By Kate Leo
Wellness in all aspects is encouraged and considered essential in our generation. People constantly emphasize the importance of eating healthy, working out, meeting new people, finding passions, etc. I would roll my eyes whenever my parents talked to me about the importance of not only staying on top of things academically but staying on top of my mental health. Over the course of my freshman year, I started to realize the importance of taking care of myself to not get stressed out or stir crazy sitting in the dorm. I would take walks with my friends, go to a workout class, or sit in a coffee shop and read. It wasn’t until this year while working on a project with Campus Health that I stumbled on the abundance of wellness resources that Campus Health offers and promotes.
Campus Health identifies eight dimensions of wellness: career, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual. Each tab includes an explanation of each dimension and the resources that UNC offers to combat problems in that area. The resource tab is what interests me the most because a lot of them I didn’t know existed. I will briefly discuss these areas and the resources offered.
I will start out with emotional wellness where Campus Health promotes their counseling and psychological services (CAPS), group therapy, anxiety and stress management training sessions, and meditation resources where they guide you through practices of meditation. They emphasize the importance of recognizing signs of distress, seeking help, and sticking to plan. The website has plenty of resources to develop a plan of action. Another dimension is environmental. The tab talks about students’ social, residential, and natural environment, all of which play a huge role in the way we view the world around us. It’s important to feel safe and happy in your space. Resources that are offered include the town outdoor recreation, campus outdoor recreation, and campus recycling. The third dimension discussed is financial. While some students may be more focused on this aspect than others, it nevertheless is arguably the most important. It is never too early to think about saving for retirement, and it is essential to start understanding how the “real world” works. UNC offers a free course to all students, CashCourse, where they introduce how to make informed financial decisions.
The next dimension, intellectual, emphasizes the importance of a mindset that is growing and recognizing long term goals. Resources like academic advising, career services, and peer tutoring are available. Although this is not mentioned, I argue that professors are also a key resource. The next dimension is physical. You can’t be your best self when sick, so it is important to maintain an active lifestyle and have regularly scheduled appointments. There are many resources for this aspect including campus health, student recreation, and alcohol and drug specialists. The sixth dimension is social. At such a large university, finding a niche can be hard. Understanding yourself and coming to understand the value of diversity is crucial in finding your group and appreciating others. UNC offers relationship wellness services, hundreds of student organizations, an LGBTQ center, and community involvement. The final dimension is spiritual. Spirituality can be about religion, but it definitely does not have to be. Spirituality focuses on discovering your beliefs, values, and sense of self. The website offers resources such as spiritual, philosophical, nature and religious groups. Campus Health also suggests the Morehead Planetarium Center as an introspective outlet and way to expand your mind.
Below is the link where you can read more about each dimension and in-depth discussion on the resources offered:
https://studentwellness.unc.edu/about-us/dimensions-wellness
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