The BYU Wellness Wise committee strives to bring a holistic approach to student and faculty wellness.
BYU Student Wellness Director and Wellness Wise Chair Nathan Ormsby said the committee has been working for the last year and a half to define wellness and educate the campus community on the importance of taking care of oneself.
“There’s a lot for students going on in their lives, a lot of transition, decision, challenges and growth that’s happening, and so with those … there needs to be extra support,” Ormsby said.
These resources are also available to faculty and staff, who are giving much of their time and talents caring for students, Ormsby said.
“If we care for ourselves, then we’ll be able to care for others better as well,” he said.
According to the Wellness Wise website, holistic wellness is comprised of six dimensions: spiritual, physical, intellectual, financial, emotional and social. For each of these six dimensions, Wellness Wise has cultivated lists of resources, events and university courses for students. Those who are unsure of which dimension to target first can take the wellness self-assessment.
One popular resource for physical wellness is the Yfitness class series. Yfitness classes are free for BYU students and include yoga, barre, cycling, kickboxing, Zumba and more.
Amber Woll, a sophomore in information systems from Dunellen, New Jersey, has been attending the Aquafit and StepIt classes for a year.
“I like that they make getting exercise fun,” Woll said. “It helps me … in my sleep habits and my overall energy. I also feel like I am happier …. when I’ve worked out in the day.”
Charity Campbell, a junior in exercise and wellness from Johnstown, Ohio, attends Yfitness classes weekly.
“They’re free and there’s a really good social environment,” she said.
Campbell described the increasing popularity of the spin classes. If participants don’t get to class 10 minutes early, they might not get a bike, she said. This week, she said 40-50 people were waiting to get into the class.
The Wellness Wise committee is made up of 14 campus members representing different areas of the community, including the Office of Belonging, Residence Life, BYUSA, CAPS, FHSS, public health, general education, student development and student health services.
“We tried to pull from these different areas to have a broad administrative approach,” Ormsby said.
Ormsby said current and upcoming projects include a wellness workbook for instructors, teaching how to set effective deadlines that work around religious observances and allow students to optimize their sleep schedule, and a wellness exposition March 11-14.
Interested students and faculty can follow Wellness Wise on Instagram to stay up-to-date on activities and other resources.
