8 Dimensions of Wellness
Physical
Physical wellness is about what you put into your body, and how much activity you get. Both are important for keeping your body working properly. Good physical wellness can decrease stress and increase energy.
To promote good physical wellness on campus, you can visit the New Balance Recreation Center or MaineBound, or schedule appointments at Northern Light Primary Care on campus when you’re sick. For physical accessibility on campus, Student Accessibility Services is able to provide supportive accommodation.
Social
Social wellness refers to the relationships we have and how we interact with others. Relationships can offer support during difficult times. Social wellness involves building nurturing and supportive relationships, and fostering genuine connections with those around you.
The Center for Student Involvement hosts events on campus that you can attend with friends or to meet new people at. The Bodwell Center provides opportunities for volunteering and becoming involved around campus. The Office of Community and Connections can connect you with others who have shared experiences, and hosts events that can teach you about the world around you Title IX services promotes healthy romantic/sexual relationships.
Emotional
Emotional wellness refers to an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of your emotions, and your ability to manage effectively through challenges and change.
Mental health can take a hard hit at college, but the Counseling Center, the Student Wellness Resource Center, and Student Accessibility Services can help you create an environment where your mental health can survive and improve.
Financial
Financial wellness is effectively managing your economic life. This includes budgeting, having emergency savings, making good financial decisions, and having a plan for the future.
Here on campus, the Financial Aid Office and University Credit Union (UCU) are great tools to aid in establishing good financial wellness.
Intellectual
Intellectual wellness means striving toward good mental health, continued intellectual growth, and creativity in life. This can include continued learning, practicing problem solving, improving verbal skills, keeping abreast of social and political issues, and reading books, magazines, and newspapers. These things are especially important in college.
The best resource on campus for your intellectual wellness are your advisors and professors, but taking a leadership role is a great way to improve intellectual wellness as well.
Spiritual
Spiritual wellness is being connected to something greater than yourself and having a set of values, principles, morals, and beliefs that provide a sense of purpose and meaning to life, then using those principles to guide your actions. This doesn’t mean you have to be religious.
The best place to learn and practice spiritual wellness is the Wilson Center, the giant A-Frame building on campus. The Wilson Center is completely interfaith, and provides tools for people of any religion or lack thereof.
Occupational
Occupational wellness is the ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure in a way that promotes health, a sense of personal satisfaction, and is (for many people) financially rewarding. College is the time to start finding this balance, before you enter the workforce.
Visit the Career Center for resume building, information for job opportunities/networking, and time management strategies in the workplace.
Environmental
Environmental wellness is having good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being. It promotes interaction with nature and also creating an enjoyable personal environment.
Green Campus Initiative can teach you how to best interact with the environment around you, as well as conservation tactics and sustainable activities to keep the world around us healthy and beautiful.