The Six Keys of Wellness
1. Emotional Wellness
Why is it important?
Emotional wellness has been found to predict personal happiness and satisfaction in life and success at work and in relationships. Emotional Wellness involves your ability to identify, understand, manage and use emotions in a way that promotes wellness and success. It includes developing coping skills (e.g. stress management skills, conflict resolution skills) to manage emotional and behavioral reactions (eg anxiety, depression, worry, eating disorder) to a challenging and dynamic environment (eg transition into college, break up with a romantic partner, stress of academic/athletic requirements). It also involves developing active and ongoing self-reflection, exploration, reformulation and integration. Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Emotional Wellness!
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2. Academic/Intellectual Wellness
Why is it important?
Academic/Intellectual Wellness involves active participating in your learning (eg class participation, actively engaging with course material and instructors), developing sound academic discipline (eg study habits/skills, test-taking strategies), and utilizing academic support resources (eg advising, tutoring). Academic/Intellectual Wellness also requires a regular routine of mental activity beyond the classroom setting that stretch intellectual capacities (eg attending speakers in a lecture series, participating in debates teams and intellectual discussions) and regular involvement in other areas of wellness (e.g. Physical Wellness: nutrition and exercise). It involves activities that promote intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and life long learning. Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Academic/Intellectual Wellness!
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3. Occupational Wellness
Why is it important?
Typically, students enter college in order to get into careers/jobs of their choice. But what kinds of careers/jobs? Occupational Wellness involves exploring and discovering a good fit/compatibility between what a particular career/job requires of you, and your own goals, personality, values about money, lifestyles, strengths, etc. This often means taking self-assessments to better understand yourself. It also involves evaluating majors and internships that will help you towards your path/goal. Occupational Wellness also involves developing a professional identity: how do you manage your finances? how effective are your resume and interview skills? what are the etiquettes at a formal dinner? etc. Practicing and learning such skills now, will better prepare you for employment. Taking such a deliberate approach to your Occupational Wellness is better and healthier (ultimately less anxiety provoking) than “going where the wind blows.” Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Occupational Wellness!
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4. Physical Wellness
Why is it important?
Physical Wellness involves promoting your self-care (developing preventative habits, skills, and knowledge) and utilizing quality health care (utilizing health care resources appropriately, and learning to actively engage with health care providers as co-participants in treatment). Our bodies need to be fine-tuned in order to work most efficiently and to stay in good working order. Physical fitness and exercise are important ingredients of physical wellness. The healthy eating, exercise, and self-care habits which you develop today, that reduce your risk of chronic disease later in life, are invaluable. Physical Wellness means participating in preventative efforts (eg physical activity/exercise, balanced nutrition, education on self-care) and learning on how to most effectively utilize and benefit from health care resources. Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Physical Wellness!
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5. Sociocultural Wellness and Leadership
Why is it important?
Sociocultural Wellness and Leadership helps to prepare you for a global world scene. In an increasingly pluralistic world, employers increasingly recognize the invaluableness of employees who have broad sociocultural and leadership skills. Sociocultural wellness involves developing your leadership, social, and cross-cultural skills. It involves attending activities that expand your sociocultural knowledge (eg attending cultural events). It also involves engaging, connecting and integrating into your community, and in taking a personal responsibility for your community. Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Sociocultural Wellness and Leadership Wellness!
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6. Values/Spiritual Wellness
Why is it important?
Values/spiritual wellness refers to integrating your values/beliefs with your actions. What are your core values and beliefs? Are your actions consistent with these core values/beliefs? The college setting is one where many of your values and beliefs can have the opportunity to mature. There is a difference between values that mature through the process of examination and values that become stagnant through static foreclosure. The opportunities for maturity arise when you actively explore what you believe, why you believe what you believe, and how your behaviors match your convictions. This also includes exploring and learning about diverse spiritual persuasions. By promoting your values/spiritual wellness, you will increasingly develop a deeper sense of purpose, direction and awareness. Click here to look for programs and activities that will help you promote your Sociocultural Wellness and Leadership Wellness!
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