We recognize that during times of social distancing, continual change, and beyond, a variety of factors can influence our health and wellness. The Duck Nest is here to support you in that journey. We want to provide you with resources from within the UO community and beyond. We've divided these into eight different dimensions of wellness.
The eight dimensions of wellness can serve as a guide to living a positive lifestyle and move beyond surviving to thriving! We know it's always a challenge to be well in all categories at once. Instead think about your overall wellness needs and goals and try to create as much balance as possible between the different dimensions.
Eight Dimensions of Wellness
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is about recognizing the need for and pursuing regular movement, adequate amounts of sleep, food that fuels your brain and body, and practicing safe behaviors.
- Move your body: Movement helps relieve stress and contributes to overall wellness.
- The Rec is here to support you in all of your movement needs. Check out Rec Workouts for in-person classes, follow @uorecfitness on Instagram, and watch UO Rec Fitness on YouTube for workouts at home.
- It is important to engage in movement that feels good and celebrates your body! If you would like to explore body acceptance more, the Body Love Society is an evidence-based, four-week discussion group for female identifying students that meets weekly to talk about unhealthy beauty standards and promotes body acceptance on campus.
- Sleep: Rest is just as important as everything else.
- Restlessness is a common concern faced by students. Learn how to cope by checking out this quick article on Trouble Sleeping.
- Counseling Services has released a podcast, Duck Tails. The first episode discusses how to get good sleep.
- In addition, the Duck Nest (EMU 041) has sleep kits available for you to pick up.
- Nutrition and Food Security: Try and provide your body the energy it needs to face what every day brings.
- Check out resources and tips posted by the Duck Nest on Instagram @uo_ducknest and @feedtheflockuo including virtual and in-person Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment assistance.
- The UO Basic Needs Blog offers many other food security resources, including information on SNAP, WIC, student-specific resources, hot meal locations, and more.
- Learn more about eating healthy and meal-prepping that's budget friendly.
- Tips for Ordering Take-Out and Delivery
- Food Access and COVID-19 (Hunger-Free Oregon)
- Practicing Safe Behaviors:
- Protect your lungs. Quit vaping and smoking.
- Learn about safer sex supplies, signing-up for Protection Connection's newsletter, getting screened for STIs, and other sexual health resources.
- The Dean of Students is a great resource for sexual violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, hazing prevention, helping a friend, and accessing an online prevention course.
- More General Tips and Information:
Emotional Wellness
Emotional Wellness promotes mental wellbeing. It involves learning to cope effectively with life, cultivating a positive attitude, and expressing feels in an appropriate manner.
- In-person and Telemental Health: Counseling Services is providing in-person and telemental health support to students. Check out Counseling Services' Mental Health Services page to learn more.
- Coping: Counseling Services has compiled a variety of strategies and resources to help you cope with uncertain times in your life:
- Counseling Services Resources: The Counseling Services staff and other campus experts also provide some helpful articles and advice on the Be Well Blog:
- Caring for Our Relationships During a Time of Stress
- The Path to Self-Confidence
- Mindfulness
- Peer Wellness Chit Chats: Sign up or stop by the Duck Nest to get support from one of our Peer Wellness Advocates. Also offered virtually!
- Wellness Checks:
- If you or someone you know may be in distress and need of assistance, you can report a concern to the Dean of Students. There are also many other types of assistance offered through the Dean of Students office.
- Another service is CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets), which provides immediate stabilization in case of urgent medical need or psychological crisis, assessment, information, referral, advocacy and (in some cases) transportation to the next step in treatment.
- Additionally, Hour Glass Community Crisis Service offers short-term, mental health crisis assessment and stabilization. It is open to all community members at no cost and offers drop-in services 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
- Self-Care: Find out what works for you and know that you have a right to take care of yourself.
- The Duck Nest has aromatherapy— Lavender, eucalyptus, and spearmint— available in our space.
- Community of Care: self-care and community care tools.
- Check out the Duck Nest Instagram for free workshops and activities that can help you take care of yourself.
- Journaling and prompts
- Coloring sheets
- Nine mindfulness exercises to help manage COVID stress
- Healthy Social Media Use: Check out some tips on healthy social media use and how to be more intentional online.
Social Wellness
Social wellness is about developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system. It includes building and maintaining healthy relationships and finding ways to be in community with others.
- Coping Strategies: Learn the best ways to cope with social wellbeing and relationships:
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
- Social Action and Advocacy
- Loneliness
- Nod—An app to help you build social connections in real life and feel supported along the way
- Growth mindset
- Journaling
- Community of Care: This is a difficult time for everyone, and we encourage folks to lean on each other in addition to seeking support from Counseling Services. This contributes to each of us cultivating a Community of Care. Here's how you can help:
- UO Communities: Our communities and resources are here to help you find those people who will make the most of your time here at the UO.
- Student clubs— Browse and join clubs on campus
- Student Activities Board— Inclusive events including guest lectures and film screenings to live music events and game nights
- Build community. Use resources from the office of the Dean of Students to start.
- Check-out Intramurals
Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness encourages you to be a lifelong learner. In this you'll learn to recognize your creative abilities and find ways to expand knowledge and skills through both your formal classroom learning and your hobbies and interests.
- Anti-Racist Resources:
- Anti-racist resources
- This list of books, films, and podcasts about racism is a start, not a panacea
- UO Equity and Inclusion Black Lives Matter: Campus and community resources, information, and messages.
- Allyship:
- Academic Resources:
- Learn Something New:
- Craft Center has many classes and studios (ceramics, fiber arts, photography, woodworking, and more) to check out.
- Coursera helps you build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies for free.
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness happens when we extend our sense of purpose and meaning in life and this is based on a core set of values and beliefs.
- Gratitude:
- Mindfulness:
- Mindfulness Tips and Guided Grounding Exercise
- The EMU has a contemplation room (room 115) that you can utilize.
- Remembering the Greater Good during the COVID-19
- Duck Nest meditation
- Spiritual Community:
- The Inclusive America Project has a list of resources for maintaining spiritual community if you’re still practicing physical distancing and not wanting to attend things in person, including: virtual services for many faith traditions, online classes to enhance religious literacy, and ways to support vulnerable communities.
- Altruism and Public Service:
- Many spiritual traditions emphasize altruism and public service. The Holden Center helps students get connected to service opportunities on campus and in the Eugene/Springfield community.
- Nature:
Financial Wellness
Financial wellness happens when you make responsible decisions to live within your means and set financial goals today that will positively impact your financial future.
- Financial Resources:
- UO Financial aid and scholarship resources
- Check out the Financial Wellness Center, which hosts interactive campus-wide workshops, lessons, and resources to help students manage their money by budgeting and borrowing money responsibly, understanding credit, and making informed decisions regarding their finances.
- Support is now available for the Students in Crisis Fund to help students who are dealing with serious financial disruptions. If you are in a crisis that could negatively affect your academics, please call 541-346-3216 or visit dos.uoregon.edu.
- Basic Needs:
- Basic Needs Resources— housing, healthcare, childcare, transportation, technology, financial, legal support
- Food security resources
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellbeing has a focus on achieving good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support your wellbeing. This includes choosing a lifestyle committed toward sustaining the Earth's natural environment.
- Housing Resources:
- UO specific, and community wide
- Know your renter's rights! We no longer have an eviction freeze. If you need help with rent assistance, you can apply for assistance with the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program or find information for local programs at 211info.org.
- Living With Your Parents After College
- Eight Tips to Making Working from Home Work for You (NPR Podcast + Transcript)
- Room environment
- Tips for Remaking Your Space While You're Homebound (NY Times)
- Creating a set study or work space can help with productivity and setting boundaries.
- Easy to care for houseplants— bring the outdoors inside.
- Get Outside: Get outside on your own or with other members of your household to do things like hiking, running, and walking around the neighborhood while maintaining social distancing. This helps our mental and physical well-being.
- Weekly Walking Groups: The Duck Nest hosts weekly walking groups. For more information check out our Instagram account.
- UO Outdoor Program provides a wide range of gear rentals, resources, and clinics. They also host the UO Bike Program— providing bike rentals, events, and maintenance classes.
- Student Rec Center is free for students, offering fitness programs, group classes, spacious facilities and different ways to move.
- Sustainability: The Student Sustainability Center is a collaborative space for student-led initiatives that foster equity, environmental vitality, and economic wellbeing in the present and future.
- Grove Community Garden— A student-run, community space for you to grow plants and connect with other people who are passionate about gardening
- Waste Reduction— Reusable dishware and fix-it programs
- Social and Cultural Equity— A free store for students and a grad-to-gown share program
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness is about engaging in work and studies that are meaningful, enjoyable, and align with personal values. We can find this through activities like volunteering, employment, or career preparation.
- The Career Center: Students and alumni receive the support they need to gain professional experience, make meaning out of past experiences, and choose meaningful future plans.
- Explore your options by connecting with employers and taking steps to prepare for graduation.
- Career coaching and resources include individual coaching, resume and cover letter help, and more resources.
- Job and internship search: search for jobs on Handshake and other websites and explore careers and internships for credit.
- The Holden Center: Develop your unique talents and leadership skills in order to affect positive change and engage our community.
- Discover your purpose with leadership development programs like leadership workshops and leadership consultations.
- LeaderShape Institute will challenge you to dig down into the deepest parts of yourself and find what you value most. During a dynamic, challenging, and exciting week, you will find out what it means to live with integrity, and return with a breakthrough vision for changing our world and the skills to make it happen.
- Learn how your strengths stand out and will make your team stronger with the CliftonStrengths assessment and consultation.
- Volunteering:
- Volunteer at the Duck Nest as a Peer Wellness Advocate (PWA). The program is a peer-to-peer volunteer organization that provides educational, non-judgmental health information and resources to the UO community.
- The Holden Center has many service opportunities, including DuckCorps, Days of Service, and creating your own service program.
- Explore opportunities on campus by joining a campus club or organization.
- Idealist allows you to exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps towards building a better world.
- Volunteer March matches you with causes you care about and causes that need volunteers and that are local to your current location.
- AmeriCorps engages people in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies and community and faith-based groups across the country.
- Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world.
- Resources: