.edu/counseling |
Student Activities | https://www.shsu.edu/studentactivities |
Greek Life | https://www.shsu.edu/greeklife |
Leadership Initiatives | https://www.shsu.edu/leadership |
Student Money Management Center | https://www.shsu.edu/dept/smmc/
|
Career Services | https://www.shsu.edu/dept/career-services/ |
Watch Joanne Davila’s TEDxSBU talk Skills for Healthy Romantic Relationships
"Skills for Healthy Romantic Relationships" by Joanne Davila, TEDx,
located at https://youtu.be/gh5VhaicC6g
References
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.-b). Wellness. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved December, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wellness.
Wyatt, J. B., & Bloemker, G. A. (2013). Social and emotional learning in a freshman seminar. Higher Education Studies, 3(1), 106-114