Student Wellness Center offers holistic model for wellness

Boniface Womber
Wed, 09 Oct 2019 01:57:36 +0000
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Ohio State Student Wellness Center, located inside of the RPAC, approaches a more holistic model for wellness. Credit: Cori Wade | Assistant Photo Editor

With midterm season winding down, self-care might be on the agenda for break, but while a bubble bath and face mask might sound like the way to go, Ohio State’s Student Wellness Center has a more holistic model for wellness.??

The wellness center is a preventive, health promotion-based office for students that uses a nine-dimension-model approach to wellness to help students balance their lives, Michaela Martin, assistant director for the wellness center, said. Martin said the nine dimensions of wellness are emotional, career, social, spiritual, physical, financial, intellectual, creative and environmental.

Martin said that through the dimensions, the wellness center takes a holistic approach to well-being and believes that if one dimension improves in a person’s life, the rest will follow suit.

“We believe that all of our dimensions are interconnected,” Martin said.?

Dave Isaacs, university spokesperson, said the concept of this big-picture approach is essential toward developing wellness. The wellness center and the Office of Student Life view the nine dimensions as a road map for developing programs and services to support students.

“Having these dimensions, identifying these dimensions and pointing the services and programs toward them is a tremendous benefit to students who are figuring out what areas they would like to work on,” Isaacs said.?

The Student Wellness Center offers a variety of programs that coincide with the different dimensions of wellness, according to the wellness center’s website.?

Alcohol and other drug prevention services, Collegiate Recovery Community, Condom Club, HIV/STI testing and nutrition coaching fall under physical wellness. Scarlet and Gray financial coaching falls under financial wellness.?

Wellness coaching along with outreach brings focus to all of the dimensions, as does the Buckeye Peer Access Line, the peer-to-peer warmline for non-emergency mental health support.?

Student Civility helps engage students in social wellness by informing students of what’s happening on campus.

Relationship education and violence prevention focus on emotional wellness.

When it comes to students’ emotional wellness, Martin said anyone — from the wellness center to friends — can play a significant part in a person’s overall health.

Martin said that every week, the wellness center ambassador team is on campus tabling and promoting not only the nine dimensions, but also the free services the wellness center provides, including workshops, presentations and one-on-one services.?

Martin said she thinks students are focusing on their wellness now more than ever.

“Ohio State is very fortunate to have so many resources, so just the more that we can educate students on the resources that are available to them will improve their lives while they’re here and after graduation,” Martin said.

In addition to their main office in the RPAC, there are two satellite locations. The first is on the fourth floor of the Physical Activities Education Services building, which also houses wellness coaching and Buckeye PAL. The second center is in Baker Hall across from Disability Services.

Martin said the locations have extended hours in order to make services more accessible for students. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.?