Understanding the Eight Dimensions of Wellness in College

What does it really mean to be “well”? Wellness is about much more than physical health. Wellness encompasses many areas of life that can support, or sometimes challenge, a person’s health, happiness, and success.

‍Dr. Peggy Swarbrick developed the Eight Dimensions of Wellness Framework to highlight eight interconnected areas that contribute to our overall wellbeing. Together, these dimensions offer a holistic way to think about what it means to live a healthy, balanced life. The eight dimensions of wellness are physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial, and environmental wellness.

While these dimensions are important throughout our lives, college can be a particularly significant time to focus on wellness. College often means making new friends, developing different routines, exploring an unfamiliar place, and being challenged in academic courses. All of the “newness” can be both exciting and overwhelming.

Balancing dimensions of wellness may feel challenging for students. Fortunately, many colleges offer support to help students stay well as they adjust to campus life. Orientation programs, clubs, teams, counseling services, academic advising, campus safety, and many other resources play an important role.

But there’s one important piece of the puzzle: students need to know these resources exist on campus and how to access them. That’s where uSafeUS can help.

How does uSafeUS support the different dimensions of wellness?

uSafeUS works to bolster existing campus support by bringing resources together and connecting students with the people and places both on- and off-campus that address all eight dimensions of wellness.

How does this look in practice? Here are a few examples of how uSafeUS can help students navigate challenges.

Physical Wellness: uSafeUS provides access to campus and local health center contacts, practical tools for avoiding risky situations, and information addressing topics like sexual violence, substance use, hazing, and personal safety.

Emotional Wellness: Difficulties with emotional wellness are common among college students, particularly when it comes to stress and anxiety. If a student is feeling anxious or overwhelmed, they can use uSafeUS to make an appointment with their counselor or contact a crisis center for immediate support.

Social Wellness: Achieving social wellness, such as adjusting to college life and developing meaningful friendships, can take time. Students using uSafeUS can contact Student Life staff who might connect them with clubs, organizations, and other opportunities to get involved.

Environmental Wellness: The environment students live and learn in can also have a significant impact on their wellbeing. College campuses work to create positive, safe, and supportive environments for their students. uSafeUS contributes to these efforts by making prevention tools, reporting options, policies, and campus-specific resources easy to find and access.

Supporting the Whole Student

Wellness isn’t about having every area of life perfectly balanced all the time. College students will inevitably experience stress, uncertainty, setbacks, and changes. Those experiences can affect different dimensions of wellness in different ways. What matters is knowing where to turn for support when challenges arise.

By making campus and community resources accessible, uSafeUS can help students take an active role in their own wellbeing and connect with the support they need, when they need it. 

Resources:
Swarbrick, M. (2023). The evolution of the Wellness Model. Unpublished manuscript. Freehold, NJ: Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc.
https://alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu/mapping-mental-health-dr-swarbrick-the-eight-wellness-dimensions/‍ ‍