Today's Update: Tuesday, December 13, 2022

December 13, 2022

Dear Student Life team,

How are you feeling? Honestly, how are you?

As the end of the year quickly approaches and we plan and prepare for the holidays and the new year, this is a great time to reflect and look at our individual wellness.

What have you accomplished this year and what do you want to work on in 2023? It could be more physical activity, drinking more water, regular journaling, attending medical appointments, expressing gratitude or spending more time with friends.

Each of us is unique, and we all have different goals and ideas about our own well-being. The ways we approach achieving our optimal wellness will vary. The Student Wellness Center’s 10 Dimensions of Wellness can help us understand our wellness interests and needs, while there are various Ohio State resources available to optimize our wellness. I’ve listed some of them at the bottom of this Update.

While we rightfully spend a great deal of time on student wellness, it is equally important that we put an emphasis on the wellness of our Student Life team. I heard about the need for that focus in my first days on campus during the listening sessions I held.

As you work to improve your own personal well-being, we are also devoted to fostering a culture of wellness in Student Life. It’s why we are building an Employee Wellness program.

Your thoughts are important in creating that effort. Morgan Hammonds, Employee Wellness Program Manager, wants your participation and input on where you see our employee wellness efforts going and how you may want to contribute.

You can support this process and answer these questions by taking the Employee Health and Wellness Interest Survey.

Working together, we will formalize an employee appreciation and recognition plan, regularly learn and practice methods of health and wellness and continue to incorporate wellness into the Student Life culture.

Here are some employee wellness resources you might find helpful:

Your wellness, as a person and as a Student Life team member, is a vital part of our Scarlet and Greatness.

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD

Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University