7 Wellness Areas

Emotional Wellness involves being aware of your thoughts and feelings and making the choice to have a positive attitude and embrace life.

Tips on being Happier:

•  Practice stress management techniques.
• Acknowledge and recognize your feelings.
• Learn emotional intelligence techniques so you can have better control of your emotions.
• Smile at least 20 times a day.
• Commit acts of kindness.
• Count your blessings.
• Avoid over- thinking and social comparisons.
• Forgive.
• Create and focus on your goals.
• Nurture your relationships.
• Seek professional assistance when you need help.

Resources Available

The Employee Assistance Program (713-500-3327) UTEAP.org

The University Counseling Center (713-313-7804)

Campus Police (713-313-7000)

National Suicide Prevention 24hr Lifeline  (1-800-273-8255)

Houston Area Nurseline (713-338-7979)

Spiritual Wellness involves getting in touch with your core self, having a sense of meaning, purpose, and appreciation in your life.

Healthy Practices:

• Practice gratitude.
• Take time to be silent.
• Look for a deeper meaning.
• Remember your core values.
• Be accepting of others.
• Be a doer. Don’t just speak it or read it. Live a life that honors your beliefs and values.

Physical wellness involves taking care of your body. This is achieved by maintaining a regular fitness routine and eating a healthy balanced diet. Physical wellness also includes cardiovascular health and endurance, flexibility, and muscular strength.

Healthy Habits:

• Take responsibility for your healthcare.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get enough sleep.
• Avoid using tobacco and recreational drugs.
• Get physical activity on a regular and consistent basis.
• Get regular checkups and screenings.
• Seek medical attention when ill.

The University Recreation and Wellness Center is your one-stop shop for information and resources on becoming and staying physically well. Whether you want to work with a personal trainer, run a few laps around the indoor track, swim in the pool, take a class, or if you need a health assessment and tips on eating well, the Rec Center is there for you.

Financial wellness is a state of financial well-being. It includes having an understanding of your financial situation and taking care of it in such a way that you are prepared for financial changes.

Maintaining that balance consists of having:

• Minimal financial stress.
• A strong financial foundation consisting of little or no debt, an adequate emergency savings fund and living below your means.
• An ongoing plan that puts you on track to reach future financial goals.

Social Wellness involves having good positive relationships with those around you and establishing a strong support system.

How to achieve Social Wellness

• Healthy relationships
• Community involvement
• Accepting diversity

Healthy Tips!

• Set realistic expectations in your relationships.
• Communicate.
• Be flexible.
• Be reliable.
• Enjoy your own company.
• Show warmth and affection.
• Be willing to help others.
• Accept those around you.
• Foster positive work relationships with your coworkers.

Environmental wellness involves being aware of, and taking responsibility for the air, water, and environment around us.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Environmental Tips:

At Home:

• Use energy efficient appliances.
• Consider washing your clothes in cold water.
• Consider paperless billing.
• Recycle your old magazines.
• Turn off the lights and unplug electronics when they’re not in use.

At the Office

• Print on both sides of the paper.
• Use reusable coffee mugs and water bottles.

In the Community

• Carpool.
• Take your own bags to the supermarket.
• Take fewer napkins when you eat out.

Intellectual Wellness involves engaging in mentally stimulating activities that feed your creativity and inspires you.

How to improve:

• Become a mentor.
• Discover new hobbies.
• Take a course / learn a new language.
• Sign up for newsletters or blogs that cover interesting topics.
• Watch educational programs and documentaries.
• Read the newspaper and your trade publications.
• Play games like crossword puzzles, Chess, Scrabble and Sudoku.
• Discuss your career progression with your manager/ supervisor.
• Seek ways to improve your work performance.
• Join professional organizations.
• Take advantage of learning opportunities offered at work.