Overall Wellbeing Tips

What does it mean to be “well”? There is not a single or one-size fits all answer to this question. Being well is defined differently for each individual. However, in the Counseling and Wellness office we prefer to look at the entire being and recognize that several dimensions of wellness including, mental, physical, social, financial, environmental and emotional can all have a direct impact on our wellness. Consider the following tips for your student to help maintain overall wellness:

Sleep: college students typically do not get enough sleep. New environments like residence halls can be challenging to find structure and good sleep habits. Encourage your student to create a sleep schedule or routine if they do not already have one. Sleep should be treated as a priority and not a luxury.

Exercise: moving your body every day and help with so many things. Encourage your student to include physical activity everyday: walk to class, bike to class, go to the gym, walk with a friend, listen to an audio book and walk outside, etc. We can all include a bit more physical activity into our daily lives.

Social: making connections and building new relationships is essential to your student’s college experience and overall wellbeing. There are dozens of clubs and orgs on campus to get involved in and make new friendships.

Finances: learning how to manage your own money does not come easy for every college student. Having a healthy relationship with money, budgeting and spending appropriately is essential. We have resources on campus to help!

Environment: creating a personal space that allows for learning, working and playing. Encourage your student to make sure their bedroom/home space allows for them to study, relax and be productive. Eliminating distractions and clutter while also keeping their body fueled with the right food choices is important when considering overall wellness created by their environment.

 Creating wellbeing goals takes work, practice and repetition. Being in a new setting such as college can shake up a lot of routine your student had back home. Encourage them to consider all these areas when improving or maintaining their wellbeing. Wellbeing coaching is also a free resource your student has access to and can meet one-on-one with a wellbeing coach to help improve these areas. If your student may need additional support our counseling staff has individual appointments for mental health counseling services.

Counseling & Wellness Services
509.359.2366
cws@ewu.edu
Counseling Office: 225 Martin Hall
Wellness Office: 201 URC