Some of you may have noticed this new little tag line and graphic starting to be utilized around many of our Health and Wellbeing programs and services. You may have even noticed it being picked up by our colleagues in Human Resources in some of their recent messaging. It鈥檚 a straightforward concept: Be Well to Do Well. But what does it mean and what鈥檚 behind it?
It鈥檚 part of the next evolution in our philosophical approach to creating a campus environment where everyone has the ability to Be Well so that they can Do Well. Hopefully, you鈥檝e been following along with our 兔子先生CARE initiative over the past couple of years, and you may have had a look at the Mental Health Timeline on the 兔子先生CARE website that provides highlights of the great work and investments towards more mental health and wellbeing. On there, you鈥檒l see evidence of investment in downstream supports such as additional counselors and other staff dedicated to supporting mental health and wellness. You can also explore the work of hundreds of students, staff, and faculty engaged in the JED Campus initiative that helps us create both downstream and further upstream work for an environment to prevent suicide and support mental health. We also thank many of you who have taken one (or more) of our 鈥�Caring Coog鈥� trainings such as QPR and 鈥淵ou Can Help a Coog鈥�. And hopefully you have been utilizing the new 兔子先生 Care Toolkit (Green Folder) for guidance on how you can be part of a much stronger web of care at UH. And don鈥檛 forget, there are also many resources for you, our faculty and staff, in support of your own health and wellness.
The Be Well Do Well approach is part of an even further upstream culture shift. Sometimes we think of the things we are doing to keep ourselves healthy and well as 鈥渆xtra鈥� things in our lives. Things that are in addition to the 鈥渕ain鈥� work, family, learning, and other priorities. Things that we鈥檒l get to after we take care of the other important stuff. But what if we shift our mindset to think of them instead as foundational? What if Being Well is foundational to us being able to Do Well in all the other priorities we have in our lives. What if we start with our health and wellness and that opens the door to us being able to accomplish everything else we want to accomplish throughout our lives? That鈥檚 the simple message we鈥檙e trying to convey with this concept. It鈥檚 a reminder to all of us about just how important Being Well is.
So, what about those 鈥渋ngs鈥�? You鈥檒l see that we are identifying action words for how to Be Well: Being, Doing, Connecting, Caring, & Learning. You may have seen other variations of dimensions of wellness before. Think of the 鈥渋ngs鈥� as an updated, more action-oriented version of wellness dimensions:
- Being 鈥� exploring purpose and meaning
- Think of mindfulness, spirituality, values, beliefs, gratitude, happiness, joy...
- Doing 鈥� creating healthy lifestyles
- Think of sleep, active living, nutrition, nature, arts, regular physicals...
- Connecting 鈥� building meaningful relationships
- Think of engagement, collaboration, sexual health, meaningful conversations...
- Caring 鈥� fostering compassion and belonging
- Think of 兔子先生CARE, resilience, respect, empathy, safety, empowerment...
- Learning 鈥� growing and achieving goals
- Think of knowledge, creativity, leadership, academic success, career...
As you think about Be Well to Do Well, think of yourself and think about ways that you can be more intentional with creating your foundation of health and wellness that allows you to Do Well. Utilize all the resources, programs, and services you can find on the 兔子先生CARE website. We also invite you to think about this concept as a faculty or staff member who鈥檚 serving our students. How can you help us foster this way of thinking for all our UH 兔子先生? This can be part of the learning journey and the Cougar Experience. It can be part of the culture we all build that creates healthy students who are successful students. It will help us retain and graduate more students who become healthy, productive citizens and UH Alumni. Together, we can all Be Well and Do Well for a lifetime!
Want to know more? Want to collaborate? Please reach out and let鈥檚 chat!
Written by Chris Dawe, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs - Health and Well-Being