4 Week Wellness Challenge

Find the weekly newsletter from Wellness Education below!

Challenge #1 Spring Fever Vs. Productivity

Spring has sprung at Merrimack! Sunnier days and warmer weather not only give us a brighter outlook on life, but it also boosts your mood, increases happiness, and provides more opportunities for outdoor activities.

Now that it is beginning to warm up, it can be more challenging to stay focused on school work. However, you can use this to your advantage! Here are some tips for staying productive while still enjoying the beautiful new season:

1.Create Incentives- after completing your task (paper outline, discussion boards, etc.) reward yourself with a 15 minute break outside!
2. Let the sun in- Open your shades to bring natural light into your dorm. Use the sun to increase your energy.
3. Take your work outside- Utilize the outdoor spaces on campus to enjoy the sun while also getting work done!

Challenge #2 Defeat that Mid-Semester Slump

We are getting to that point in the semester where motivation is tanking and procrastination is at an all time high. How do we get that momentum back?
1.Get organized- Put assignments in a calendar. Set alarms or reminders to keep track of deadlines.
2. Practice mindfulness- Take a few minutes in your day to relax, reset, and breathe through a mindfulness exercise. This will aid with anxiety and stress.
3. Take time for yourself- Remember work/life balance? Taking breaks to go for a walk, listen to music, talk to a friend, etc will help you be more focused when it is time to sit down and do work.

Challenge #3 Let's Stress Less!

Research shows that approximately 71% of college students are dealing with higher rates of stress and anxiety due to the pandemic. Let’s try to change this! Here are some healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety. Do any of these resonate with you? What strategies work best for you?

Challenge #4 6 Dimension Odyssey

Now that you have learned about each of the 6 dimensions of wellness, try to set smart goals for each a dimension of wellness mini-activity per day.  Activity examples are below!

• Physical: Walk outside for at least 15 minutes.
• Social: Connect with at least 2 friends/relatives via zoom or facetime.
• Intellectual: Plan out next week's study/homework schedule.
• Occupational: Browse career paths that are of Interest to you and how to get to them.
• Emotional: Do a deep breathing exercise. 
• Spiritual: Self-reflect using the posts on our Wellness IG page (@mcwellnessed)

Challenge #5 Event Roundup

Check out the Dean's Desk and the Weekender for a huge listing of campus programs!

There are 6 major dimensions of Wellness:

• Physical
• Emotional
• Intellectual
• Social
• Spiritual
• Occupational

Some organizations and practitioners focus on fewer dimensions, and others may add additional dimensions to their definition.  You can see that in the examples of dimensional organization below. 

The Recovery Village, a substance use treatment organization, outlines the dimensions of wellness in an interlocking circle.

Writer and creator Martin Petkov categorizes the dimensions of wellness by their outcomes and whether they are internal or external.

Mind Body Wellness organizes the dimensions together like a chain.

Youth Era organizes the dimensions of wellness in an interlocking pattern, similar to honeycomb.

The University of Waterloo shared this depiction of the dimensions of wellness, that also includes cultural wellness.

This person shared how they used to think self-care meant bubble baths and "treat yo self," but has learned a lot over the past few years about practical self-care....including the 6 Dimensions of Wellness! She also writes about it here: Practical Self-Care & The 6 Dimensions of Wellness