The Role of Wellness

Most people hold wellness as an ideal, but in order to truly achieve a state of optimal wellness or well-being, one must first understand how it is defined. Although there is no universally accepted definition of wellness, below are a few common definitions that point to the ideal of wellness.

“Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being”

“We view wellness as much more than just a state of physical health. It also encompasses emotional stability, clear thinking, the ability to love, create, embrace change, exercise intuition and experience a continuing sense of spirituality.”

As you can see, people may have their own intuitive understandings of wellness, so it is important for you to help your college student figure out his or her own definition. In this section of the guide, you will find simple strategies and useful resources that will help you become a better support system for your college student during his or her journey of outlining what wellness means to him or her. As you read through this guide, it is important to ask yourself the following questions: 1) What can you as a parent or supportive family member do to contribute to your own wellness as well as that of your college student?, and 2) What tools do you and your student already have to promote wellness and which tools could you work on cultivating?

Wellness Strategies for Family Members

Be a role model for wellness. It is important to remember that it can be difficult to get your college student to maintain wellness if you are not maintaining it as well.  Start with making sure you are living a well and balanced life physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and spiritually.  Once you have done this, it will be easier to have meaningful conversations with your student on this topic.

  • Ask your student about his/her sleep patterns. Sleep, especially during college, is very underrated and is not a topic discussed enough with college students. A lack of sleep can cause many health and/or academic issues for college students and it is important that college students get an adequate amount of sleep to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle.
  • Talk with your student about alcohol and drugs.  Regardless of whether or not they have been exposed to these before college, it is something that they will inevitably encounter during their college experiences.  The adult figures in a college student’s life play a role in shaping the attitudes and behaviors he/she develops about these substances.
  • Encourage your student to become knowledgeable of the resources and programs on campus that promote health and wellness.  Explore the school website together so that you can also be aware of these resources.

Wellness Resources

  • RNCentral.com provides an article that offers tips for college students in order to maintain health and wellness during their educational experiences. The subject areas include diet, exercise, sleep, sexual health, illness, stress, mental health, study abroad, and other miscellaneous topics. This is also a great resource for family members to be aware of, because it covers the essential factors that can affect a college student’s well being.
  • Meditation Instruction: mind-body techniques for increasing health and wellness:

Three Major Factors that Contribute to Wellness

Healthy Eating

Many college students are away from home for the first time, and they have the freedom to eat what they want and abandon the healthier eating habits they may have had at home.  They may also find themselves pressed for time and often resort to eating on the run and choosing less healthy options. It is important for family members to convey the need for proper eating habits during their student’s college experiences, as well as being knowledgeable of strategies in order to help their student maintain a healthy eating lifestyle.

Tips for supporting your student:

  • Remind your student to never skip breakfast. Eating breakfast will give students energy and substance to take on their day. Suggest they keep healthy on-the-go options in their in-room mini refrigerator if the school allows it.
  • Educate your student on proper portion sizes and the importance of eating balanced meals.  Even if at times they do not follow this, it is helpful for them to know because they are likely to be more mindful when they eat their next meal.
  • Engage in a discussion on a reasonable food plan that your student feels he/she can stick to while at college.   Be sure to discuss fast food options and how often your student may need to utilize this option because of his/her school schedule.  What is a reasonable amount per week that you both agree upon?
  • Research what the dining hall food options are on a weekly basis to ensure there are healthy options for your student.
  • Consider speaking with relevant school officials. Many colleges offer meetings with a nutritionist or the dining hall chef to discuss dietary needs and/or restrictions

Additional Resources on Healthy Eating

Sleep

College students are one of the most sleep-deprived populations. Sleep deprivation in students has been linked to lower GPAs, because sleep affects concentration, memory, and the ability to learn. Although college life can require many hours from your college student, remind your student as often as possible that health and well-being come first, and without this, he/she will not be as effective in completing other tasks or achieving goals.

Both sleep quality and quantity are important, so helping your student manage stress will also be important. You may be used to seeing recommendations that adults should sleep for eight hours a night. Even if your student falls short of this amount, make sure to emphasize that any amount of sleep is better than no sleep. Also, remind your student that no matter how overwhelmed he/she might feel, pulling an “all-nighter” or not sleeping an appropriate amount is not a good option, because he/she will ultimately be less effective and feel more overwhelmed.

Tips for supporting your student:

  • Sleeping is connected to time management.   Encourage/help your student connect the two.  This may mean having them include consistent time for sleep in their daily schedules.
  • Discourage the use of energy drinks.  While this will help them stay awake, it will not help them stay focused and does not allow them to refresh their bodies.
  • College student culture is such that going to sleep late and waking up late is an acceptable practice.   Regardless of whether or not this shift happens to your student, help him or her see the importance of 6 -8 hours of sleep minimally (and perhaps a 30-minute nap during the day).

Additional Resources for Sleep

Exercise

It can be difficult for college students to find the time for exercise amongst their demanding class schedules, co-curricular activities, on- or off-campus employment, and their busy social calendars. Exercise will give your student the energy to maintain all of these activities while reducing stress and helping your student study for their academics more efficiently.  If your student is living on campus, his/her eating habits may change as well due to the availability of all-you-can-eat dining halls.  Exercise can help curb the excessive weight gain during college.

Tips for supporting your student

  • If your student is having a difficult time making exercise a priority, tell him/her to go to class in his/her gym clothes in order to go to the gym in the afternoon.  Or, the student can go to bed in his/her clothes so that hitting the gym is the first priority in the morning.  Help  your student to set a goal for 30 minutes a day.
  • Encourage your student sign up for an exercise class or intramural sports if he/she is having a hard time scheduling exercise during the day.  This automatically builds exercise into your student’s weekly schedule.
  • Remind your student that he/she can sneak in exercise during the day by biking to school, walking the long way to class, or taking a walk with a friend in between classes.  Suggest more outdoor activities when hanging out with friends.

Additional Resources for Exercise