The Shaw Wellness Institute is a centralized location for health and wellness resources on Colgate’s campus.
Trying to stay well while physically distancing? Check out tips, tricks, and strategies from the Shaw Wellness Institute Team and their partners on our YouTube channel.
There are also resources for Virtual Recreation and Wellness available on the Colgate Recreation site.
About the Institute
The Shaw Wellness Institute educates, connects, and inspires members of the Colgate Community to lead their best well-balanced lives — now and in the future. Offering proactive, student-centered directives, it approaches wellness holistically. It connects the mind, body, and spirit, and awakens the deepest potential in each person.
The institute collaborates with campus partners to provide exceptional evidenced-based programs and resources. In a safe, inclusive environment, the institute offers wellness support on a continuum, from prevention and education through treatment and recovery. Shaw Wellness staff also work to develop and participate in cutting edge research in an effort to facilitate best practices in wellness education across college campuses, worldwide.
With a conference room, a full kitchen, and a spacious lounge including a library of resources, board games, puzzles, and art supplies, Shaw is a great location to escape from the stress of daily life and focus on self-care.
The Eight Dimensions of Wellness
The Shaw Wellness Institute’s mission, vision, and programming are guided by SAMSHA’s eight Dimensions of Wellness:
Emotional — Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships
Environmental — Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being
Financial — Satisfaction with current and future financial situations
Intellectual — Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
Occupational — Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work
Physical — Recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy foods, and sleep
Social — Developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system
Spiritual — Expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life
Shaw Wellness is committed to engaging in a life-long process of cultural awareness and sensitivity. Following ACHA guidelines, we “support all initiatives that create a healthy campus climate guided by the values of inclusion, respect, equality, and equity.” Our work acknowledges the negative impact of all forms of discrimination, including but not limited to those based on age, country of origin, ethnicity, gender identity, physical and mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Through open and honest communication, Shaw Wellness strives to recognize, respect, value, and support student and staff needs. We recognize the institutional barrier of health disparity for underrepresented or underserved populations and work diligently to provide resources to the entire campus community. Shaw Wellness provides a safe environment, where the unique qualities and heritage of all people are recognized, celebrated, and valued. Staff members regularly participate in cultural competency trainings in an effort to increase cultural awareness and sensitivity, and to collaborate with campus stakeholders to develop strategies for increased inclusion at Colgate University.
Whether it’s your first year or final year on campus, college life can bring questions to mind that range from your relationships to your upcoming midterms. No matter what you’re up against, the online resource called YOU @ Colgate is built to connect you to campus information, resources and even quick pick-me-ups. Think Google, if Google searched with your campus, personality and problems in mind. Visit you.colgate.edu to get started.
YOU @ Colgate offers a unique and free web portal dedicated to student health, happiness and success. YOU emphasizes individual well-being and self-awareness by dynamically serving up tips, online tools and [Institution Name] campus resources that get you exactly what you need in the moment, 24/7/365.
YOU helps you, as a college student, take charge of your future in three areas –– Succeed (academic and career), Thrive (physical and mental well-being) and Matter (purpose and connections). You can get started on your own journey of a healthy, happy college career by visiting https://you.colgate.edu.
The Wellness Institute Library is a central feature of the wellness lounge area. The various materials may be checked out by any student or employee with a valid Colgate ID. The library has over 250 books, CDs, DVDs, pamphlets and other media related to the eight wellness dimensions. We even have biofeedback software that plays like a game for you to use.
Topics include anxiety, depression, occupational wellness, stress management, sleep hygiene, alcohol and other drugs, nutrition, body image, eating disorders, relationships, self-esteem, sexual health, meditation, mindfulness, and spirituality. Please drop by during office hours and peruse our library with a warm cup of tea, or drop by during an event and stay after to see what's available.
Shaw Wellness posts tons of information about all things wellness on our Instagram and Facebook. Follow us @shawwellnessinstitute and like us on Facebook!
COVID-19 related resources:
- Look here to learn some tips that can help you remain connected, manage stress, and stay positive.
- Social distancing can be tough the longer we are stuck in quarantine, check out what to expect and how to cope.
- Check out this article on how you can change your perspective during these times.
- Struggling working from home? Check out these famous writers' work from home tips.
- It may be possible to use the stress to improve your health. This article talks about switching the mindset on stress.
- Check out the Podcast - The Mindful Kind for some self-care and positivity
- Here are some videos for health, safety, and wellbeing to help students that includes sexual violence prevention in a virtual space.
- This is a short video to help with moving evidence based practices online and deciding which programs would be best to do so.
- Here is an article on ways to use Covid-19 for your personal growth and how to overcome this adversity. (It acknowledging not everyone has this luxury)
- Check out Ohio State’s resource page to Cope with Covid, including tips for dealing with Covid-19 related anxiety.
- Looking to see how other higher education communities are dealing with Covid-19? This resource page has tons of ways to help with digital and mental wellbeing, sexual and gender based violence prevention, diversity and equity inclusion, and alcohol and drug abuse prevention.
Mental Health:
- Check out these free webinars on sports psychology and how to (be) during this time.
- Looking for ways to manage stress and anxiety, check out YOU@Colgate
General resources:
- Look at this website where there are several videos and articles on stress and anxiety.
- Are you looking to improve your memory and increase sharpness? Lumosity is a great way to do this through brain training games.
- Here is an online learning book by NASPA that discusses student engagement and mental health services for online learners.
- Workplace mental health is extremely important among this Covid-19 outbreak, this article discussing how to go about promoting it for your workplace.
- Yale University is offering a free ‘happiness’ class online, and you can learn about what actual happiness means.
- This article discusses how to practice self-care while in quarantine.
- If you are wondering what self-care really is, watch this TEDx by Susannah Winters. She breaks the myths of what people think self-care is.
- Like listening to podcasts? Check out this list of the 40 best educational podcasts of 2020.
- Student mental health is very important now, and this webcast shows what other schools are doing to help them.
- This app is used to combat loneliness and isolation that students might be experiencing during Covid-19.
Alcohol related resources:
- Here is a link to some virtual support meetings, it is called SMART recovery and it is self-management and recovery training and it's free.
- Free online AA meetings and Apps or Google play to listen to.
- The American Foundations for Suicide Prevention has created at Mental Health and Covid-19 webpage for guidance and helpful information.
- The boom of alcohol sales amongst Covid-19 and how quarantine can affect those in recovery.
- The apple podcast The Lowe Post, talks with Sandra Galea about BU’s school of public health and about mental health challenges during these times.
Online training resources:
- NASPA has online webinars about how to do several different types of programming online.
Eight Dimensions:
- Look to find meaning during this time. Here is an article that discusses meaning and purpose in life and not letting the days be wasted.
- Whether you are spiritual or not here is a great article on using a technique called the Examen, where you reflect on your day and become more mindful.
- Sleep and our sleep cycle is very important to maintain. This article is a brief reminder of the benefits of sleep.
Campus Partners:
- Here is a link to what the COVE has created on how to support your community from home.
- Notes from the Teleconnect meeting about how offices plan to connect with students, build partnerships, and to streamline requests for university resources (ITS).
- Here is a link to the Virtual PE and Recreation where there are fitness, dance, and yoga classes, and virtual recreation games.
Nutrition resources:
- Trying to figure out how to eat well in quarantine? Here is an article to help you navigate the realistic way to eat well.
- Need meal creation ideas with what you have? This website lets you put what ingredients you have into a generator and gives you meal ideas.
Total Body and/or Variety:
- Planet Fitness live streams classes daily on their facebook page at 7pm ET for their United We Move campaign.
- YMCA 360 are free online Youtube videos for a variety of fitness workouts like barre, yoga, bootcamp, and workouts for active older adults. Aso check out their website for a bigger selection.
- If you would like a variety of workouts to log in the amount of time you have and calories you would like to burn then check out Fitness Blender videos. You can join for free or choose a membership.
- Need a coach to help you? Life fitness offers a digital coach, free right now, with videos of each exercise.
- Reebok is offering at home resources such as activities and workout videos to do with children!
- Here is a great fitness business, Les Mills and their Youtube channel which has tons of free workout videos. There is dance, HIIT, and bodycombat style workouts. They have a website for free workouts and Les Mills On-Demand for 14 days free.
- POPSUGAR fitness offers fresh fitness tutorials, workouts, and exercises that will help you on your road to healthy living, weight loss, and stress relief.
- If you own a TRX band or suspension trainer check out the TRX training youtube channel.
- The eFit30 youtube channel has dance, pilates, band workouts, yoga/stretching, and cardio.
- Looking for a breakdown of how to do certain exercises at home? LIVESTRONG.COM youtube channel has several tips and techniques on a variety of workouts.
- Into crossfit? Here are some at home crossfit videos demonstrating different exercises.
- If you don’t have a ton of time to workout, the Self Magazine youtube channel has tons of short 20-30min at home workouts.
- For a large selection of free videos jessicasmithtv youtube channel has tons of body weight workouts.
- Check out this free 30-day trial of Daily Burn, there are thousands of different workout videos, group training or 1-on-1 training..
Cycling:
- The Peloton app is 30 days free right now and then $13/month, this has thousands of live and on-demand classes from your phone, tablet, or tv.
- Spinning is a $15/month subscription where you have an all-access pass to digital spinning.
Step/Dance/Cardio:
- PopSugar Fitness has plenty of free workouts such as dance, zumba, and cardio.
- Les Mills youtube channel also has a variety of cardio kickboxing and dance videos.
- Here is a 40 min BODYJAM workout by Les Mills and Reebok.
- The Youtube channel Fit Outside the Box with Karla has a lot of dance, step, and kickboxing workouts.
Yoga:
- Need some guidance for trying out yoga? Check out Yoga Journal on Youtube which teaches a variety of yoga.
- Body positivity is always great so check out Body Positive Yoga on Youtube for a variety of yoga workouts.
- Check on this ondemand yoga from Core Power Yoga and free access to new classes each week.
- Yoga with Adriene is a great channel where she does tons of full at home yoga workouts.
- This website Do Yoga with Me has a lot of great yoga videos that have all levels from beginner, intermediate, to advanced.
- Looking to join in on yoga classes? Check out Yoga DelSol and sign up for some livestream yoga classes.
- Yoga Heights has several free 60min yoga videos live stream and recorded.
- TaraStiles youtube channel has tons of great free yoga videos and breaks down several poses.
