Wellness Center
Our Mission
The Salem State University Wellness Center is committed to uniting our campus community in lifelong healthy living. Through educational opportunities and diverse exercise programming, we strive to enhance the quality of life at SSU.
Our Goals
The goals of the Wellness Center are to:
- offer programs and services emphasizing awareness, prevention, and healthy behavior,
- provide current and accurate information on wellness issues,
- foster a campus environment supportive of diverse personal values and wellness needs,
- provide knowledge and skills to improve and maintain health and wellness that may enhance academic and/or work performance.
Our Perspective on Wellness
The journey toward wellness is a lifelong pursuit of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Ultimate wellness is achieved through understanding and integrating the seven dimensions of wellness into daily living.
1. Social (family, friends, relationships)
The ability to relate well to others, both within and outside the family unit. The social dimension encourages contributing to the common welfare of your community. It emphasizes the coexistence of you, society, and the environment along with the pursuit of harmony in your life.
As you become socially well, your impact on society and nature becomes more apparent. Throughout your journey, you seek out ways to preserve the beauty and balance around you. You actively seek ways to enhance relationships through better communication and encouraging a healthy living environment. You learn living in harmony is better than living in conflict.
2. Environmental (air, water, food, safety)
The capability to live in a clean and safe environment that is not detrimental to health. The quality of today's environment has a direct effect on personal wellness. To enjoy environmental wellness we require clean air, pure water, quality food, adequate shelter, satisfactory work conditions, personal safety and healthy relationships.
3. Occupational (career, skills)
Preparing and making use of your gifts, skills, and talents in order to gain purpose, happiness, and enrichment in your life. Your choice of profession, job satisfaction, career ambitions, and personal performance are all important components of occupational wellness.
You begin to value the importance of not only your own personal satisfaction, but also your contribution to society. You choose both paid and unpaid activities based on your skills, talent, and values. You are on the right path when your work and hobbies are exciting and rewarding.
4. Spiritual (values, purpose, intuition, vitality)
The sense that life is meaningful and has a purpose; the ethics, values, and morals that guide us and give us meaning and direction. The question “Who am I and why do I exist?” is the starting point of your journey into spiritual wellness. Through your journey, you observe and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings and begin to learn the value of things you cannot understand. As you grow spiritually, you seek harmony in your emotions, allowing for avoidance of emotional peaks and valleys. You continually allow your actions to be guided by your beliefs and values.
5. Physical (body)
A healthy body maintained by good nutrition, regular exercise, avoiding harmful habits, making informed and responsible decisions about health, and seeking medical assistance when necessary. Cardiovascular strength and endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility are all part of physical wellness. Activities leading to high levels of wellness, including nutritional knowledge, exercise, and appropriate use of the medical system are encouraged while detrimental activities, including the consumption of drugs and excessive alcohol are discouraged.
Throughout your journey to physical wellness, you strive to spend more attention to building flexibility, cardiovascular, and muscular abilities. The relationship between sound nutritional practices and your health becomes more apparent and appreciated. You understand your body’s warning signs and take responsibility by appropriately adjusting your lifestyle.
6. Intellectual (mind)
A state in which your mind is engaged in lively interaction with the world around you. Creative and stimulating mental activities are the basis of intellectual wellness. An intellectually well person uses the available resources, in and out of the classroom, to expand their knowledge and skills for the betterment of society.
As you grow, you continually seek issues relating to problem solving, creative thinking and learning. You actively seek the opportunity to expand and challenge your mind through creative endeavors. Your natural instinct to remain abreast of current issues will surface and become satisfied through reading books, magazines, and newspapers and pursuing other interests.
7. Emotional (feelings)
The ability to understand your own feelings, accept your limitations, achieve emotional stability, and become comfortable with your emotions. On the path to emotional wellness, your acceptance and awareness of a wide range of feelings in yourself and others becomes more apparent. The ability to manage, understand and express your emotions will be enhanced leading to the development of relationships based on mutual commitment, trust, and respect. During your exploration, life becomes more rewarding, hopeful and exciting.