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Seven Dimensions of Wellness
What is wellness?
Wellness is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is not a passive or static state but rather a dynamic and conscious development of the whole self. Wellness is associated with intentions, choices, and actions leading toward an optimal state of well-being so that instead of surviving, you're thriving. Wellness is commonly viewed as having seven dimensions: mental, physical, social, financial, spiritual, environmental, and vocational.
These dimensions are interdependent and influence each other. When one dimension of our well-being is out of balance, the other dimensions are affected. To strive for wellness is to take a proactive approach by learning how to be well in each dimension and taking action to build wellness-affirming habits, routines, and coping strategies.
You can read more about each dimension below including definitions, strategies, and further resources.
Mental wellness includes all aspects of mental health, emotional state and well-being, as well as how they interact. In turn, your mental wellness influences how you think, feel, and behave in your daily life. Mental wellness affects each dimension in turn and includes coping with the normal difficulties of life.
Topics may include anxiety, mood, emotions, stress management, self-care, suicide prevention, and supporting others with lived experience.
Strategies to enhance your mental wellness:
- Practice mindfulness: the mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment, instead of mentally rehashing the past or imagining the future.
- Use relaxation and self-care strategies that work for you.
- Seek support from family, friends, community, and/or a professional.
- Exercise regularly, eat well, and get enough sleep.
- Express feelings and emotions effectively, and practice positive self-talk.
- Attend any of the weekly mental health workshops to learn about different aspects of mental health and how to cope with stress and adversity.
- Earn the More Feet on the Ground online mental health training certificate.
- Access free online mental health coaching from Togetherall or Wellness Together.
- Know where to turn in times of crisis.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your mental wellness:
- Access the Student Wellness Centre for counselling and other mental health services, available to all students.
- Attend wellness workshops such as “Helping a Friend With their Mental Health” or “Getting More Sleep for your Mental Health.”
- Participate in Thrive, a weeklong series of free events for students focused on building positive mental health, running every October and January.
- Ride the Waves of student life with skill-building workshops led by counselling professionals.
- The I Move My Mood program provides an opportunity for students to improve their mental health and well-being through exercise or a recreational activity.
Physical wellness includes a variety of healthy behaviours including exercise, proper nutrition, healthy sleeping, sexual health and substance use. Physical wellness involves learning about disease and harm prevention, and developing healthy habits that will enable to you to live a longer, happier life.
Topics may include active living, substance use, healthy habits and routines, nutrition, healthy sleep, and sexual health.
Strategies to enhance your physical wellness:
- Make regular exercise a part of your life, aiming to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week.
- Eat more fresh food options, instead of processed food, including 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Take a break while studying to go for a brief walk.
- Educate yourself on the risks of all substances, including alcohol and cannabis.
- Get adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night).
- Practice waking up at the same time each day to promote good sleep habits, prevent fatigue, and increase mental functioning.
- Avoid smoking, including tobacco and vaping.
- Replace sugary drinks like juices and sport drinks with water.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your physical wellness:
- Access the Student Wellness Centre for medical services such as doctors, dietitians, chiropractors, and massage therapists.
- Get active and involved through Athletics and Recreation.
- Participate in intramurals.
Social wellness is how we interact with our community and those around us. It includes healthy relationships, consent, communication skills and support systems. It is also about building a support system of family, friends, peers, and professionals.
Topics may include healthy transitions, isolation, consent and healthy relationships, communication skills, and adjustment to change.
Strategies to enhance your social wellness:
- Balance social and personal time.
- Be open-minded to new experiences and people.
- Observe others and ask questions to gain a better understanding of unfamiliar cultures and customs.
- Seek out opportunities and be willing to meet new people and do new things (e.g. join a club or organization, play a team sport, volunteers, etc.).
- Understand how consent plays a role in all aspects of your social life, with sexual partners interacting with new friends, with peers, and more.
- Volunteer on campus or in the community.
- Participate in cross-cultural social events through Laurier International.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your social wellness:
- Participate in group exercise classes at the Athletic Complex.
- Join clubs and associations or start your own club!
- Volunteer on campus.
- Gain new experiences through a part-time job on campus.
- Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management
Financial wellness is how our finances contribute to our overall wellness. It is the healthy relationship between your goals and your financial obligations. When someone is struggling financially, all aspects of their wellness are affected.
Topics may include building a budget, meal planning, and healthy living on a budget.
Strategies to enhance your financial wellness:
- Use cash instead of debit or credit to avoid spending more than you anticipate.
- Practice self-care that does not cost a lot of money (hiking, potlucks, games nights, etc.).
- Save money by cooking your own meals, less eating out.
- Create a weekly budget for things like food, entertainment, and money to put away.
- Make use of scholarships and grant applications.
- Utilize sale flyers or online coupon mobile applications (e.g. Flipp app) when making a purchase.
- Contact Laurier’s financial literacy specialist for help navigating available financial resources, budgeting and funding sources.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your financial wellness:
- Take advantage of Laurier’s Money Management program, designed to decrease your financial stress and increase your financial wellness.
- Check out the options for financial aid on campus.
- Look into scholarships, awards, and bursaries available to students.
- Practice living life on a budget.
- Gain a part-time job.
Spiritual wellness involves our set of beliefs, principles, and values that help give direction to our lives. It is seeking meaning and purpose in our every day lives, which ultimately encourages wellness.
Topics may include compassion, morals, values, spirituality, meditation, beliefs, gratitude, self-understanding, and being at peace with nature.
Strategies to enhance your spiritual wellness:
- Grow your relationships with others by spending quality time with loved ones.
- Connect with nature – go for a walk in nature and practice mindfulness.
- Take time for quiet reflection or prayer.
- Explore faith services in the local community.
- Have an open discussion about values with friends, partner, or family members.
- Choose hobbies or activities that allow you to explore meaning and purpose.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your spiritual wellness:
- Attend a wellness workshop focusing on values, strengths, and confidence
- Enhance your spiritual knowledge, ask questions, or perform research through the Multi-Faith Support team.
- Attend cultural programming and information through the Indigenous Student Centre.
Vocational wellness involves preparing and using our skills and talents in order to gain purpose, happiness and a fulfilled life. Vocational wellness is about expanding knowledge and focuses on self-development and self-discovery. It is also about seeking opportunities that are personally meaningful and rewarding for you, based on your values, interests, and beliefs.
Topics may include goal setting, time management, academics, study habits, skills, and interests.
Strategies to enhance your vocational wellness:
- Gain a variety of experiences to expand your learning.
- Manage your time to maintain your wellness and life balance.
- Get to know what strategies work for you, and recognize where you need assistance.
- Access resources to enhance your academic goals such as Academic Advising or the Writing Centre.
- Volunteer in new experiences to narrow down what your interests are and what type of work you want to be doing.
- Try not to compare your path to others; everyone’s path is different.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your vocational wellness:
- Gain new experiences and skills by volunteering on campus.
- Attend academic-related skill-building workshops through the Teaching and Learning office.
- Learn wellness skills while enhancing your resume and Laurier Experience Record by completing one of Laurier's three wellness certificates.
- Take advantage of all the free services of the Career Centre including workshops, job preparation coaching, and career advising.
- Access skill-building workshops and support including study skills, math support, and writing development.
- Build your Laurier Experience Record with enriching co-curricular experiences.
- Reach your full academic potential despite a temporary or permanent disability through the Accessible Learning Centre.
Environmental wellness is how your environment positively affects your wellness. It includes incorporating nature in your life to feel a sense of peace and wellness.
Topics may include sustainable wellness, nature/forest therapy, and the impact of your surroundings on your wellness.
Strategies to enhance your environmental wellness:
- Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus whenever you can instead of driving a car.
- Eat locally produced food.
- Engage in healthy physical activity in nature when you can by walking in parks, going for hikes, studying outside, etc.
- Protect yourself from environmental hazards such as loud noise, pollution, second hand smoke, and ultraviolet radiation.
- Walk or run in a park or on nature trails instead of on a treadmill.
- Maintain a clean and organized living space.
Utilize the following campus resources to enhance your environmental wellness:
- Attend the Wellness 101 workshop, “Living Environmentally Well.”
- Educate yourself on sustainability by attending events from Laurier’s Sustainability Office.
- View the sustainable programs and services available on campus.
- View the alternative transportation options available on campus and in the community.