Module 4: Wellness is challenging

Wellness takes attention and effort!

We all want to be happy. Being happy can also be thought of as being well.

We may not know how to be happy or how to take the steps we need to be healthy and well.

Wellness takes attention and effort!

Being well means paying attention to what we need and ensuring that we take care of all aspects of ourselves. For you, as a student, this can be a challenge. Transitioning to a less structured learning environment (elementary and high school was very structured with adults monitoring your progress) can put pressure on skills like time management, work management, and stress management that you are only starting to develop.

College students often struggle with balancing college, a job, family responsibilities, and social needs. Many students report having issues with keeping themselves on track, managing their emotions and moods, avoiding distractions, and taking care of physical needs like healthy eating, exercise, and sleep. This is true for both students who excelled in high school and those that did not.

A lot of this struggle comes from carrying adult responsibilities, possibly for the first time, without making sure you are using the support available to you. 

As an adult, you are responsible for your well-being in all areas including:

·     Physical

·     Mental & Intellectual

·     Emotional

·     Social

And I’ll add academic, as you are a student. Academic wellness is the dimension related to working with faculty and other students to learn, progressing in your studies and understanding of topics, building skills, and being responsible and diligent in your work.

It is hard though, to balance these needs with the need to progress and build your adult life. As an adult, you’ll face pressure to support yourself, make decisions for yourself and others, and to develop new skills. It requires you to learn and use new ways of managing yourself, your energy, and your time. It’s tough work!

So if it's so difficult, how do we change how we manage ourselves? Let’s take a look at that- because you will live in your body and mind for a lifetime, and deserve to take care of yourself.

Outcomes

By the end of this module you will:

·     Consider 4 aspects of wellness and how they affect your overall wellness and success

·     Determine how you manage stress and anxiety and set goals for how you’d like to handle these

·     Examine these aspects and identify change you’d like to make

·     Determine what you need to do to maintain or improve your academic health

·     Identify resources on campus that you can reach out to for support in all wellness areas