Wellness

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The concept of wellness is not at all new. Over the last 30 years its tenets have been incorporated into our considerations about healthful living. Many wellness models exist; they share the same premises but often have differing numbers of dimensions with a varied array of labels. The model provided here has been modified to reflect values of the Butler University community.

Simply, wellness is an expansion of the idea of health.  Just because one is absent of any illness symptoms does not make one "well."  Fahey, Insel, and Roth (2001) suggest that "Wellness is the ability to live life fully with vitality and meaning."  This approach requires that we are proactive, intentional, and committed over our lifetimes. Additionally, no one wellness dimension stands alone. Dimensions of wellness interact with each other and all must be attended to in order for us to move toward and enhanced state of well being.

Members of the division of Student Affairs and other campus partners use this model as a guide for our work. We seek to offer programs and services that assist students in their holistic development.