Office of Prevention and Well-being Education

About the Office of Prevention and Well-being Education

The Office of Prevention and Well-being Education is dedicated to fostering a healthy and safe campus environment by offering programming, education and resources aimed at preventing harm and promoting well-being. The office recognizes that in order to be successful and thriving the whole person and all of their circumstances must be taken into account. When harm impacts one member of our campus community, it impacts all of us. As such, prevention and well-being initiatives require a response from our entire community. We all must work together to ensure that our campus is a place where all members can be successful. The Office of Prevention and Well-being Education provides programming on a wide range of topics including interpersonal violence, healthy relationships, consent and boundaries, alcohol and other drugs, hazing and Green Dot, our bystander intervention program.

Recognizing that well-being is multi-faceted, the Office of Prevention and Well-being Education coordinates and implements programming and initiatives using the 10 Dimensions of Wellness. Wellness is primarily being in good physical and mental health. Because mental health and physical health are so closely linked, problems in one area can impact the other. At the same time, improving your physical health can also benefit your mental health and other life domains, and vice versa. It is important to be aware that wellness is an intentional, ongoing and holistic approach to making healthy choices. These dimensions are:

Cultural Wellness

Cultural wellness is about being able to explore your own culture and belong to a cultural group. It is also about recognizing, celebrating, and learning about other cultures. When we understand our culture and the culture of others, we can create a more inclusive environment that betters everyone.
Ways to build cultural wellness:
- Connect with people from your culture and people from other cultures.
- Study abroad.
- Join a culturally based student organization.

Digital Wellness

Digital wellness is setting healthy and appropriate boundaries and limits around technology and screen time. The digitally well person considers their virtual presence.
Ways to build digital wellness:
- Set screen time limits.
- Track how often you are using social media and how it affects your well-being.
- Practice digital privacy.

Emotional Wellness

Emotional wellness is being able to handle the stresses of life and adapt to changes or difficult situations. Emotional wellness isn’t about being positive or negative but rather about having a variety of ways to handle your emotions.
Ways to build emotional wellness:
- Practice self-care.
- Develop a resiliency toolkit.
- Learn and use coping mechanisms.

Environmental Wellness

Environmental wellness involves living in harmony with the physical and social environments that surround you. It is noticing and understanding how our surroundings impact our thoughts and feelings and how our actions impact our surroundings.
Ways to build environmental wellness:
- Conserve energy (turn off lights in the room when not using).
- Create home environments that are supportive and nurturing.
- Spend time outside in nature.

Financial Wellness

Financial wellness is managing current and future financial needs while feeling secure. It includes things like understanding how to manage a budget, credit card, and loans.
Ways to build financial wellness:
- Create and stick to a budget.
- Access resources, such as the Lynx Pantry.

Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual knowledge is engaging in creative and mentally stimulating activities, learning, and skill building around expanding and sharing knowledge with others. Not feeling intellectually stimulated can affect the production of chemicals in the brain that can cause us to feel happiness and excitement to engage in learning. Intellectual wellness is about learning and expanding our knowledge and skills.
Ways to build intellectual wellness:
- Pursue hobbies.
- Learn about things you don’t usually learn about.
- Do something creative.

Occupational Wellness

Occupational wellness is recognizing and accessing personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work. It is about finding joy, meaning, and satisfaction in your job while being able to balance work and life outside of work. It recognizes that everyone has unique skills and experiences that can be shared for the benefit of all.
Ways to build occupational wellness:
- Determine what values are important to you and how you can relate that to your career path.
- Schedule an appointment with Career Services.
- Utilize Handshake to find jobs now.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness promotes proper care of our bodies for optimal health and functioning. Overall physical wellness encourages the balance of physical activity, nutrition and mental well-being to keep your body in top condition.
Ways to build physical wellness:
- Engage in physical activity, such as taking a walk on the Rhodes Walking Trail.
- Use stairs instead of the elevator.
- Learn to recognize warning signs when your body begins feeling ill.
- Eat a variety of healthy foods and control your meal portions.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

Spiritual Wellness

Spiritual wellness means having a sense of meaning and purpose in life. It may or may not include a religious aspect. Spiritual wellness is about determining your core values, recognizing the values of others, and acting in a way that aligns with your values.
Ways to build spiritual wellness:
- Check out the Office of the Chaplain.
- Practice mindfulness.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Jennifer Leili
wellbeing@rhodes.edu
Burrow Hall, Room 102
901 843-3124

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