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Health and Wellness

How would you describe "wellness"?
 Job searching and stress/workplace stress
Managing stress through proper nutrition
Managing stress through exercise
Managing stress through relaxation techniques/therapies (yoga, etc.)
Managing stress through the power of positive thinking
Managing stress through time management
Managing stress through spirituality
Building healthy relationships/support networks
Health resources
Crisis management

How would you describe "wellness"?

Please see The University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter.
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/wl/wlAbout.html

The Psychological Counseling and Wellness Center at the University of California at Chico describes wellness as "an on-going lifestyle which requires taking responsibility and making healthy choices." The many facets of wellness are enumerated.
http://www.csuchico.edu/cnts/cwc/q.html

Job searching and stress/workplace stress

If your job search seems to be taking longer than you expected, remember to try to keep things in perspective. The following article, “Handling Your Job Loss,” should also be called “Handling Your Current Lack of a Job.” While it begins by addressing people who have been laid off, it also addresses new college graduates and contains many helpful tips for managing related stress.
http://www.magellanassist.com/mem/library/default.asp?
TopicId=313&CategoryId=0&ArticleId=8

Dealing with Job Search Anxiety: Career Stress Management 101
http://www.execsearches.com/articles/interview_stress_management.htm

Have you have found a job that is more stressful than you thought it would be? The following article is a valuable resource for learning what you can do to reduce your stress level.
http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=104

Also see the our Transitions page on Job Search Strategic Planning.
http://my.simmons.edu/library/collections/career/transitions/strategic.shtml

Managing stress through proper nutrition

Learn which foods help reduce the feeling of stress and which foods to avoid.
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?A-Diet-To-Reduce-Stress
-and-Boost-Energy&id=137372

Foodfit.com provides many healthy recipes, gives advice on fitness and wellness, and offers free weekly email tips and free newsletters.
http://www.foodfit.com/

MyPyramid.gov, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helps you make smart decisions regarding nutrition.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

The UMASS Medical School’s Center for Integrative Nutrition contains many healthy recipes, tips on healthy eating, and even advice on how to be a smart food shopper.
http://www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/nutrition/cookbook/

Some valuable cookbooks in print are the following:

Some print sources which address how food can affect your mood are:

Managing stress through exercise

Stress management from MindTools.com explains the positive benefits of exercise and relates it to lower stress responses.
http://www.mindtools.com/stress/Defenses/Exercise.htm

Exercise and Stress Relief from About.com emphasizes setting realistic goals when starting a fitness regimen and taking things slowly.
http://exercise.about.com/od/healthinjuries/a/stressrelief.htm

Among the many fitness center options in Boston are the following:

  • As a Simmons alumna, you are entitled to use the Holmes Sports Center at a special low rate.
    http://my.simmons.edu/life/athletics/facilities/membership.shtml
  • The Greater Boston YMCA offers many services at competitive rates.
    http://www.ymcaboston.org/
  • Healthworks Fitness Centers for Women offer many services at rates which vary according to the number of activities to which you wish to have access.
    http://www.healthworksfitness.com/
  • Many Boston community centers offer access to fitness facilities such as gyms, weight rooms, and swimming pools for very affordable rates. To locate a facility near you, select your neighborhood and the program category "enrichment & recreation" on the search page.
    http://www.cityofboston.gov/bcyf/search.asp
  • Boston Kung Fu Tai Chi Institute at 883 Boylston St. (in the Back Bay) offers kickboxing lessons and Kung Fu as well as Tai Chi lessons. You can join as an annual member or pay for a card which entitles you to a certain number of lessons.
    http://www.taichi.com/
  • Boston Sanda Kung Fu also offers kickboxing lessons. You can sign up for a yearly membership or for a set number of lessons.
    http://www.boston-kickboxing.com/

Managing stress through relaxation techniques/therapies (yoga, etc.)

Progressive relaxation is a technique that combines the tensing and relaxing of muscle groups, positive mental imagery, and deep breathing to release tension and stress.
http://www.learnthat.com/courses/lifestyle/stress/exercises1.shtml

Stress Relief: Yoga, Meditation, and Other Relaxation Techniques is a comprehensive website with links to topics such as dealing with depression and anxiety and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in general.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_
yoga_relaxation.htm

Pathways to Wellness a nonprofit organization located on Washington Street. in Boston offers, many services such as acupuncture, massage, yoga, and Chinese herbal treatments. Some insurance plans will entitle you to discounts on those services. If you have a very limited income, the services are provided on a sliding scale basis.

http://www.pathwaysboston.org/index.html

The Yahoo! Yoga guide provides listings for several different yoga class locations in the Boston area.
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Massachusetts/
Metropolitan_Areas/Boston_Metro/Business_and_Shopping/
Shopping_and_Services/Health/Fitness/Yoga/

Managing stress through the power of positive thinking

The following article posted by the Mayo Clinic explains how positive thinking really can reduce stress and improve one’s quality of life.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009

The MindTools website has a lot to say about positive thinking and stress reduction and includes navigational tabs to topics such as problem-solving and decision-making, skills which certainly help to reduce one’s level of tension and stress.
http://www.mindtools.com/redpstv.html

Managing stress through time management

Personal Time Management Guide
http://www.time-management-guide.com/

Manage Stress/ Time
http://wlb.monster.com/archives/stressmanagement/

Get Organized/Time Management
http://www.holistic-online.com/stress/stress_time-management.htm

Managing stress through spirituality

1st Holistic.com is a web resource that recommends several alternative therapies to combat stress and includes the importance of spirituality and prayer in general well-being. Prayers are available for all religious faiths.
http://1stholistic.com/default.htm

Trinity Church Boston's Counseling Center combines mental health counseling within the context of religious faith. It is dedicated to serving people who may not have other means to get counseling. The counseling sessions are available on a sliding scale basis.
http://www.trinitychurchboston.org/justice/counseling.php

The following print resources may also be helpful:

Building healthy relationships/support networks

The following link to the Women’s Center at Southern Connecticut State University gives wise tips on determining what constitutes a healthy relationship.
http://www.southernct.edu/departments/womenscenter/relationships/healthy.htm

The Our Bodies Ourselves companion website provides excerpts from the print version which give valuable insight into male/female and same-sex female relationships (Chapters 10 and 11). (As well, there are many other issues of importance to women that are featured on this website).
http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/default.asp

The following bibliography, published by the Women’s Resources and Research Center at the University of California at Davis, includes a listing of books dealing with all kinds of relationships (romantic, friendships, family relations, and same-sex relationships). The books listed cover myriad subtopics including self-esteem, good communication skills, and handling violence in a relationship, just to name a few.
http://wrrc.ucdavis.edu/library_reading_list/2006-Healthy_
Relationships.pdf

Health resources

The “Health Resources” section of the Simmons A to Z guide provides many valuable links to resources covering a wide range of topics related to women’s health and well-being issues.
http://my.simmons.edu/services/counseling/resources.shtml

Black Women’s Health.org is a very comprehensive website which addresses medical and wellness issues as they specifically relate to the needs of black women. The website includes a long listing of African American Health/Medical associations.
http://www.blackwomenshealth.org/site/PageServer?
pagename=LE_links_hotlines

AHealthyMe.com addresses all sorts of health issues and has many navigational buttons for topics such as “alternative health,”“lifestyle and wellness,” and “work and wellness.”
http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/home

Crisis management

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or 1-800-787-3224(TTY)
http://www.ndvh.org/

The Feminist Majority Foundation, working for women’s equality, also addresses domestic violence on a national level.
http://www.feminist.org/911/crisis.html

The following Crisis Hotlines are available:

  • Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (operates 24 hours a day) 617-492-RAPE or
    1-800-580-5908
  • The National Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE
  • Samaritans: 617-247-0220- a 24 hour suicide prevention hotline with trained volunteers who are available to assist you if you may be feeling depressed, alone, or overwhelmed. This service is free, confidential, and available in crisis situations.
  • Boston Emergency Service Team 1-800-761-HELP- the Department of Mental Health Crisis Team
  • Boston hotline: The Mayor’s Health Line 1-800-847-0710-provides state-wide health information public programs for the uninsured and referrals to primary care and specialty services.
  • United Way First Call For Help 1-800-231-4377-provides information, referral, and linkages to appropriate agencies or services.

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Page updated: March 5, 2007

 

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