Health Promotion
Well-being
What is Well-Being?
Well-being is the on-going process of reflecting on and engaging with your values and actions to help you thrive now and into the future.
Well-being consists of a self-defined and holistic range of dimensions that are interconnected. Understanding our well-being helps us to navigate the peaks and valleys that are a natural part of life. We have defined 8 dimensions of well-being; check them out below:
8 Dimensions of Well-Being:
Emotional- Identifying, expressing, and managing your entire range of emotions, experiences, and vulnerabilities.
Intellectual- Seeking to expand knowledge, skills, and creative abilities for the sake of learning.
Physical- Pursuing regular movement, a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, and practicing consistent preventative behaviors.
Social- Establishing a sense of connection and belonging to others and your community through positive interpersonal interactions.
Career- Engaging in work that is meaningful, enjoyable, and aligns with personal values.
Environmental- Living in and contributing to a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment.
Spiritual- Understanding your core values, how you make meaning of what happens to you, and what provides you with comfort and relief.
Financial- Developing a relationship with money and skills for managing resources.
Tips and Campus Resources
Emotional Well-being
Emotional Well-being encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and the ability to experience and cope with feelings independently and interpersonally. Emotional well-being includes practicing self-care, fostering inner resources and resiliency, finding unique ways of coping with stressors, creating satisfying relationships and setting boundaries, empathizing with others, being realistic about expectations and time, and knowing when to ask for help.
How can I work on Emotional Well-being?
- Take time for yourself. Be sure to set aside time for activities that help you relax and relieve stress. Looking for a podcast or app recommendation for mental health? Check out this link.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help! Call or visit the Health & Counseling Center (HCC) to schedule a confidential counseling appointment. You can also call the HCC after hours to speak with a counselor on call.
- Learn more about stress and check out some tips for managing it here.
- Need resources for yourself or a friend, but unsure of where to start? Submit a Student Outreach & Support (SOS) Referral to get connected.
Campus Resources
Intellectual Well-being
Intellectual well-being encourages participating in mentally stimulating and creative activities. Intellectual well-being is not limited to the classroom. It is the ability to think critically, reason objectively, and explore new ideas and different points of view. Intellectual well-being emphasizes lifelong learning and inspires curiosity.
How can I work on Intellectual Well-being?
- Visit Academic Advising to schedule an appointment with an advisor or academic coach for support in navigating classes, gaining new study skills, and planning your time here.
- Take advantage of resources at Anderson Academic Commons such as the Research or Writing Centers.
- Visit the Innovation Labs to take a woodworking workshop or learn to use the 3D printers.
- Learn about offerings out of the Newman Center and see a show.
- Go to office hours or ask a professor to coffee to talk about their path and interests.
Campus Resources
- Academic Advising
- Anderson Academic Commons
- Research Center
- Writing Center
- Center for World Languages & Cultures
- Digital Media Center
- Video Creation Studio
- Science and Engineering Center
- Math Center
- Innovation Labs
- First Year Seminar
- Disability Services Program
- Learning Effectiveness Program
- Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL)
Physical Well-being
Physical well-being is not just the absence of illness, but about maintaining a lifestyle that supports your health and ability to thrive. This includes adopting habits such as routine medical exams, immunizations, sexually transmitted infection (STI) screenings, getting adequate sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, committing to regular movement or activity, and more. Physical well-being is also about minimizing risky behaviors. Physical well-being is about discovering what habits make you feel better and suit your lifestyle.
How can I work on Physical Well-being?
- Incorporate regular movement or physical activity into your daily routine. Go for a walk, ride your bike, or check out what offerings at the Coors Fitness Center.
- Make food choices that are balanced and make you feel well. Connect with Sodexo Dining Services to see what options they have and what support they can provide.
- Feeling sick or need a flu shot? Visit the Health & Counseling Center for a wide range of medical and counseling services.
- Take charge of your sexual health by using protection, having open communication with your partner(s), getting tested for STIs, and getting routine physical exams. Get free safer sex supplies through our Pleasure Pack Delivery Service.
Campus Resources
Social Well-being
Social Well-being focuses on connecting with your community and the people around you. This includes being aware of your own social and cultural background as a bridge to understand diversity and depth present in other backgrounds. This dimension encourages taking an active part in improving your communities, connecting with others, establishing supportive social networks, developing meaningful relationships, and creating inclusive and anti-oppressive spaces.
How can I work on Social Well-being?
- Get involved! Consider joining a student organization or club sports.
- Take advantage of campus opportunities through Undergraduate Student Government, DU Programming Board, or the Newman Center.
- Explore off-campus and the larger Denver community through the Explore Denver program.
- Learn more about student groups and offerings from the Cultural Center.
- Attend a workshop on identity or take part in our dialogue program through Inclusion & Equity Education.
Campus Resources
- Student Engagement
- Religious & Spiritual Life
- The Cultural Center
- DU Pride Portal
- Inclusion & Equity Education
- Veterans Services
- Collegiate Recovery Community
- Housing & Residential Education
- Newman Center for the Performing Arts
- DU Programming Board
- Undergraduate Student Government
- Learning Effectiveness Program
- Explore Denver
- DU After Dark
- Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL)
Career Well-being
Career Well-being involves preparing for and participating in work that provides personal satisfaction and life enrichment that is consistent with your values, goals, and lifestyle. This dimension includes taking a thoughtful and proactive approach to career planning and assessing personal satisfaction and performance in one's work.
How can I work on Career Well-being?
- Visit Career & Professional Development for help with resumes, references, cover letters, mock interviews, and more!
- Gain the skills to be "career ready" for any job by volunteering or joining a student organization.
- For job and internship opportunities, visit Pioneer Careers .
- Monitor Career & Professional Development events for networking and job fair opportunities.
Campus Resources
- Career & Professional Development
- Pre-Health Advising
- Daniels Career Services
- Sturm College of Law Office of Career Development
- Career Closet: To learn more, watch this video.
- Reminder: It is important to maintain self-care in the job and internship process.
Environmental Well-being
Environmental well-being inspires us to live a lifestyle that is respectful of our surroundings. It involves understanding the dynamic relationship between the environment and people and recognizing that we are responsible for the quality of the air, water, and earth that surrounds us and in turn, that social, natural, and built environments affect our health and well-being.
Our environment and the way we feel about the environment can play a big role in how we live our lives. Examples of our environment include out social environment (i.e. bullying, fat talk, and racism), out natural environment (i.e. air, nature, and climate), and our built environment (i.e. proximity to resources and living conditions).
How can I work on Environmental Well-being?
- Join an environmental student organization.
- Get involved with the Center for Sustainability!
- Donate any unwanted usable items for the Sustainability Sale during finals week. They will be accepting houseware items, shoes, clothing, etc.
- Check out some sustainability tips here.
- Explore outdoor spaces on campus and in the surrounding DU community.
Campus Resources
Spiritual Well-being
Spiritual well-being involves seeking and having a meaning and purpose in life, as well as participating in activities that are consistent with one's beliefs and values. It is more than prayer and believing in a higher being. A spiritually well person seeks harmony with the universe, expresses compassion towards others, and practices gratitude and self-reflection. When we integrate practices of spiritual well-being we are able to connect in mind, body, and soul.
How can I work on Spiritual Well-being?
- Check out the Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL) to find opportunities to make meaning out of your time at DU and put your values into action.
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Did know that the University of Denver campus is an arboretum? Walk the Chester M Alter Arboretum to reflect, meditate, reduce stress, and find inner peace.
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Another option is joining a faith-based community at DU. Check out this list of Campus faith communities.
- Check out the Interfaith Calendar to be able to schedule events and meetings where everyone can attend!
Campus Resources
Financial Well-being
Financial Well-being includes our relationship with money, skills to manage resources to live within our means, making informed financial decisions and investments, setting realistic goals, and learning to prepare for short-term and long-term needs or emergencies. Part of this dimension includes an awareness that everyone's financial values, needs, and circumstances are unique.
How can I work on Financial Well-being?
- Check out CashCourse, a FREE, web-based, self-directed financial literacy program that provides students with financial information, tips, and skills necessary to be financially successful.
- Check out the Student Employment website to find on and off campus job opportunities.
- Check out the Office of Financial Aid's Budgeting & Saving tips.
- Learn about the Student Assistance Fund.
Campus Resources
Well-Being Tool
Interested in taking a closer look at your individual well-being? Use this Well-Being tool to receive individual feedback and develop personal goals around your well-being.