Our Journey to Wellness
2021 - 2025
Strength • Resilience • Knowledge • Kindness
Our Journey to Wellness starts now…
Vision:
An inclusive working and learning environment that focuses on improving and strengthening our campus community’s health and wellbeing.
Mission:
To provide our students and employees with activities and education that foster a healthy lifestyle. Thereby resulting in improved campus morale, employee productivity and an overarching awareness of wellness.
Introduction:
Nipissing University is committed to supporting the holistic health and wellbeing of our campus community. Recognizing that by investing in these important areas, we not only improve our personal wellness, but cohesively, we strengthen the core values of success and harmony.
Wellness is not a foreign element to Nipissing University; however, it is a path that we must embrace and strive to make better. The benefits of being well and being happy are inherently valuable.
It is recognized that we have embedded positive change over time in facilitating health and wellness events for students and employees. These changes can be clearly seen through areas such as: annual free gym memberships for employees, the participation in National workplace wellness month in October, the recognition of an annual wellness week in February, the institutional EDI commitment, among other excellent initiatives occurring at Nipissing University at any given time.
Following all wellness events, we requested feedback from the campus community. There were many recurring themes about balance and health in general. But above all we heard a desire for a more holistic view of health. One that does not differentiate mental health from overall health. Thus, the development of this strategic wellness plan came to fruition. We want to continue to build on the strong foundation that has been established and further embrace all aspects of well-being in fostering a holistic healthy workplace.
What is Wellness?
Wellness is the active process of becoming aware and making changes towards a healthy, more balanced and enriched life. Each individual’s approach to wellness is different, and we all place focus on specific elements and aspects that are meaningful in our lives based on our own health and well-being.
Here at Nipissing, our circle of wellness, much like the growth rings of an oak tree, are a symbol of life, growth and strength.
What wellness means to our campus community …
I understand wellness to mean having a holistic approach to life that includes feeding your mind, body and soul with things that will create an optimal self. There is no one approach as we all need different things but, essentially wellness equals happiness when we feel our best.
Finding balance in all aspects of your life and sometimes it just means that you have to out yourself first
Work/family/life balance
Personal, social, physical, mental quadrants … balancing the four quadrans and making sure I am committing myself to health practices and goals. Ensuring that each quadrant is equal and not putting too much energy or focus into one quadrant and not taking care of myself in others. Finding a balance between all my commitments and goals
Whole body health. Physical, mental, emotional. Knowing your body – when to take breaks, when to keep going, when to slow down, when to refill your own cup so that you can pour more into other peoples.
8 Dimensions of Wellness
This strategic plan recognizes that wellness is a cumulation of various dimensions that are interdependent and interconnected. With that said, the following eight (8) dimensions of wellness are the focus of our overall health and well-being: Mental, Financial, Social, Spiritual, Occupational, Physical, Intellectual and Environmental.
(Image note: Circle with oak tree in center, middle ring to contain wellness dimensions, outer ring to contain medicine wheel 4 colours – White-Spiritual/Yellow-Mental/Red-Physical/Emotional-Black)
Mental
Coping effectively with life and fostering the development of positive mental health by supporting resilience, creating inclusive environments, and keeping a positive attitude
Financial
Managing your resources to live within your means, making informed financial decisions and investments, setting realistic goals and planning for emergencies
Social
Developing and maintaining healthy friendships. Caring about others, and letting others care about you
Spiritual
Creating the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives through a guiding set of beliefs, faith, values, ethics, or moral principles that provide meaning, direction, and purpose.
Occupational
Contributing your unique skills and talents to work where you find personal satisfaction and enrichment
Physical
Caring for one’s physical health, and quality of life by ensuring good nutrition, regular exercise, adequate rest/sleep and hydration.
Intellectual
Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
Environmental
Demonstrating commitment to a healthy planet by keeping our campus clean and beautiful
Journey to Wellness Guiding Principles
Guiding Principle 1: Build, encourage and promote an environment of well-being where the campus community as a whole plays a vital role in their own and others wellness
Guiding Principle 2: Create a safe and healthy workplace that is based on a culture of respect, inclusivity, honesty and equity with the emphasis of a health and wellness lens
Guiding Principle 3: Encourage the adaptation of healthy behaviours amongst our campus community by providing well-being initiatives that are based on best practices.
Going Forward
The goals, dimensions and guiding principles of wellness detailed in this strategic plan have been developed through the insight of human resources with guidance from various stakeholders. It is the hope and intention that this plan will continue to serve our campus community in a collective effort to provide, support and embrace a supportive and respectful workplace for all to work, thrive and contribute in meaningful ways.
As we continue to work through this strategic plan and grow as a health community we will provide campus updates and will gather feedback so that our events and activities meet the needs of the community that this strategic plan supports.