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Healthy Hawks

Healthy Hawks

A Healthy Hawk community helps students, staff, and faculty thrive across all dimensions of wellbeing and we define wellbeing as a holistic approach to daily life that acknowledges the integration of many facets that contribute to an individual’s experiences of the self, others and world. These eight dimensions of wellbeing interact in a way that contributes to our quality of life. 

Learn how you can enhance your personal wellbeing and contribute to a healthier Seahawk community.

Discover HEALTHY HAWKS Programs & Services in WaveLink

The 8 Dimensions of Wellbeing

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Emotional

 Be Resilient and Flourish 

Emotional wellbeing refers to how you relate to your own thoughts, reactions, and feelings. It involves becoming mindful of the entire range of emotions you may experience and learning to cope with those experiences that occur in your life. Being emotionally "well" means that you are able to express yourself in a healthy and appropriate manner.

  • Mindfulness: a technique in which one focuses attention on the present to experience thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement.
  • Coping: to address responsibilities in a calm and adequate manner.
  • Self-Worth: the sense of one’s own value.

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources:

Self-Guided Resources

Feel, Understand, Cope

The following ideas and practices can help improve mental health and reduce burnout:

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided Resources

Engage Daily in Emotionally Well Behaviors

  • Find gratitude in daily activities, events, and connection with others
  • Practice daily self-awareness to enhance gratitude.
  • Practice Cognitive Reframing to enhance growth mindsets
  • Engage in stress management practices consistently for a feeling of balance
  • Express yourself in a healthy and appropriate manner.
  • Engage empathetically during times of difficulty
  • Maintain a consistent coping and stress management plan
  • Become a Peer Mentor or Peer Educator

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

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Engagement

Build Bonds, Share Experiences, Grow Together

Engagement (social) Wellbeing encompasses advocacy and service to others which allows us to affirm the intersection of our identities by creating space to surround ourselves with a positive support network.

Advocacy

Supporting or advancing a cause for the betterment of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups, society, or the earth in general. Promoting awareness or education regarding an issue, and donating your time, energy, or resources to help organize a movement or create change are all aspects of advocating.

Service

To volunteer, “to choose to act in recognition of a need, with an attitude of social responsibility and without concern for monetary profit, going beyond one's basic obligations”. Assisting others without expecting any reward or gain; being involved in projects that serve others or contribute for the betterment of the larger community.

Intersectionality

Affirm the unique, intersecting identities of all individuals and appreciate that holistic health varies for all. Strive to create spaces where individuals can be open in sharing experiences connected with identity, culture, and background while learning from others.

Support Network

Developing and maintaining healthy friendships and creating a social network. Stay connected with others for motivation, encouragement, to cheer on one another, and to talk about ways to overcome challenges. Embodying the “love where you live” sentiment by building a positive, fun community.

Campus Involvement

Being involved in a student organization or club helps students learn to work as a team, develop time-management skills, build leadership skills and make friends. Students build a network with other club members, or alumni, who share similar interests or can provide mentorship(s).

Effectively relating to others, your community, and the world; Connect and belong.

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Build advocacy skills and service to others with positive networks and experiences.

On-Campus Resources

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Financial

Build your Financial Future

Financial wellbeing involves learning to manage budgets and financial resources. It helps us maintain sustainable lifestyles and plan our futures through financial strategies like savings and investments.

Budget Management/Budgeting

A budget, simply put, is a plan for your money. This plan requires tracking of income and expenses, and ensuring that all expenses are paid on time and hopefully some could be saved in case of an emergency or for a larger purchase (e.g. computer, bike, tickets for a trip, car, etc.).

Savings & Investment

A popular way to build financial security is to save and invest. It’s not an easy task for a college student, but starting small and just getting the concept is important. Most literature says pay yourself first. This means, during the budgeting process, determine how much you can set aside in a special account first, then pay your bills. Setting goals about saving can be a great motivator. Different accounts offer different interest rates for accruing on your savings. This is probably the most basic investment and comes at no risk because you can’t lose it. Some consider more aggressive investments, such as CDs, stocks, and bonds. Your local bank or any banking institution will discuss these in detail with you.

On-Campus Resources


Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided

Solidifying a Strong Financial Future for You & Others

  • Financial wellbeing coaching
  • Find a financial advisor
  • make informed decisions
  • Ensure basic needs consistently meet
  • Have realistic financial goals
  • Be prepared for emergencies
  • Pay off credit card debt every month-align expenditure with available resources

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

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Intellectual

Foster Lifelong Learning, Stay Curious

Intellectual wellbeing involves being curious about the world and other people’s perspectives. It can include academic study or activities like learning a language or how to cook. Diverse knowledge and skills help us assess situations and make healthy, safe decisions.

  • Curiosity: a desire to learn and be open to new experiences
  • Lifelong Learning: the state of remaining open to new experience throughout the lifespan
  • Critical Thinking: clear, rational, open-minded approach to analyzing information
  • Safety: Awareness and understanding of potential risks associated with the physical environments around us, and utilizing knowledge and experience to make healthy decisions

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided

Engage in Critical Thinking & New Ways to Challenge Yourself

  • Practice Emotional Intelligence
  • Converse with civil discourse
  • Teach others
  • Learn with and about others
  • Conduct research

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

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Occupational

Love what you do, Cultivate Your Passion

Occupational wellbeing allows us to engage in aspects of our work to develop satisfaction such as learning transferable skills, participate in professional development opportunities, and embrace a work/life balance.

Transferable Skills

Skills and abilities that are relevant and helpful across different areas of life: socially, professionally and at school.

Professional Development

Learning or gaining skills to enhance careers. This can be done through certifications, education, webinars, networking and more. It encourages you to explore various career options based on your career interests, work values and personal preferences.

Work/Life balance

Ability to achieve balance between your work and leisure time; addressing workplace stress and building relationships with co-workers.

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided

Signature Programs

Discover meaningful work and involvement that align with your purpose.

Tips

  • Reflect on your “why” behind your career choice
  • Learn a new skill that supports your career growth
  • Create a vision for your future
  • Choose a career that suits your personality, interests, and talents
  • Be open to change and learn new skills

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided Resources

Practice and pursue a deepening of your career path.

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

  • Professional workshop and conference attendance 

Self-Guided

  • The UNCW Career Center details and provides tips on conducting an informational interview with a professional in the career field you aspire to work in.
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Physical

Move, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Physical wellbeing is living a balanced life through healthy nutrition, regular movement, and a consistent sleep schedule.

Eating

Good nutrition means enjoying an adequate amount of variety of mostly nutrient-dense, lightly processed foods from all groups. Healthy eating is flexible, and while it involves being conscious of your food choices, it also means giving yourself the freedom to enjoy occasional treats without guilt. Eating enough, regularly enough, is far more important than what you eat.

On-Campus Resources
Off-Campus Resources

Movement

  • Healthy adults aged 18-65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on 5 day/week or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on 3 day/week.
  • Adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes/week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
  • Combination of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise can be performed to meet these recommendations.
  • Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week with 48 hours rest between resistance training sessions.
  • Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week.
  • Measuring Intensity:
    • Intensity can be estimated using a scale of 0 to 10, where sitting is 0 and the highest level of effort possible is 10. Moderate Intensity is 5-6, Vigorous begins at level 7 or 8.
On-Campus Resources
Off-Campus Resources
Self-Guided

Rest

Rest is essential for your body to relax and your muscles to rejuvenate after moving. Regular sleep habits include 7-9 hours of sleep each night, an occasional nap of 30 minutes, a noise-free environment for resting, and practicing relaxation exercises to recharge the body.
On-Campus Resources
Off-Campus Resources
Self-Guided

Move, Nourish, Rest, Make Informed Health Decisions

  • Be physically active daily-try something new
  • Make informed and responsible decisions about your health; Recognize early signs of illness and prevent disease; Practice safer sex 
  • Eat a wide variety of healthy foods and control meal portions
  • If you use alcohol, use in moderation
  • Quit smoking, vaping, or using other tobacco products
  • Get adequate sleep, 7-9 hours per night
  • Prevent injuries by wearing a seatbelt, helmets, and other protective equipment

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided Resources

Do What Makes You Feel Good!

Off-Campus Resources

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Spiritual

Nourish your Soul, Seek Deeper Meaning

Spiritual wellbeing reflects finding connection and meaning in our daily lives. It may refer to a specific religious practice but also includes finding time for self-reflection and meditation. It often includes learning acceptance and recognizing how we attach meaning to events that occur in our lives.

Explore your spiritual core, meaning and purpose.

On-Campus Resources

Self-Guided Resources

Live your values, align your passion, explore your commitment.

 On-Campus Resources

  • Sustain commitment to service
  • Seahawks that Serve Frequent Flyers program
  • Consider engaging in Yoga Studies courses and practice methodologies and approaches in a deepened manner
  • Consider ways you can hold informal or formal leadership roles in spiritual service and engagement with others.
  • Seek out a volunteer leadership role within your campus organization, community organization, place of worship, or student ministry or club.
  • Explore a sense of purpose through a deepened connection in a non-traditional setting such as gifting your talents within a nursing home, hospice, children’s hospital.

Off-Campus Resources

Self-Guided

  • Watch a virtual stream of a faith-based service that matches your faith expression or spirituality or subscribe to a podcast that engages your spirituality as a wellness practice.
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Sustainability

Care for our Environment, Protect Tomorrow

Sustainable wellbeing is an understanding of how the environment is linked to the ability to protect and promote personal and community wellness. The health of the air we breathe, water we drink, and food we eat, directly affects our ability to maintain physical health. The same chemicals that harm the environment are also important to avoid in cleaning products, food, and cosmetics. Additionally, the preservation of natural areas for recreation and leisure is important for intellectual as well as physical health.

Care for the social, natural, built, or digital world we live in.

  • Stop junk mail
  • Conserve water and natural resources
  • Minimize chemical use
  • Renew a relationship with the earth
  • Reduce, re-use, recycle
  • Refresh your space
  • Spend time outdoors
  • Limit digital time-cut gaming time

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Discover Healthy Hawk Programs & Events

Find opportunities to enhance all eight wellness dimensions at WaveLink, UNCW’s hub for campus events, organizations, and engagement.
See Postings on WaveLink

Health & Wellness Resources

Office of Student Wellbeing The office serves as a central resource for wellbeing and health education programs, services, and peer engagement. Learn More
Campus Recreation Providing fitness facilities, aquatics, intramural sports, outdoor adventures, and other programs for the campus community. Explore Campus Recreation
Counseling Center Offering free counseling for students, plus mental and emotional health education, self-help resources, and more. Learn About Counseling Services
Student Health Center Connecting students with health and preventive care, health education and consultation, and pharmacy services. Learn About Services
Connections and Belonging Explore programs, activities and organizations that will help you become involved and make you feel that UNCW is your home. Discover Resources
Engage Beyond Our Campus Offering national resources focused on health and well-being. Explore National Resources
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Pledge to Be a Healthy Hawk

Healthy Hawks embrace the holistic wellbeing values, while people and programs across campus offer their support by becoming Healthy Hawk partners.

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