Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual wellness is one of the seven dimensions of wellness. Essentially, intellectual wellness is focused on learning. Any activity that helps you explore the world around you, learn more about yourself, and or expands your mind in any way supports healthy intellectual wellness.

This dimension of wellness involves improving verbal skills and keeping abreast of social and political issues, and reading books. To make an action plan to improve your intellectual wellness, you should explore issues related to problem solving, creativity, identity, and learning. Identify your potential and strengths and you will find your life “mission”. Next, take a class outside you major or minor, these new opportunities may offer you different experiences and offer an outlet that are intellectually stimulating. Set and meet realistic goals academically, personally, and professionally. (Then spoil yourself when you meet those goals).

Read for fun! By choosing books for fun, you not only learn about a particular topic or interest, but you learn about how others express themselves. And lastly, develop the curiosity of a child. Children have a knack for being curious about everything around them. Try to regain this curiosity about the world. You will be amazed at how much you will learn.

People who love intellect wellbeing never stop learning and relish new experiences and changes in an effort to learn something new everyday and nurture their fullest intellect potential.

Written By Jennifer Cockerham, Wellness Peer Health Educator

Spiritual Wellness

Most of us grew up watching movies and TV sitcoms that always finished with a happy ending. Sure there were trials throughout the story but in the end everything magically just came together. Now being adults, we know this simply isn’t true. Life is hard! It’s full of highs, lows, success and disappointments. College is a special time in one's life where they’re free to think for themselves and explore the many questions they might have about life in general: What should I do with my life? Why is poverty so prevalent? Is there really a God? These are just some of the many questions we struggle to make sense of. But how do we that? There really isn’t a class on how to make the right decisions in life or how to be a decent human being. All this and more is encompassed in Spiritual Wellness.

When we are in tune with our spiritual selves, we can find meaning in life events, comfort when things aren’t going well, the beauty in life, the ability to be compassionate towards others, and individual purpose. Many factors play a part in defining spirituality: religious faith, beliefs, values, ethics, principles, and morals. Spirituality allows us to find the inner calm and peace needed to get through whatever life brings. No matter your faith or where you may be on your journey there are avenues to seek a greater understanding.

Spiritual Wellness involves connecting with the bigger picture as you search for meaning and purpose in your life. These concepts including non-judgment, discipline, conscientiousness, selflessness, and other actions that increase our own sense of inner peace as well as peace with the world around us. A Spiritual Wellness plan may involve prayer, meditation, affirmations, or specific spiritual practices that support your connection to a higher power or belief system.
In-tune to your personal growth, spiritual wellness enhances the connection between your mind, body and spirit.

Tips:
· Reflect on your religious beliefs: Whether or not you subscribe to any particular religious group, think about how you see and make sense of the world and events that happen
· Share your values, and count your blessings.
· Be forgiving and grateful
· Find inner serenity and tranquility. Different people have different ways of centering themselves in a calm place – meditation, prayer, recreation, gardening, exercise or solitude. Find what works for you and then make sure you find the time to pursue it.
Take the Spiritual Wellness quiz: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hrb/hw/spiritual/inventory.htm

Signs of Good Spiritual Wellness
· You have dreams/goals for your life
· You take time for spiritual growth and exploration
· You have developed a philosophy of life
· You care about what happens to your fellow men and women
· You take time to think about the meaning of events in your life
· You have a clear sense of right and wrong, and act accordingly
· You are comfortable with your level of involvement/non-involvement with a religious community
· You feel comfortable talking about spirituality
· You would be able to explain why you believe what you believe

Sacramento State has a number of religious clubs and organizations that can help students in their pursuit of Spiritual Wellness:
· https://webmail.saclink.csus.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=d3b52e08afc24cb0a60cafc623ed8022&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.csus.edu%2fstudentactivities%2fclubs_rel.htm
· http://www.csus.edu/studentactivities/clubs_soro.htm

Written By Nathan Bautista, Fit HELP Peer Health Educator

Occupational Wellness: Don't Let Your Profession Get the Best of You

College can be a pretty scary experience. But life after college can be an even more terrifying ordeal. Ever wonder what you’re going to do after you graduate? How will your degree earn you a high paying salary? Will you be paid enough? Will you be happy at your profession?
These questions and more are part of Occupational Wellness which is one of the seven dimensions of wellness. Occupational wellness involves preparing and making use of your skills and talents while working. Although finding a well paid career is stressful, finding a career that you enjoy and thoroughly love is even more rewarding.

In order to find the right job, many job seekers should ask themselves these questions:

· Am I Exploring Career Options? The career may pay well now, but is there room for advancement? Can you move up the hierarchy of the company or will you be stuck in one position?

· Is this a vision of my future? The career you prospectively research may be the one you remain in through retirement. Make sure you can see long term goals in the future i.e. marriage, children, etc.
· Will you be happy in this profession? This is the biggest question of all. Many employees hate their job, yet they are still stuck in their profession. Make sure you enjoy and appreciate the tasks you accomplish before you make the commitment.

There are also some warning signs that predict that your occupational wellness is in trouble. They are:
· Your job requirements go against your personal values
· Your job leaves you feeling bored, restless, and unproductive at the end of the day

· Your job makes heavy demands on you, affecting both your physical, psychological, emotional and mental wellness

If you are unsure of your future career plans and you are looking for help, there are many resources on campus that can help you find the right path. The Career Center located in Lassen Hall offers career services to students. Their hours are Monday/Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm, Tuesday/Wednesday 8:00-6:00pm, and Fridays 9:00-5:00pm. They also conduct walk in appointments, and have personal counselors. The counselors provide information on career development, resume development, mock interviews, and useful information towards your major and profession. The career center also has Career Fairs each semester, where students can meet with the employers where they can look for full time jobs, part time jobs, or internships.

If you are still unsure about your major, Academic Advising can help direct and counsel you to find the right career. They are located in Lassen Hall, and their hours are the same as for the Career Center. The combination of these useful services will help foster a bright and optimistic future for Sacramento State Students.

After college, pick the right job for the right you. Make sure it is something you enjoy, something you can see advancement in, and something you won’t mind doing for a long time. Don’t forget to smell the roses too.

Written by Kevin Pham, Fit HELP Peer Health Educator

The Ins and Outs of Physical Wellness

While not necessarily the most important, physical wellness is quite possibly the most recognized dimension of overall health and wellness. Encompassed in this broad category of physical wellness are two areas especially important to college students: physical activity and nutrition. Both have a direct impact on aspects of college life such as stress level, relationships, academics, and the specific health of your body, to name a few.


So by now I’m sure you have all heard at least one recommendation for the amount of exercise required by individuals looking to keep ‘healthy’, and if not, crawl out from under that rock you’ve been living! The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommends that the average healthy adult exercise for 30 minutes 5 times a week to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. It is always advised to see a professional before starting any new diet or exercise plan.

The life of a college student is both demanding and active and thus it is often hard to find time to fit in daily exercise. The following include some tips to be sure to get that physical activity into your day:

• Break up the 30 minutes into short bursts. Research has shown that exercising in three 10 minute stretches is just as effective as exercising for 30 minutes straight.
• Plan your schedule. Set aside specific days and times for your exercise to make it a regular part of your schedule.
• Think outside the box! Exercise does not mean only running, biking or swimming. Any activity that requires you to break a sweat and gets your heart rate up can be counted towards your thirty minutes! So when you scrub those floors, rake those leaves, or wash that car—you’re getting exercise and don’t even realize it!
• You don’t need a gym membership. Cardio can be achieved by running on the street or doing jumping jacks. If strength training is what you are after, there are endless muscle groups to be worked with a pair of dumbbells or even your own body weight.
• Find a workout buddy. Ask a family member or friend to spend some time exercising with you to add motivation and fun.
• Mix it up. Vigorous activity does not need to be performed everyday. Varying the intensity level of your workouts can make workouts more interesting. Take a brisk walk one day, and run at a higher intensity another day.

Exercising does not need to be a chore to dread doing everyday. Exercising can be fun and even helps to reduce stress!

Nutrition is an area that causes a lot of confusion among people everyday. However, it does not need to be scary or difficult to shuffle through all the information out there. There are many resources available and professionals who serve as intermediates to decipher between what is and what is not accurate. A great website for nutrition information is http://www.mypyramid.gov/. You can plan meals, get individualized guidelines, and learn about healthy eating tips. If you were ever curious about how your diet measures up to guidelines, the Student Health Center on the Sac State campus is a great place to come for students. There is a plethora of accessible information and educational material as well as diet analysis. On staff at the Student Health Center is Shauna Shultz who is a registered dietitian and is available by appointment.

The majority of college students’ diets are lacking in two key areas: fruits and vegetables. The tip of the day from MyPyramid today is “Buy vegetables that are easy to prepare. Pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens, baby carrots or celery sticks.” Fruits can be added to yogurt or on top of cereal to increase your daily consumption. Self contained fruits such as bananas and apples make great take-along-to-class snacks. Many more tips, ideas and recipes are waiting for you at the Student Health Center!

Physical wellness needs not be an area of your life to shy away from especially since there are so many wonderful resources for the taking! Both nutrition and exercise can be fun and fulfilling all the while keeping you healthy!

Written by Aidan Gilmore, Wellness Peer Health Educator

1st Annual Sac State 5k Fun Run

The Sac State 5k Fun Run will take place on Thursday April 16th, 2009 at 6:30pm starting at Serna Plaza (in front of the book store). This race will be for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to stride it out on Sacramento State's beautiful campus. The course consists of five kilometers (3.1 miles) of the campus grounds highlighting new structures such as the The WELL, Broad Athletic facility, new student housing project, Hornet Bookstore, and more. This event will be FREE for students, faculty and staff. There will be a $20 fee for Sacramento State Alumni which you can pay at Fit HELP office in the University Union or on race day at the registration table.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Individual Registration: There will be both pre-registration and day of registration, but only pre-registrants will be assured a t-shirt. Day of registrants will receive t-shirts while supplies last.

Team Registration: Teams consist of four individuals that must be from the same department/major/club and their times will be tallied together to compete as a team. Each individual on the team can still win individually. If you are registering as a team please fill out the registration form and add your group name and the names of all three individuals in your team. Make sure you don't forget to fill in your department, major, or club name. Each individual from the team must register independently!
Registration Form: http://webapps1.csus.edu/hlth/5k/registration.html

NOT RUNNING? COME ANYWAYS!
The event will consist of a 5K race, but for those who would perfer not to run, come out and
cheer on your friends. There will be three local bands performing after the race and is FREE for all to come and enjoy. Come by and take a look at the different booths that will be set up and information on The Well. The event will be DJ'd by KSSU radio.

UNIQUE will be hosting live entertainment at 7:00 pm by: LOQUAT (indie rock), THE BOTTICELLI’S (surf pop), and JUSTIN FARREN (acoustic rock).

For complete race information: http://webapps1.csus.edu/hlth/5k/5K.html

Written by Nathan Bautista, Fit HELP Peer Health Educator

Social Wellness

Are you involved in any clubs or organizations on campus? Have you had the chance to go out with friends to a movie lately? Although these activities may seem insignificant, they are actually an important part of your overall health. Being socially active is part of a person’s overall wellness that leads to balanced health. Wellness is a multidimensional process that encompasses seven different and focuses on the process and quality of life. The dimensions of wellness (social, occupational, environmental, spiritual, physical, intellectual and emotional) impact a person’s well-being and play a role in maintaining optimal health. The social component of wellness focuses on having the ability to successfully interact with people and the environment around you. Social wellness encompasses the ability to develop and maintain relationships with others and having respect and tolerance for those with different beliefs.

An important aspect of social wellness is your interactions with other people. Are you having trouble making and keeping friends? Do you find it difficult to communicate with your spouse, coworkers or family? While you may think that isolating yourself from friends is not a problem, it can actually affect your health. Social wellness entails being comfortable around other people and allowing others to care for you. The idea of being “social” has to do with being able to listen and communicate with other people. Balancing your social life will allow you to form friendships and build personal relationships with other people. Without actively attempting to maintain a healthy social life, it can be hard to develop and sustain relationships with people.

How do you know if you have a healthy social life? Here are a few signs that you have a strong social life:
· You can develop new friendships and adjust when moving to a new place
· You are able to go to a place alone without knowing anyone
· You are involved in the community, your school or workplace
· You can interact in a group setting
· You value diversity and treat others with respect
· You have consistent values, beliefs and concerns
· You have the ability to say “no” to people

So why is social wellness so important for maintaining health? It has been found that those who are socially isolated are more susceptible to illness and have a death rate 2-3 times greater than those who are socially healthy. Those who maintain their social life tend to do better and handle stressful situations better than those who are have an uncomfortable social life. Having close relationships and a strong social network can enhance a person’s self esteem and mood.

What can you do to improve your social wellness? Playing an active role in your community, school or workplace can help you to enhance your social wellness. Here are a few things you can do to increase your social wellness:
· Call and speak with supportive people in your life
· Know your personal needs and your social needs
· Learn how to say “no”
· Go out to dinner or see a movie with a group of friends
· Hold a weekly game night at your house
· Get involved in your school by joining clubs or sports teams
· Attend concerts, comedy events, workshops and fairs on your campus
· Go bowling with your room-mates
· Visit your neighbors and friends

There are also clubs and organizations on Sacramento State’s campus that you can join to increase your social network. Here are a few social networks on campus:
· Hornets on the Move - http://webapps1.csus.edu/hlth/HTOM.html
· PEAK Adventures - http://www.peakadventures.org/
· Student Activities (student clubs) - http://www.csus.edu/studentactivities/clubs.htm

· Recreational Sports -http://www.csusrecsports.org/

· Fraternities/Sororities - http://www.csus.edu/org/greek/
· Multicultural Center - http://www.csus.edu/mcc/

For more information:
Anspaugh, David J., Hamrick, Michael H., and Rosato, Frank D. Wellness Concepts and Applications. 6th ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2006.

Written by Marie Staudy, Wellness Peer Health Educator

Environmental Wellness

We may not think much about Environmental Wellness as part of wellness, but our environment and how we feel about it can have a huge impact on the way we feel overall. Environmental Wellness affects other aspects of health. It’s hard to feel good when your space is messy or disorganized. Caring for our homes and other personal environments also helps us maintain a sense of personal care. It reminds us that we love ourselves.

Environmental well-being includes trying living in harmony with the Earth by understanding the impact of your interaction with nature and your personal environment, and taking action to protect the world around you. Protecting yourself from environmental hazards and minimizing the negative impact of your behavior on the environment are also central elements. The environmentally well person recognizes that there are limits to controlling the environment and seeks a relationship where both can grow, function, and thrive.

Achieving Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness involves a number of different aspects of personal and societal responsibilities, including:

• Being aware of the earth's natural resources and their respective limits
• Living a life accountable to environmental needs, both in the present and in the long-term
• Realizing the effects of your daily habits on the world around you

An environmentally well person will also recognize the need to keep a healthy personal environment. A healthy personal environment includes:

• Keeping the company of healthy people
• An enjoyment of available recreational opportunities
• Engaging in environmentally responsible activities
• Maximizing personal harmony with the earth, while minimizing harm to it

25 Easy ways you can do your part to help the earth:

You can choose not to support industrial agriculture and factory farming.

You can support sustainable farming by buying organic produce, free-range eggs and chicken and pasture-fed meats and dairy.

You can buy local whenever possible so less fossil fuels are used to transport our food and goods.

You can choose products with as little packaging as possible.

You can bring our own bags when you shop.

You can walk, bike or use rapid transit rather than drive whenever possible.

You can make sure our tires are properly inflated - under-inflated tires waste gas.

You can turn off the car rather than idle it.

You can check the air filter on the car monthly and replace it when necessary.

You can turn out the lights when leaving the room.

You can caulk and weather-strip the doors and windows, and ensure the walls and ceilings are insulated.

You can turn down the thermostat.

You can exchange the light bulbs for energy-efficient ones.

You can unplug electronics and battery chargers when not in use.

You can choose energy-efficient home appliances.

You can run the dishwasher only when it is full.

You can keep your shower time short.

You can install a low-flow showerhead and toilet.

You can use cold or warm rather than hot water to wash our clothing.

You can use a clothesline to dry our clothes instead of a dryer.

You can donate old clothing rather than throwing them out.

You can use 100% recycled paper, and not print a copy of everything.

You can reduce, re-use and recycle, and compost our food waste.

You can plant a tree. Or two. Or a hundred!!

You can encourage our friends and family to do the above as well!

For more information and campus resources:

Environmental Students Organization - http://www.csus.edu/org/eso/recycling.htm%20Environmental

Enviromental Studies Department - http://www.csus.edu/envs/

Written by Christie Albertson, Fit HELP Peer Health Educator