Prevention & Wellness

Become an FGCU Wellness Warrior with Prevention and Wellness!

At Prevention and Wellness, we encourage our students to be well-balanced individuals by promoting the eight dimensions of wellness through various styles of outreach and education.  Being well balanced is an active process of making positive choices towards a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.  We want to support our students on this path by highlighting various events that fit within each dimension of wellness!

 

How do I participate and what do I win?

Earn “Warrior” status by attending at least one event, table, or program related to each dimension of wellness at the end of every semester!  The events are posted on Eagle Link at www.getinvolved.fgcu.edu. Sign into Eagle Link with your FGCU credentials and find the Wellness Warrior Pathway on the bottom right-hand side of the homepage to check your status and look for events.  

 

For completing the pathway, you earn a Wellness Warrior certificate, t-shirt, and sticker.  Wellness Warriors will also be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a grand prize which is listed within the pathway!

 

The Wellness Warrior pathway resets every Fall and Spring semester.  So, if you become a Warrior or you were almost there, we encourage you to try again!

 

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

1. Emotional Wellness

Emotional wellness inspires self-care, relaxation, stress reduction and the development of inner strength. It is important to be attentive to both positive and negative feelings and be able to understand how to handle these emotions. This also includes the ability to learn and grow from experiences, have healthy relationships with others, and build resiliency for dealing with difficult situations. Emotional well-being encourages coping with feelings independently by practicing autonomy and proper decision-making skills. It also includes coping with feelings interpersonally by empathizing with others and knowing when to ask for help.

 

2. Environmental Wellness

Environmental wellness inspires us to live a lifestyle that is respectful of our surroundings. This involves being able to be safe and feel safe in your physical and social spaces. Environmental well-being promotes interaction with both nature and your personal environment. This can include preserving the areas where we live, learn, and work, as well as occupying relaxing environments that support our well-being. The dimension of environmental wellness also includes self-awareness towards the impact of personal interactions with the environment and taking action to protect yourself from environmental pollutants while promoting a healthy environment that supports your overall well-being.

 

3. Financial Wellness

Financial wellness involves things such as income, debt, and savings, as well as a person’s understanding of financial processes and resources. A person’s satisfaction with their current financial situation and future prospects also comes into play. Financial Wellness involves learning how to manage financial expenses successfully, preparing for short and long-term needs. Financial stress is also a common source of stress, anxiety, and fear. Keeping track of expenses, making a budget, and sticking to it are important skills to have in order to be financially responsible and independent. Learning how to maximize your financial wellness now will help you feel prepared to handle potentially stressful financial situations or emergencies in the future.

 

4. Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual wellness encourages us to engage in creative and mentally stimulating activities. These activities should expand your knowledge and skills while allowing you to share your knowledge and skills with others. Intellectual wellness includes the ability to think critically, reason objectively, and make responsible decisions. A key aspect of intellectual wellness is broadening your perspective and understanding diverse points of view. You can develop this dimension through academics, cultural involvement, community involvement and personal hobbies.

 

5. Occupational Wellness

Occupational wellness inspires us to participate in activities in which we will gain personal satisfaction and find enrichment in our life. Whether you are working or volunteering, this dimension of wellness recognizes the importance that these activities should be meaningful, provide purpose, and reflect your values, interests, and beliefs. Your attitude about work is a crucial influence on occupational development. This allows you to explore various career options and encourages you to pursue the opportunities you enjoy the most. This dimension includes taking a thoughtful and proactive approach to career planning and assessing personal satisfaction and performance in one’s work.

 

6. Physical Wellness

Physical wellness promotes proper care of our bodies for optimal health and functioning. There are many elements of it that all must be cared for together. Overall, this dimension encourages the balance of physical activity, nutrition, and appropriate health care to keep your body in good health. Adopting healthy habits, such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, proper nutrition, routine exams (i.e. sexually transmitted infection screenings) all play a role. In addition, it is important to minimize risk factors, such as excessive consumption of alcohol and other substances. You can achieve physical wellness by choosing things that make your body feel good and trimming back the things that bring you down. You can also feel better by creating a routine that balances activity with inactivity, and that is manageable within your obligations and needs.

 

7. Social Wellness

Social wellness refers to our relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the community. It involves how we interact with others, our level of care and concern, and having an interest in helping. Our relationships can offer support during difficult times. This involves building healthy, nurturing and supportive relationships as well as fostering a genuine connection with those around you. Conscious actions are important in learning how to balance your social life with your personal and professional lives. It also includes balancing the unique needs of romantic relationships with other parts of your life.

 

8. Spiritual Wellness

The Spiritual Wellness Dimension is a broad concept that represents one’s personal beliefs and values and discovering a sense of balance and peace. It includes finding meaning in life events, defining our individual purpose, and developing an appreciation for life and the natural forces that exist in the universe. It incorporates various factors including religious faith, values, ethics, and morals. Regardless of whether you believe in a particular religious faith, there is always something to learn about how you see yourself in the world. A spiritually well person seeks harmony with the universe, expresses compassion towards others, and practices gratitude and self-reflection.

What is Cash Cab? 

Yes, Cash Cab is like the TV show and has become just as popular at FGCU! It is a way for students to get free rides to anyplace on campus and win Eagle Dollar Gift Cards along the way.  The Prevention & Wellness Cash Cab is staffed by two of our Peer Educators and runs randomly several times a month. Look for the Prevention & Wellness golf cart with the “Cash Cab” sign on top—if you see us, flag us down for a ride!

 

How does it work?

Students on Cash Cab are asked wellness-related questions. Questions are on topics such as sexual health, alcohol, drugs and nutrition. Students are not thrown off Cash Cab for incorrect answers. And all rides are free!

 

What is the goal?

Our goal with Cash Cab is to connect with students who have not been to one of our programs or events, or stopped into our office yet.  Cash Cab allows us to engage with students in a casual but meaningful way, where they have a good time while getting some wellness-related information relevant to their lives as college students. Cash Cab is a unique and innovative means of health promotion, giving us the chance to meet more students, and have fun on campus doing wellness education.

 

What is Celebrity Cash Cab?

Prevention and Wellness invites members from other FGCU departments "Celebrities" the opportunity to ride along on the Prevention and Wellness Cash Cab and educate students riders about the services their office offers.

 

What is Healthy Hump Day?

Healthy Hump Day is our creative way of providing additional weekly outreach. Each Wednesday, from 11am-1pm, we have our Healthy Hump Day tables set up under our blue and white Prevention & Wellness/Peers Care tent. Check out our Eagle Link for our location this week!  Each Healthy Hump Day event features a different wellness topic, a corresponding game or activity, and the chance to win prizes. Other freebies and lots of wellness info on that topic are always available as well.  

 

How does it work?

Healthy Hump Day takes place every Wednesday during the academic year from 11am-1pm. Students can stop by for a few minutes between their classes. The design of all Healthy Hump Day activities are meant to be brief, and the visibility of our Healthy Hump Day tables on main campus makes it an easy and quick stop between classes.

What is the goal?

We recognize not all students will get a chance to attend one of our programs, or come into our office for information. The goal of this outreach is to go to where students are, be available, and provide information in a fun and engaging way that is brief but still meaningful. We have found it to be a great way to reach some students we may not otherwise be able to connect with through our other outreach. 

What is Taco 'Bout it Tuesday?

Taco 'Bout it Tuesday is meant to serve as a quick interaction between Peer Educators and students.  At this table, we feature a different wellness question of the day to check students' knowledge and provide more educatoin.  Students that interact with us get a free taco voucher for BYOB!  We table each Tuesday, from 12pm-1pm.  Please see our Eagle Link for our tabling location for this week!

 

What is the goal?

The goal of this outreach is to provide quick wellness information to busy students.  By focusing on one specific question of the day, we hope to raise awareness of wellness trends and key wellne. 

 We are always looking for creative ways to connect with FGCU students on wellness topics. One of our Peer Educators took this concept, often used in traditional residence halls, and wanted to execute it on main campus. Working with the Vice President of Student Affairs and FGCU Physical Plant for project approval, we debuted our first InSTALLment in July 2013 to rave reviews. 

 Wellness InSTALLments are featured in 173 bathroom stalls and can be found at 17 locations on campus. New InSTALLments will appear at the start of each month. They are written by our Peer Educators and go through a final edit before publication.

 We will archive InSTALLments here: RA's can print these for bulletin boards, or you can see what the "Question of the Month" is for your chance to win a gift card for $10 Eagle Dollars. We hope you enjoy these InSTALLments as much as we enjoy putting them together for the campus community. 

What is TIPS?

TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) is a bystander intervention training program designed specifically for college students. The goals of the training are to educate students on how to recognize the signs of intoxication, what to do when they identify peers who have consumed too much alcohol, and how to intervene in a way to de-escalate the situation and reduce the risk of harm. Through discussion, videos, and role playing, students will be able to increase their people skills and gain the confidence needed to effectively help their peers.

 

Who has done TIPS at FGCU?

Students who complete the workshop and pass the test are considered TIPS-certified for 3 years. TIPS-certified students at FGCU include members of Peers CARE, various fraternities and sororities, student organizations and Orientation Leaders.

 

Interested in TIPS for your group?

TIPS is a 2.5-3 hour workshop conducted by two FGCU staff members who are TIPS-certified Trainers. A TIPS workshop would be at cost to the hosting department. This cost is for purchasing the manuals that each participant must have to complete the workshop, which includes a test at the end.  Prevention & Wellness assists in facilitating the purchase of the manuals, but interested departments should know manuals are $13/each and sold in packets of 10.

 

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