What Does ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Mean to You?

For the past half year, I’ve been telling you all about what my experience on campus has been from a health perspective. I’m not offended at all if you’re sick and tired of my writing- honestly, I am too. So, to take a break from my rambling and to reflect a little on what my purpose has been this past academic year, I went around and asked some of my peers what ‘health and wellbeing’ means to them. Here are some of the responses.   Kaitlyn, 4^th year, Cell and Systems Biology To me, health isn’t just your health in terms of “Oh, I’m sick, I’m coughing,” but also your emotional health, mental health, and spiritual health. It’s making sure that you’re at your proper equilibrium in all aspects of your life. Leah, 1^st year, Life Sciences To me, health and wellbeing means to be in a healthy and comfortable state both physically and mentally. It means staying physically active, eating healthy and allowing your body to rest, despite the busyness of life. Health and wellbeing also means surrounding yourself with the right people and putting yourself in the right environment to feel mentally stable and happy. This includes recognizing things that discourage and negatively affect you and putting those things aside rather than bringing them to light. Fatma, 4th year, English For me, health and well being are more things you do than have; health is a daily commitment to eat well and be active. I don't think there's one particular thing you have to do to be "healthy." I think it's more holistic, about the ways you approach and make choices about your lifestyle. Hibo, 3^rd year, Biomedical Toxicology & Health and Disease Health and wellbeing to me means that both your physical and emotional health are in a good state so that you feel capable in achieving everything you want to achieve. Rebecca, 3^rd , Physiology & Biology & Immunology I’m a physiology student so I automatically think of physical body. I think of exercise and eating organic foods. But then there’s this whole other coin that’s health and wellness of the mind that’s important. Being able to get up in the morning and face the day is also important for most people. Sofia, 3^rd year, Fundamental Genetics and its Application For me, health and well-being means balance in body and mind, feeling well and motivated, and you know there are people who support you. Sabrina, 3^rd year, Life Sciences To me, wellness means feeling happy and strong.   At U of T, we have a huge community with lots of different people, so it makes sense that there are many different interpretations of 'health and wellbeing'. What really stuck out to me was the resounding understanding that health and wellbeing is more than just physical health- it's equilibrium, balance, stability, just to name a few. What does health and wellbeing mean to you? What's something you do to try and reflect your understanding? Thank you to the amazing students who provided answers, and happy last week of classes!